Study guide · the whole floor plan
F-80 study guide: the Study Material, zone by zone
The FDNY Study Material is the FDNY’s free study text for the F-80: one PDF, revised January 2026, 82 pages with the forms. This guide splits it into 12 zones. Each zone has a page of rules and a practice round, and the share column below shows how much of the Study Material each zone fills.
Plan ref 412 zonesUpdated October 25, 2026
What the Study Material covers, and what it leaves out
The body of the Study Material has 19 chapters and one appendix, the Coordinator Checklist. It names the duties, the drills, the alarm system, out-of-service rules, extinguishers and shelter hazards. It also says it does not hold everything. It points you to the NYC Fire Code, the Building Code, NFPA 10, 25 and 72, and the FDNY Rules (Source: Study Material p. 13).
Before the test you must finish a course at a school on the FDNY list. This guide does not replace it; see the F-80 course requirement. For the schools and other study options side by side, see F-80 prep options compared.
The FDNY revises the Study Material from time to time. Check the FDNY F-80 page for the current edition before your test. This guide follows the January 2026 revision, checked October 25, 2026.
The zones at a glance
The share is our estimate: the words in each zone, counted from Chapter 1 to Appendix A. The FDNY publishes no topic weights for the test.
Zones and where to practice them
| Zone | What it covers | Share of the Study Material | Checkpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone A | The coordinator’s role and the certificate | 9.3% | 12 |
| Zone B | Definitions and key terms | 10.5% | 12 |
| Zone C | Emergency preparedness plan and staff training | 9.0% | 15 |
| Zone D | Fire and non-fire emergency drills | 10.9% | 15 |
| Zone E | The fire alarm control panel | 5.3% | 13 |
| Zone F | Detectors, pull stations and notification | 12.6% | 12 |
| Zone G | Sprinkler and standpipe systems | 4.6% | 12 |
| Zone H | Out-of-service systems and fire watch | 4.7% | 16 |
| Zone I | Portable fire extinguishers | 8.0% | 12 |
| Zone J | Emergency procedures and log books | 5.3% | 15 |
| Zone K | Fire hazards in shelters | 11.9% | 12 |
| Zone L | Emergency shelter rules and the checklist | 7.8% | 12 |
Where each zone sits in the Study Material
Zones and their Study Material chapters (revised January 2026)
| Zone | Chapters | Read for |
|---|---|---|
| A · Coordinator role | §1, §4, §4.1 | Who must be on site, the deputy, the panel tasks |
| B · Key terms | §2 | Alarm or detector, fire stages, off-line, shall or should |
| C · Preparedness plan | §5, §6, §8 | Plan contents, the yearly review, staff training |
| D · Drills | §7 | The drill procedure, its frequency, the drill record |
| E · Alarm panel | §10.1–10.2 | The three signals, the panel buttons, power |
| F · Alarm devices | §10.3–10.12, §13 | Detectors, pull stations, notification, what an alarm shuts down |
| G · Sprinklers, standpipes | §11, §12 | Heads, valves, and who runs the tests |
| H · Out of service | §14 | Planned and unplanned outages, tags, fire watch |
| I · Extinguishers | §15 | Classes, PASS, mounting, tags and checks |
| J · Procedures and logs | §9, §16, §17.2–17.5 | Reporting, elevators, medical calls, log books |
| K · Shelter hazards | §3, §17 (intro), §18, §19 | Three shelter fires, common problems, lithium-ion |
| L · Emergency shelters | §17.1, Appendix A | Space, aisles, exits and the checklist |
When the Study Material and the Fire Code differ
They do not always give the same number. For staff refresher training, the Study Material says at least 1 hour, quarterly, on each work shift. A general Fire Code section for other buildings says 30 minutes. For the F-80 test, learn the Study Material figure (Source: Study Material §6).
Every zone and concept
Every zone and every concept page under it. A concept page takes one idea that is easy to mix up and gives it its own round.
Using the guide with the other tools
Read a zone page, then walk its round. Use the F-80 flashcards for the numbers: drill frequency, fire watch hours, extinguisher heights.
Once the zones feel steady, mix them in the mixed practice round. Finish with the timed mock exam under the 75-minute clock. The study plan puts these steps into two weeks or four.
Exam facts, checked against the source
Each answer below names its FDNY source and the date we checked it.
Getting certified
The steps before and after the test, from the course to renewal.
Comparisons
Where the F-80 ends and other certificates begin, and how the prep options compare.
On an iPhone or iPad?
Then F-80 is the one to install. On an Android phone or a computer, keep practicing here; it costs nothing.