Which New Zealand jobs and licences require a test?

New Zealand gates a surprising amount of work behind an assessment. This is a directory of the main ones, what governs each, and what each involves: useful whether you are choosing a direction or have just been told you need a ticket before you can start.

Licensing and driver tests

All knowledge tests, all drawn from published material, and all sat before you are allowed to do the thing rather than as part of applying for a job.

• [Learner licence](/tests/learner-licence): Road Code theory. Governed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Start with give way rules, which fail the most people.
• [Motorcycle licence](/tests/motorcycle-licence): motorcycle theory plus a basic handling skills test.
• [Heavy vehicle licence](/tests/heavy-vehicle-licence): heavy vehicle road code theory for classes 2 to 5.
• [Dangerous goods (D endorsement)](/tests/dangerous-goods): unit standard 16718, for carrying dangerous goods.
• [Firearms licence](/tests/nz-firearms-licence), a 30-question safety theory test within the firearms safety course. See the complete guide.

Emergency services and enforcement recruitment

Mostly reasoning assessments, sat early in recruitment and used as a filter. There is no syllabus for any of them, which is precisely why unprepared candidates lose ground on format rather than ability.

• [NZ Police](/tests/nz-police): online cognitive testing early in recruitment. See every stage explained.
• [NZDF](/tests/nzdf): aptitude testing that influences which trades you can apply for.
• [Fire and Emergency NZ](/tests/fire-emergency-nz): cognitive ability and mechanical comprehension.
• [Corrections officer](/tests/corrections-officer): entry assessment including judgement scenarios.
• [Customs officer](/tests/customs-officer): psychometric testing within recruitment.
• [Security certificate of approval](/tests/security-coa): mandatory training under PSPPIA 2010.

Four of the six also use situational judgement questions, which is the one part of a reasoning assessment people wrongly assume cannot be practised.

Trades and construction

Knowledge assessments against specific standards and codes. What makes these different from driver licensing is that the source material is technical and often not free, so knowing exactly which standard applies to you matters before you spend anything.

• [Plumbing apprentice (PGDB)](/tests/plumbing-apprentice-pgdb): Building Code G12 and G13, and the PGD Act 2006.
• [Electrical apprentice (EWRB)](/tests/electrical-apprentice-ewrb): Electricity Act 1992, ESR 2010 and AS/NZS 3000.
• [Carpentry apprentice (LBP)](/tests/carpentry-apprentice-lbp): NZS 3604 and the Building Code.
• [Crane operator](/tests/crane-operator): NZ Certificate in Cranes.
• [Site Safe](/tests/site-safe), the Review of Understanding and a Site Safety Card.
• [Traffic management (TC/STMS)](/tests/traffic-management): now under NZGTTM rather than CoPTTM.

Traffic management is the one to check current requirements on before booking anything: the framework and the credential both changed recently, and a good deal of the training material in circulation describes the previous system.

Hospitality and food

Short qualifications with a long tail: in both cases the assessment is the quick part, and the credential it leads to is what your employer actually needs you to hold.

• [LCQ](/tests/lcq): unit standards 4646 and 16705, leading to a duty manager's certificate.
• [Food safety (SSS)](/tests/food-safety-sss): Food Act 2014 and MPI food control plan requirements.

Healthcare and professional registration

The heaviest of the categories, because the assessment sits inside a registration or licensing regime with continuing obligations rather than ending when you pass.

• [Nursing (NCNZ)](/tests/nz-nursing-ncnz), the state final examination and competence assessment.
• [Real estate salesperson](/tests/real-estate-salesperson), the Level 4 certificate and REA licence.
• [Financial adviser](/tests/financial-adviser): NZ Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5).

Aviation and maritime

• [PPL fixed wing](/tests/ppl-fixed-wing) and [PPL helicopter](/tests/ppl-helicopter): CAA private pilot licence theory examinations, sat through Aspeq.
• [Boating (VHF and skipper)](/tests/boating-vhf-skipper), the maritime VHF operator certificate and boating theory. New Zealand does not require a recreational boat licence.

Civics and citizenship

New Zealand does not currently require a knowledge test for citizenship by grant. One was announced on 6 May 2026: 20 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 15 out of 20, planned to apply to applications from late 2027. Asessly's civics preparation covers the announced topics and the civics knowledge worth having either way, but it is not preparation for a test that exists today.

How do you prepare for a New Zealand test?

Two patterns cover almost all of the above, and telling them apart is the single most useful thing to do before you start.

The mistake that costs the most is applying the wrong pattern: cramming for a reasoning assessment that has nothing to cram, or trusting common sense on a knowledge test whose rules are more specific than common sense expects.

Where should you start?

Find your assessment above, work out which of the two kinds it is, and read the guide linked beside it before you buy anything. Several of these have official material published free, and for a knowledge test that material is the whole syllabus, so paid preparation should be adding practice and explanation on top of it rather than replacing it.

That is a fair question to put to any preparation platform, including this one. The Asessly FAQ sets out where our questions come from, what a Test Pass includes, and what we will not claim about any official assessment.