F-03 vs F-04: Which Place of Assembly Exam to Take

The F-03 and the F-04 are two New York City Certificates of Fitness for the people who keep crowds safe at venues and events. They share one FDNY study booklet, the questions come from the same material, and the names sound almost the same, so it is easy to mix them up. This guide sets out what each one covers, who usually takes which, and how the two exams differ, using only what the FDNY's consolidated study material says.

Two certificates, one booklet

The FDNY publishes a single consolidated booklet for both certificates:

• F-03: Indoor Place of Assembly Safety Personnel.
• F-04: Temporary Place of Assembly Safety Personnel (Citywide).

The booklet notes that these two certificates replaced the older F-94. It also explains why the title changed. The FDNY used to call these workers "fire guards," but now uses "place of assembly safety personnel" because that name better describes the job. The main duty is to help occupants in a fire or other emergency: keep exits clear and usable, and direct people to the nearest safe way out.

What the F-03 covers

The booklet describes the F-03 as a premises-related certificate. It is meant for occupancies that hold a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation (PA). An F-03 holder is responsible for fire safety during any approved place of assembly or temporary place of assembly activity held in those premises.

In other words, the F-03 is tied to a building you work in. The booklet's examples of venues with a Place of Assembly permit include theaters, TV studios, stadiums and terminals.

What the F-04 covers

The F-04 is a citywide certificate for temporary events. The booklet says F-04 holders help keep fire safety at any temporary place of assembly event that has a TPA (temporary place of assembly) permit. It gives festivals, outdoor concerts and similar temporary public gatherings as examples.

So the F-04 follows you from event to event rather than being tied to one building.

Which one do people take?

The booklet includes a short decision chart. In plain terms:

Your work	The booklet points you to
Duties at one specific venue that has a Place of Assembly permit	The F-03 exam
Only temporary place of assembly events, at different locations	The F-04 exam

There is also a useful shortcut. According to the booklet, if you pass the F-03 exam you may pay an additional $25 fee to get the F-04 certificate without taking the F-04 exam. That is the only fee figure this booklet gives. It does not work the other way round: nothing in the booklet lets an F-04 holder get the F-03 without its exam.

Your employer or the event organizer usually knows which certificate a post needs, so check with them before you apply. Our which certificate do I need page lists the other fire guard certificates too.

How the two exams differ

Yes, they are separate exams, each with its own application. Here is how they compare, according to the Notice of Exam section of the booklet:

	F-03	F-04
Questions	25 multiple choice	20 multiple choice
Time limit	38 minutes	30 minutes
Passing score	At least 70%	At least 70%
What it covers	The entire booklet	The booklet except Section 2, the special precautions for theaters

Simple arithmetic shows what 70% means in practice. On the F-03, 18 correct answers out of 25 clears the bar (17 would be 68%). On the F-04, 14 out of 20 is exactly 70%.

Both exams follow the same format, according to the booklet:

• They are taken on a touch-screen computer, with a time limit.
• Each question has four answer choices, and only one is most correct.
• A question left blank, or one with more than one answer marked, counts as wrong.
• There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.
• You can't use the study booklet during the exam. If an exam needs reference material, exam room staff provide it.

The booklet also says you must apply and pay online before you arrive. Each attempt needs its own application and payment, and you can't retest on the same calendar day. Neither certificate can be obtained any other way: the booklet says there is no alternative issuance procedure, so you have to pass the computer exam at FDNY Headquarters, 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn. For what to bring and how the day runs, see exam day.

The theater section: the F-03's extra material

Section 2 is the one real difference in content. It covers special fire safety precautions for performing arts and motion picture theaters, and it is tested on the F-03 only. If you are taking the F-03, expect questions on it. Some of what it covers:

• Daily visual checks on every day a theater is used for a performance. These cover exits and door hardware, automatic fire doors, portable fire extinguishers, any permit conditions for special effects, and rubbish backstage and under the stage.
• Records: logbooks and records must be kept on the premises for at least three years.
• The pre-show announcement about exit locations, made not more than 10 minutes before each performance.
• Standing areas: no one may stand in an aisle. Standing room must be marked off with a rope or similar barrier between 3 and 4 feet high, and only one row of people may stand in a balcony.
• Out-of-service systems: the booklet stresses that an F-03 does not cover F-01 duties. If a fire alarm, sprinkler or standpipe system is out of service, an F-01 fire guard must be present, and one person can't do both jobs at the same time.

The material both exams share

Everything outside Section 2 counts for both exams. The main themes:

When safety personnel are needed

The booklet says the FDNY may require at least one place of assembly safety person where the Certificate of Occupancy shows 75 or more people gathering indoors, or 200 or more outdoors. The building's fire safety and evacuation plan sets how many are needed. For temporary events, the minimum number is shown on the TPA permit.

Checks before and during an event

For indoor venues, the booklet offers the acronym ESCAPE for the pre-event check: Exits, Storage, Capacity, Aisles, Protection (alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers) and Emergency exit lighting. During the event, you watch for overcrowding, keep exit paths and aisles clear, and tell your supervisor about any problem.

Temporary events

Part II covers temporary events. According to the booklet, safety personnel at a TPA event must arrive at least one hour before it starts and stay until the whole audience has left. They should get an orientation that covers exits, evacuation routes, occupant numbers and extinguisher locations. The booklet also lists things that are prohibited at outdoor public gatherings, including portable CNG cylinders and guests charging or storing lithium-ion batteries. Pyrotechnics are not allowed without an FDNY permit.

Systems, emergencies and extinguishers

Part III covers fire protection systems (pull stations, sprinklers, standpipes and fire alarms), emergency procedures and portable fire extinguishers, and a final section covers lithium-ion battery safety. Our guide to fire extinguisher types on the Certificate of Fitness exams goes through the extinguisher material.

A practice question to check yourself

This question is original, written for this guide. It is not taken from the real exam.

A festival with a TPA permit opens its gates at 6:00 p.m. According to the study material, by what time should the place of assembly safety personnel be on site?

1. 4:00 p.m.
2. 5:00 p.m.
3. 5:30 p.m.
4. 6:00 p.m.

Answer: B. The booklet says safety personnel at a temporary place of assembly event must arrive at least one hour before the event, and stay until the audience has left.

Bottom line

Take the F-03 if you work at one venue that holds a Place of Assembly permit. Take the F-04 if you only work temporary events around the city. The F-03 is longer (25 questions in 38 minutes, against 20 in 30), and it adds the theater section. Both need 70%. If you might do both kinds of work, the booklet's $25 route from F-03 to F-04 is worth knowing about. The FDNY can revise the booklet at any time, so download the current version from nyc.gov before your exam.

When you are ready to test yourself, the F-03 and F-04 practice page has free sample questions and timed mocks at the length of each real exam. Full access is listed on the pricing page.