NZ firearms licence test: format, pass mark and how to prepare
The New Zealand firearms safety test is administered by Te Tari Pūreke, the Firearms Safety Authority, as part of applying for a standard A-category licence. It is reported as 30 multi-choice questions, sat on a computer at an authorised testing centre, with 28 correct required to pass — around 93%.
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Two wrong answers is your entire margin
Take a moment with that number, because it should shape everything about how you prepare.
Most tests let you carry some uncertainty. A 50% or 70% pass mark means you can go in solid on the core and shaky on the edges. At 28 out of 30, there is no shaky. Two questions you half-know is a fail.
The pass mark is set there deliberately. This is not a knowledge test in the way a licensing exam usually is. It is a check that the things which prevent people from being killed are automatic for you. A 93% threshold on firearms safety is not bureaucratic strictness — it reflects what the rules are for.
What the test covers
- The seven rules of firearms safety. Learn them verbatim and in order. They are the spine of the whole assessment, and questions test both the rules themselves and their application to scenarios.
- PROVE. The safety check sequence used every time you pick up or hand over a firearm. Know each step, what it stands for, and — critically — that it applies every single time, including to a firearm you personally unloaded two minutes ago.
- Safe handling and muzzle discipline. Where the muzzle points, at all times. Crossing fences. Loading and unloading. Carrying in a vehicle. Handling in company.
- Identifying your target beyond all doubt. This is its own topic because it is behind a large share of New Zealand's hunting fatalities. Colour, movement, sound and shape are not identification. The test asks about this in scenario form.
- Firearms and ammunition. Action types — bolt, lever, pump, semi-automatic, break. Cartridge components. Recognising defective or unsuitable ammunition.
- The Arms Act 1983 and licensing. Who may possess a firearm, what a standard licence permits, what requires an endorsement, and your obligations as a licence holder.
- Secure storage. The standards for storing firearms and ammunition, and the requirement that they be stored separately and securely.
- Safe transport. How firearms must be carried in a vehicle, and what must not be left unattended.
- Range safety. Commands, procedures, and the authority of the range officer.
Where people fail
Assuming experience is preparation. People who have handled firearms for decades fail this test regularly. Not on handling — on the law, the storage standards, and the exact wording of the rules. Long practice teaches you what to do; it does not teach you what the Act requires or what the seven rules say verbatim.
Reading the Code once. The Firearms Safety Code is the source of truth and it is free, and reading it once produces a comfortable feeling of familiarity that does not survive contact with a 93% pass mark. Familiarity is not recall.
Guessing on the legal section. The safety rules can be reasoned about from first principles. Storage standards and Arms Act provisions cannot. Those you either know or you do not.
How to prepare
- Start with the Firearms Safety Code. Published by Te Tari Pūreke, free, and the definitive source. Read it properly once.
- Memorise the seven rules verbatim. Not the gist — the wording. Write them out from memory until you can do it without hesitation. Then do the same for PROVE.
- Then test yourself, repeatedly. This is where the actual learning happens. Reading tells you what you have seen; questions tell you what you have retained. At a 93% pass mark, the gap between those two things is exactly what fails you.
- Go back to the Code for what you miss. Every wrong answer is a section to re-read. This is a much better use of an hour than another pass through the whole document.
- Do not cram the night before. Storage standards and the seven rules need to be in long-term memory, not short-term. Two shorter sessions across a week beats one long one the night before.
Booking and what to bring
The test is sat on computer at authorised testing centres, which have included AA and VTNZ locations around the country. Check the Firearms Safety Authority's website for current venues, booking process and what identification to bring.
The written test sits alongside the other steps in the licensing process — the safety course or lecture, the interview, and the security inspection of your storage. Check the current process, which has changed in recent years.
Sources
Check current figures with these sources rather than any practice site, including this one.
Sources
- Te Tari Pūreke — Firearms Safety Authority (firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz) — the Firearms Safety Code, current test information, booking
- Arms Act 1983 — legislation.govt.nz
- New Zealand Police — licensing FAQs
Practise before you book: AllSorted's firearms licence practice test has free practice with no signup, covering the safety rules, firearms knowledge and legal duties. Full access is $14.99 for three months. AllSorted writes original questions and is not affiliated with Te Tari Pūreke, the Firearms Safety Authority, or New Zealand Police.
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Last reviewed: 21 August 2026
Unofficial practice only. AllSorted writes original questions. We are not affiliated with Te Tari Pūreke (the Firearms Safety Authority), New Zealand Police, or any other examining or licensing body. These items are not official exam papers.