FC Fire Codes & Standards Module Exam Prep

FC FIRE CODES & STANDARDS MODULE

Complete Study Guide - Exam Preparation

Use this guide for comprehensive exam preparation covering all FC exam categories

CFM Certification Path: The FC (Fire Codes & Standards) module is one of three exams required for the Certified Fire Marshal (CFM) designation. The three CFM modules are: FC (Fire Codes & Standards), MM (Management Module), and MG (Legal Module). The MM and MG modules are shared with the CBO (Certified Building Official) certification.

Exam Overview

FC Exam Details:

• Code Books: 2024 IFC (primary), 2024 IBC (secondary); Special Inspection Manual (2021, or 2018/2012) and IFSTA Fire and Life Safety Educator (4th) and NFPA 921 (2021) are listed references for this exam but are not available on disk for this content build — anything that depends solely on them is flagged below, not invented.
• Questions: 80 questions
• Time Limit: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Format: Open book, multiple choice
• Passing Score: 60/80 (75%)
• Cost: $210

Category Breakdown (per the official 2024 ICC outline):

How to Use This Study Guide

This guide is organized by outline category and sub-topic, highest-weight topics first. Each section includes:

• Key code sections and tables to know
• Critical definitions
• Common test scenarios
• Quick reference summaries

Code Enforcement (48%) is the only category this build can fully ground in the on-disk 2024 IFC/IBC text. Develop Educational and Prevention Programs, Data Analysis, and Fire Investigation together make up 52% of the exam but depend mostly on IFSTA Fire and Life Safety Educator (4th), NFPA 921 (2021), and the Special Inspection Manual — none of which are on disk. Those three sections below give only what the official outline's own sub-topic descriptions say and what the IFC's own administrative text (104.10 investigations, 104.7 records) supports; everything else is marked "source not on disk" rather than invented.

Recommended Study Schedule:

• Weeks 1-2: Code Enforcement — Fire Safety and Fire Service Features (28% of exam)
• Week 3: Code Enforcement — Applications/Permits and Special Occupancies (20% of exam)
• Weeks 4-5: Fire Investigation (34% of exam) — study from IFSTA FLSE / NFPA 921 directly; this guide only covers the IFC administrative anchor (104.10)
• Week 6: Develop Educational and Prevention Programs and Data Analysis (18% of exam combined) — study from IFSTA FLSE directly
• Final week: Practice exams and review weak areas

CATEGORY 1: DEVELOP EDUCATIONAL AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS (13% - 10 Questions)

This category is not code-book content. Per the official outline it covers lesson-plan development, juvenile firesetter intervention, public fire and life safety education strategy, and emergency-preparedness coordination — all IFSTA Fire and Life Safety Educator, 4th Edition territory. That book is not on disk. The sub-topic below that touches the IFC (emergency preparedness / evacuation drills) is grounded in the code; the other two are flagged.

1.1 Lesson Plans (6%)

Outline description: "Develop lesson plans with materials to reflect educational goals for a specific audience to include, but not be limited to, curiosity play, at-risk individuals for becoming firesetters in the community and at-risk arson targets."

Lesson-plan structure (learning objectives, audience analysis, curiosity-driven firesetting intervention, at-risk-target identification) is IFSTA FLSE 4th content. Source not on disk — do not study this sub-topic from this guide; use the IFSTA textbook directly.

1.2 Fire and Life Safety Education Programs (3%)

Outline description: "Establish public fire and life safety education strategies. Evaluate and procure fire educators and developers for the education program. Present the education program to the specific audience."

Program strategy, educator evaluation/procurement, and audience-appropriate presentation are IFSTA FLSE 4th content. Source not on disk.

1.3 Emergency Preparedness (4%)

Outline description: "Coordinate emergency preparedness requirements. Provide technical guidance to public for fire prevention and survival skills."

This sub-topic has a real IFC anchor: the fire safety and evacuation plan and fire-drill requirements of IFC Chapter 4, which are the code-side half of "emergency preparedness coordination." Technical guidance on personal fire-prevention/survival skills itself is IFSTA FLSE content (source not on disk).