IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management (VRQ)

Qualification Number: 500/5922/1

All four awards for this qualification are offered in South Africa during both exam sessions, which occur in March and October. Please take note of the name change from Units to Awards.

Introduction
The IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management (VRQ) has been developed by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), representatives of Fire and Rescue services, and other fire professionals. The content and structure of the qualification have been established to reflect best professional practice.

Aims of the Qualification
The IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety, and Management (VRQ) has been designed to enable individuals to demonstrate a wide range of critical knowledge and understanding relevant to the role of Crew Manager in the Fire and Rescue Service. Success in the qualification will enable individuals to demonstrate that they can apply their knowledge and skills to provide solutions in a wide range of fire and rescue situations.

Additionally, success in achieving this qualification will enable candidates to meet the academic requirement for membership in the Institution at Technician grade (TIFireE).

Target Audience
The qualification will meet the needs of:

• Those employed in Fire and Rescue Service roles across the world, particularly those who are either already in Crew Manager roles or those who wish to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding relevant to the role of Crew Manager in preparation for promotion to this role;
• Those operating in specialist fire and rescue contexts, such as aviation or fire prevention/fire safety roles, who need to develop and apply a wide range of knowledge and understanding in their role;
• Other fire professionals who wish to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of fire engineering science, operations, fire safety, and management in the fire and rescue context;
• Individuals throughout the world who wish to achieve membership of the IFE at Technician grade (TIFireE) and to progress to higher levels.

Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements. However, candidates are advised that this specification provides progression from the Level 2 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations and Safety; therefore, candidates who have previously achieved an IFE qualification at Level 2 will be able to build upon relevant knowledge and understanding. As the examination is provided in English only, candidates will need to have a comprehensive understanding of the English language in order to access the examination questions. In addition, candidates are advised that mathematical skills will be required in order to complete the Fire Engineering Science Award examination

Qualification Content
The content of the qualification is set out in the four Awards presented below. These sections provide information on the range of topics that must be studied to achieve each Award including the way in which candidates need to show their understanding (Assessment Criteria) and the scope/range/contents in which they can be tested (Knowledge and Understanding).  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 each examination by covering all topics in the Award content so that they are able to provide comprehensive responses.

Qualification Structure

The IFE has made changes to the structure of the Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management, the changes took effect in April 2025.

New awards are directly equivalent in all ways to the previous units.

Previously the components were presented as “units” within the structure. From 2025, each unit will be presented as a award and will be named “Award and not Certificate”.

In order to achieve the IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management, candidates must achieve four mandatory Awards as follows:

Award 1: Fire Engineering Science – download syllabus for this award here.
Award 2: Fire Operations – download syllabus for this award here.
Award 3: Fire Safety – download syllabus for this award here.
Award 4: Management and Administration in Fire and Rescue Services – download syllabus for this award here

Form of Assessment

Each Award is assessed separately by a one hour examination. The examinations are closed book and provide a summative assessment of the full range of learning specified in the Award content.

There are 50 marks available in each examination. The examination will take the form of six questions and candidates should attempt all questions in the examination. All examination questions require a written response. The marks allocated to each question are shown on the examination.  Examinations are designed to ensure that all sections of the Award content are tested in each examination and to provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding across the content specified in the Award.  Examinations are provided in English only.

Grading and Certification

Award Achievement – In order to achieve a Pass, candidates will be required to attain 25 marks available to them via the six 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 25.  Please note that the feedback on multiple choice questions is no longer relevant in the examiner reports but all feedback on written response answers remains completely relevant.

Certificate Achievement – In order to achieve the IFE Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management, candidates must achieve a Pass in all four mandatory Award examinations. The qualification certificate is not graded. Successful candidates will be awarded a Pass Certificate. Candidates do not need to achieve a Pass in all four Awards at the same examination session. Candidates must achieve all four Awards within five years. The five year period starts from 1 January of the year in which they take and pass their first examination. Candidates who take examinations in March 2023 and October 2023 will be able to combine these with passes from examinations that they sat in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

The IFE will automatically issue a full Level 3 Certificate in Fire Science, Operations, Fire Safety and Management certificate at the point where candidates have achieved passes in all four of the Award required.  Candidates may re-sit Award examinations as often as necessary in order to achieve a Pass.