Free NSW Firearms Safety Practice Test 2026
200 original questions for the NSW firearms safety course: the Firearms Act 1996, licence categories, permits, storage, safe handling, ranges and the National Firearms Safety Code. Four 50-question practice tests. Tuned for mobile. Free to start, no account needed.
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A lever action shotgun holds 7 rounds in its magazine. Which NSW licence category covers it?
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The NSW Firearms Safety exam at a glance
In New South Wales, a person who has never held a firearms licence must complete the firearms training and safety course prescribed for the licence before it can be issued (Firearms Act 1996, s 11(3)(b)). The NSW Police users guide calls the longarm course the Firearms Licence Qualification course, run by approved clubs, organisations or trainers, with theory and a practical component. Licences are issued by the NSW Police Force Firearms Registry. An applicant must be 18 or over, an NSW resident, have a genuine reason such as approved club membership or permission to shoot on rural land, and be able to meet the storage rules. A first licence cannot be issued until 28 days after applying, and since 1 July 2026 a licence lasts up to 2 years.
Tigertest has 200 NSW Firearms Safety practice questions with explanations, free to start with no account required.
- Course
- Firearms safety course prescribed for a first licence (longarms: Firearms Licence Qualification course)
- Licence age
- 18 for a licence; minors use a minor's firearms permit with written parental consent
- Waiting period
- 28 days after applying for a first licence; not for renewals
- Licence term
- Up to 2 years for licences issued from 1 July 2026
- Permit to acquire
- One per firearm, valid 90 days, usually after a 28-day wait
- Licensing body
- NSW Police Force Firearms Registry
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow The Firearms Act 1996 (current version from 1 July 2026) on legislation.nsw.gov.au, the NSW Police Firearms (Longarms) Users Guide and the NSW Government's 1 July 2026 release, checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with NSW Legislation: Firearms Act 1996.
How It Works
Train by Topic
Four training sets: licence categories and applying; permits, registration and offences; storage and safe handling; and ranges, the field and firearm basics. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Mixed Practice Tests
Four practice tests of 50 questions, each mixing NSW law with safe handling. Aim for 80% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.
Written from NSW Law and the National Code
Every legal rule comes from the Firearms Act 1996 as it stands in New South Wales from 1 July 2026, including the 2-year licence term and the new permit to acquire checks. Safe handling, ranges and firearm basics follow the NSW Police users guide and the National Firearms Safety Code. Other states have their own laws, so check theirs before you travel.
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Share FeedbackHow to Prepare for the Course
1. Learn the safety code by heart
Treat every firearm as loaded, keep the muzzle in a safe direction, identify your target beyond all doubt and keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Most of the handling questions come back to these principles.
2. Know the categories and your licence
Learn which firearms are category A, B, C, D and H, the genuine reasons the Act accepts, how permits to acquire work, and the notices you must give the Firearms Registry within 7 days.
3. Get storage and transport exactly right
Know what a compliant receptacle or safe looks like, why ammunition goes in a separate locked container, and how to carry a firearm safely in a vehicle.
4. Fix your misses, then retest
Tigertest tracks your accuracy by topic. Aim for 80% or better on every practice test before your course. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest topic.
NSW Firearms Safety Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a safety course for an NSW firearms licence?
Yes. Under section 11(3)(b) of the Firearms Act 1996, a person who has never held a firearms licence must complete the firearms training and safety courses prescribed for that licence before one can be issued. For longarms the NSW Police users guide calls this the Firearms Licence Qualification course, run by approved clubs, organisations or trainers, with theory and a practical part on safe handling.
What does the NSW firearms safety course cover?
The NSW Police users guide for the course covers firearm types, parts and ammunition, basic safety rules and the National Firearms Safety Code, licences and permits, buying, registering and storing firearms, modifying firearms, ranges and the field, the law, and your responsibilities, then a practical component on handling, loading, unloading and maintaining a firearm. This practice test covers the same ground, with every legal rule taken from the current Firearms Act.
What score do I need to pass?
The documents read for this practice test do not publish a question count or pass mark for the course, which is assessed by the approved trainer. The 80 percent line on these practice tests is a readiness target, not the official standard.
What are the genuine reasons for a firearms licence in NSW?
The Table to section 12 of the Firearms Act lists sport/target shooting, recreational hunting/vermin control, primary production, vertebrate pest animal control, business or employment, occupational requirements relating to rural purposes, animal welfare and firearms collection. Personal protection is never a genuine reason. Target shooters must be current members of an approved club, and hunters need rural land of their own, permission to shoot on rural land, or membership of an approved hunting club.
How long does an NSW firearms licence last?
Since 1 July 2026, section 21 of the Firearms Act gives a licence a term of up to 2 years. The NSW Government says licences issued before that date with a 5-year term stay valid until they expire. A first licence cannot be issued until 28 days after the application, and identity verification is now required before an application can proceed.
How must firearms be stored in NSW?
Category A and B firearms must be kept in a locked, approved receptacle made of hard wood or steel that is not easily penetrable, fixed in place if it weighs less than 150 kg empty, with solid metal locks. Ammunition must be in a separate locked container. Category C, D and H firearms need a locked steel safe bolted to the building. Since 1 July 2026 a permit to acquire is issued only once you show you meet these rules.
Are these the real course questions?
No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from the NSW Firearms Act 1996, the NSW Police users guide and the National Firearms Safety Code. Tigertest is not affiliated with the NSW Police Force, the Firearms Registry or any training provider.
NSW Firearms Safety sample questions and answers
6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.
1. A firearms dealer licence (other than for an armourer) authorises dealing only at:
- A.Any approved range
- B.The premises in the licence
- C.Any licensed gun show in NSW
- D.The dealer's own home
Answer: B. Section 8 says a firearms dealer licence authorises its activities only at the premises specified in the licence, and s 18 requires those premises to be named on it.
2. The s 6B exemption for unlicensed shooters on approved ranges does not apply to anyone under the age of:
- A.10
- B.14
- C.16
- D.12
Answer: D. Section 6B(3) says the exemption for unlicensed persons at approved ranges and on approved safety courses does not apply to a person under 12 years of age.
3. Except for dealers and the business or employment reason, an NSW firearms licence can be issued only to:
- A.A natural person
- B.A registered company
- C.A shooting club
- D.A family trust
Answer: A. Section 11(6) says that, apart from a firearms dealer licence or a business or employment reason, a licence must not be issued to a person who is not a natural person.
4. Acquiring a firearm part, such as a barrel or magazine, requires:
- A.Nothing at all for spare parts
- B.A dealer's account card
- C.A matching licence or permit
- D.An ammunition permit
Answer: C. Section 50AA requires a licence or permit for the kind of firearm the part relates to, or a permit to acquire the part. Parts for pistols or prohibited firearms carry a higher penalty.
5. According to the NSW Police users guide, an air rifle propels its projectile by:
- A.A primer alone
- B.An electric charge
- C.Compressed gas or a spring
- D.A small smokeless powder charge
Answer: C. The users guide says an air rifle uses compressed air or another gas, not gas from an explosive, or a spring. The Act's definition of firearm includes an air gun.
6. A firearm made before 1900 that cannot fire breech-loaded metallic cartridges, other than an antique revolver:
- A.Needs no licence to possess
- B.Needs a category B licence
- C.Is always a prohibited firearm
- D.Must still be registered
Answer: A. Section 6A exempts antique firearms from the licence or permit requirement for possession and from registration. A licence or permit is still needed to use one, and antique revolvers are not exempt.
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