201 IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Engineering Science
201 IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Engineering Science
201 IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Engineering Science
Engineering Science
Qualification Specification
The IFE is the professional institution for those working in the fire sector. The IFE is a
registered charity working for societal benefit. Founded in 1918, the IFE’s mission is to
promote, encourage and improve the science, practice and professionalism of fire
engineering with the overall aim of protecting and saving lives.
Members of the IFE share a commitment to ensuring that the fire profession remains
relevant and valued, protecting people, property and the environment from fire.
The aim of the of the awarding organisation is to encourage those who work in the sector to
engage with, and develop, the critical understanding needed to operate effectively and
safely and to the best professional standards so that they can protect and save lives. In
doing this, the awarding organisation contributes to three of the IFE’s (six) over-arching
strategic priorities ie:
All of the IFE’s qualifications are designed for those working in the fire sector and to meet
the above priorities. The qualifications and their associated assessments (examinations and
practical activities/assignments) provided by the IFE are designed, assessed and quality
assured by experts with extensive experience of working within the fire sector.
Contact Details
Email: [email protected]
IFE House, 64-66 Cygnet Court, Timothy’s Bridge Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9NW
Tel: +44 (0)1789 261463
Introduction
This qualification focuses on the understanding of fire engineering science and fire
behaviour and the application of this understanding in a range of contexts. This knowledge
and understanding will assist individuals working in the sector in contributing to increased
safety for members of the public as well as for those on fire incident grounds.
Individuals who achieve this qualification may use it towards the achievement of the Level 3
Diploma in Fire Science and Fire Safety. For information, please see:
https://www.ife.org.uk/IFE-Qualifications-with-Syllabus-Links
Target Audience
This qualification will be appropriate for individuals working in all fire-related roles including:
Learning Outcomes
Achievement of the Level 3 Certificate in Fire Engineering Science will enable a candidate to
meet the academic requirement for membership of the Institution at Technician Grade
Please see Membership and Registration (ife.org.uk) for information on membership and the
criteria for meeting membership requirements.
Qualification Content
The content of the qualification is set out in the section entitled “Content” below. This
provides information on the range of topics that must be studied including the way that
candidates need to show their understanding (Assessment Criteria) and the
scope/range/contexts in which they can be tested (Knowledge, Understanding and Skills).
The syllabus content is very broad and deep and therefore not all topics can be tested in all
examinations. Candidates are advised to prepare for the examination by covering all topics
so that they are able to provide comprehensive responses.
A list of relevant Fire Engineering Science Formulae is provided at the end of the syllabus
content. The formulae have been taken from the Fire Engineering Science Formula Booklet
which is available on the Preparing for Examinations page of the IFE’s website.
A copy of the formulae list will be provided for candidates taking the Level 3 Certificate in
Fire Engineering Science examination along with the examination paper so candidates will
have access to the list during the examination. Please note that candidates will not be able
to take their own copy of the formulae sheet into the examination but will be able to use the
sheet provided by the IFE.
Assessment
Assessment takes the form of one three-hour examination. The examination is closed book
and provides a summative assessment of the full range of learning specified in the content
below.
In order to achieve a Pass, candidates will be required to attain at least 40% of the 120
marks available to them via six questions (ie: 48 marks).
Candidates will be required to complete six questions from a choice of eight questions.
There will be 20 marks available for each of the questions. Candidates who answer fewer
than six questions will be able to achieve a Pass as long as they achieve the minimum pass
mark of 48. Where candidates answer more than six questions, candidates will not benefit
as only the six best responses will be included in the final total mark.
Certification
Pass - this is awarded where candidates achieve a mark between the minimum pass mark
of 48 marks (40% of the marks available) and 71 marks (59% of the marks available).
Distinction - this is awarded where candidates achieve a mark of 72 or above (60% or more
of the marks available).
Fail - candidates who achieve 47 marks or fewer will receive a result showing Fail. Where
candidates receive 24 marks (20% of the marks available) or fewer, the result will show as
Fail (X).
Candidates who are unsuccessful in the examination may re-sit the examination. There is
no limit on the number of times that candidates may re-sit.
Note: The IFE reports achieved results as described in the bands above. However,
candidates who wish to know the specific mark awarded to them may email the IFE to
request this information.
Entry Requirements
As the examination paper is provided in English only, candidates will need to be able to read
English fluently in order to access the examination questions and the relevant recommended
reading material.
Qualification Level
This qualification has been designed to enable candidates to demonstrate that they have
attained knowledge and understanding at Level 3. Other types of qualifications that are set
at Level 3 include GCE A/As levels, Level 3 NVQs and Level 3 Diplomas such as the IFE
Level 3 Diploma in Fire Science and Fire Safety.
The candidate:
Candidates are advised to bear these descriptors in mind when preparing for assessment
and when composing responses to examination questions.
137 hours of learning /study. Study may be self-study (please see the section on
recommended reading below) and may include relevant employer training
programmes or other work-related training.
3 hours of assessment (directed time) ie one three-hour examination.
However, the length of time needed to prepare for this examination is not a mandatory
timeframe and will vary depending upon the starting point for each candidate.
Most candidates prepare for IFE examinations via self-study or by drawing on training
provided by their employer that covers aspects of the content set out below. Candidates are
advised to cross-map their study/training against the content of the syllabus to ensure that all
parts of the syllabus have been covered. Recommended reading materials are provided
below.
Progression
Candidates who are successful in achieving this qualification may consider progression to
Level 4. The IFE provides a qualification in this subject at level 4 - the IFE Level 4
Certification in Fire Engineering Science. Candidates may also progress to specialist
degree programmes such as BEng or BSc in Fire Engineering Science.
Candidates who wish to broaden their knowledge and understanding at Level 3 could
consider working towards other fire-specific qualifications such as the IFE Level 3 Certificate
in Fire Safety or the IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Investigation.
The IFE permits reasonable adjustments to be made where candidates have disabilities
(including medical conditions and learning disabilities such as Dyslexia). The IFE’s policy
on reasonable adjustments aims to enable candidates with disabilities and other difficulties
to access the IFE qualifications without compromising the assessment process or the validity
of the certificate.
The policy, which includes the types of arrangements that may be made (eg additional time,
use of technology) and the procedure for applying for reasonable adjustments, is published
on the IFE’s website – https://www.ife.org.uk/Qualification-FAQs. The IFE will consider all
requests for reasonable adjustments. All requests for reasonable adjustments must be
submitted to the IFE as all decisions on reasonable adjustments rest with the IFE.
Individuals who wish to sit examinations may book examinations either through their
examination centre (eg Fire and Rescue Service, IFE Branch) or they may book directly
through the IFE website and [email protected] Where appropriate, the IFE will direct
individuals to approach their employer or branch contact.
Information on the examination timetable and other relevant dates (such as the last date for
booking examinations) together with the booking form, the list of venues available to
candidates, the terms and conditions for candidates and additional information on
examination arrangements is provided on the IFE website. A separate webpage is provided
for each examination session.
Detailed guidance for candidates on examination arrangements is provided in the Rules and
Information for Candidates booklet. This booklet sets out the rules to be followed by
candidates and also the dates for publication of results and the timetable for candidates to
query examination results.
Organisations that would like to provide a venue for IFE examinations should contact the IFE
to discuss the requirements for IFE approved examination centres – please email
[email protected] in the first instance.
Examination centres will need to comply with the terms and conditions set by IFE.
Information for examination centres, including the Examination Centre Handbook which
contains detailed guidance on running an examination centre, is available on the IFE
website.
Recommended Reading
This qualification covers an extensive range of specialist topics and candidates are advised
to prepare for questions on all topics. Candidates should use the content listed below as
the starting point for their study.
Candidates are also advised to review past examination papers. Past papers, together with
the associated examiner reports on the papers, can be downloaded, free of charge, from the
IFE website - https://www.ife.org.uk/Qualifications/Past-Papers-and-Exam-Reports.
The IFE has applied the following criteria in determining which resources should be included
on this recommended reading list:
the resource provides information which will be of benefit to the candidate in their
professional life, providing depth and breadth of understanding;
the resource contains some information that will be relevant to part of the syllabus;
the resource is recognised by industry professionals as providing valuable
information.
Candidates preparing for the examinations are advised to refer to the list below:
Procedures for making a complaint or lodging an appeal are available on the IFE website -
https://www.ife.org.uk/Qualification-FAQs
Further Information
Candidates may also find IFE’s general guide for candidates, Preparing to Pass IFE
Examinations - Guidance for Candidate’ document which provides information on question
types and levels helpful -
https://www.ife.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Exams/217_Candidate_Guide.pdf
2. Mechanics
3. Hydraulics
6. Radioactivity
(𝑢 + 𝑣) 1
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡 𝑠= 𝑡 𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2
2 2
1
𝑣 2 = 𝑢2 + 2𝑎𝑠 𝑠 = 𝑣𝑡 − 𝑎𝑡 2 𝐹 = 𝑚×𝑎
2
𝑃 = 𝜇𝑅 𝑃 − 𝐹𝑟 = 0 𝑅−𝐹 =0
𝐹 𝑒 𝜎
𝜎= 𝜀= 𝐸=
𝐴 𝑙 𝜀
𝐹×𝑑
F𝑥 = F cos 𝜃 F𝑦 = F sin 𝜃 𝑃=
𝑡
1 1
𝐹 = 𝑘𝑒 𝑋∝ 𝐾𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 2
𝑑2 2
𝑊 = 𝑃𝑡 𝑊 = 𝐹𝑑 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝐻
𝐻
𝑃𝐸 = 𝑚𝑔𝐻 𝑣 = √2𝑔𝐻 𝑃=
10
9000𝑓𝑙𝐿2 100𝐿𝑃 𝑊𝑃
𝑃𝑓 = 𝑊𝑃 = 𝐸= × 100
𝑑5 60 𝐵𝑃
2
𝐿 = 𝑑2 √𝑃 𝑅 = 0.157𝑃𝑑2 𝐹 = 𝐵𝐼𝐿
3
𝜌𝑙
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 𝑃 = 𝐼𝑉 𝑅=
𝑎
1 1 1 1
𝑅𝑇 = 𝑅1 + 𝑅2 + 𝑅3 = + + 𝑅𝑡 = 𝑅0 (1 + 𝛼𝑡)
𝑅𝑇 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3
∆𝑄 𝑉𝑃 𝑁𝑃 𝐼𝑆 𝑅0 1 + 𝛼0 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑓
𝑐= = = =
𝑚 × ∆𝑡 𝑉𝑆 𝑁𝑆 𝐼𝑃 𝑅𝑡 1 + 𝛼0 𝑡𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙
𝑉1 𝑉2 𝑃1 𝑃2
𝑃1 × 𝑉1 = 𝑃2 × 𝑉2 = =
𝑇1 𝑇2 𝑇1 𝑇2
𝑃1 𝑉1 𝑃2 𝑉2 2 𝐻2
= 𝑃𝑉 = 𝑛𝑅𝑇 𝐻𝑒 = (𝐻 − 0.113 )
𝑇1 𝑇2 3 𝑑
𝜋𝑑 2 1
𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 2 or 𝐴 = 𝑉 = 𝐴ℎ 𝐴 = (𝑎 + 𝑏)ℎ
4 2
𝜋𝑑 3 4𝜋𝑟 3 𝐴ℎ
𝑉= or 𝑉 = 𝑉= 𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 = 𝑐 2
6 3 3
2
K = °C + 273 °C = K – 273 𝐶 = 𝐴 × 𝐷 × 1000
3
1
𝐴 = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝐶
2
𝑜𝑝𝑝
𝑎𝑑𝑗 = ℎ𝑦𝑝 × cos 𝜃 or sin 𝜃 =
ℎ𝑦𝑝
𝑎𝑑𝑗 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
𝑜𝑝𝑝 = ℎ𝑦𝑝 × sin 𝜃 or cos 𝜃 = = =
ℎ𝑦𝑝
𝑜𝑝𝑝 sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵 sin 𝐶
𝑜𝑝𝑝 = 𝑎𝑑𝑗 × tan 𝜃 or tan 𝜃 = 𝑎𝑑𝑗
𝑎2 = 𝑏 2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑏𝑐 cos 𝐴