What does the term RPAS add to remotely piloted aircraft?

The pilot's licence and logbook

Free NZ Drone Rules Practice Test 2026

200 original questions on New Zealand's Part 101 drone rules and CATI 101-1: aerodromes, airspace, shielded flights, consent, line of sight, night flying and safety. Four 50-question practice tests. Tuned for mobile. Free to start, no account needed.

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Under Part 101, which of these is a remotely piloted aircraft?

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The NZ Drone (Part 101) exam at a glance

New Zealand drones and model aircraft are flown under Civil Aviation Rule Part 101, made by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA); since 22 December 2025 most of the detail for remotely piloted aircraft sits in the transport instrument CATI 101-1. A drone must weigh 25 kg or less (15 to 25 kg needs an approved person or organisation), stay in visual line of sight, below the cloud base and below 400 ft above ground level, give way to all manned aircraft, and fly over people or property only with their consent. Flying unshielded within 4 km of an aerodrome needs a pilot qualification from an approved person or organisation (or supervision, or a Part 61 or Part 149 licence) plus ATC authorisation or the aerodrome operator's agreement, and controlled airspace needs prior ATC authorisation, applied for through Airshare, unless the flight is shielded. There is no single official exam: approved organisations under rule 101.202 issue pilot qualifications with their own assessments. Operations outside Part 101 need a Part 102 operator certificate.

Tigertest has 200 NZ Drone (Part 101) practice questions with explanations, free to start with no account required.

Rules: Part 101 and transport instrument CATI 101-1 (in force 22 December 2025)
Weight limit: 25 kg; 15 to 25 kg needs an approved person or organisation
Height limit: 400 ft above ground level, unless CATI 101-1's conditions are met
Aerodromes: 4 km from the boundary, unless qualified and authorised or shielded
Pilot qualification: Issued by approved organisations under rule 101.202; no official exam or pass mark
Outside Part 101: Part 102 unmanned aircraft operator certificate
Run by: Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA)

Updated November 2026 by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow CAA Part 101 consolidation (22 December 2025), CATI 101-1 and AC101-1 Revision 2, checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with CAA: Advisory Circular AC101-1, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems.

How It Works

Train by Topic

Four training sets follow the rules: Part 101 basics and shielded flights; aerodromes and airspace; consent, height, line of sight and night; and safety, planning and reporting. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.

Mixed Practice Tests

Four practice tests of 50 questions, each mixing every part of the rules. Aim for 80% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.

Built on Part 101 and CATI 101-1

Since 22 December 2025 most of New Zealand's drone rules sit in the CAA's transport instrument CATI 101-1, which Part 101 points to. Every practice test here mixes the rule text, the transport instrument and the CAA's advisory circular, and checks the knowledge a pilot needs to fly near aerodromes and in controlled airspace.

Scope, Part 102 & shielded operations10 of 50

Aerodromes & airspace15 of 50

Consent, height, sight & night14 of 50

Safety, planning & reporting11 of 50

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How to Learn the NZ Drone Rules

1. Know the numbers

25 kg, 15 kg, 400 ft, 4 km, 100 m, 33 ft, 24 hours, 30 minutes and 90 days. Learn what each one belongs to: the mass limits, the height limit, the aerodrome distance, shielded flights, NOTAM notice and night currency.

2. Read the airspace

Learn the difference between controlled airspace, restricted areas, military operating areas, danger areas and low flying zones, who can give permission for each, and where to check them before you fly, including NOTAMs for temporary changes.

3. Learn what shielding changes

A shielded flight close to a tree, building or cliff skips some airspace, aerodrome and night requirements, but consent, the 400 ft limit, right of way and the duty to minimise hazards still apply.

4. Fix your misses, then retest

Tigertest tracks your accuracy by category. Aim for 80% or better on every practice test. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest category.

NZ Drone Rules Frequently Asked Questions

What are the drone rules in New Zealand?

Drones and model aircraft are flown under Civil Aviation Rule Part 101, made by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA). Since 22 December 2025 most of the detail for remotely piloted aircraft sits in a transport instrument, CATI 101-1. Under these rules a drone must weigh 25 kg or less, stay within the pilot's visual line of sight and below 400 ft above ground level, give way to all manned aircraft, keep 4 km from aerodromes unless extra conditions are met, and fly over people or property only with their consent. Flights that cannot meet Part 101 need a Part 102 operator certificate.

Do I need a drone licence in New Zealand?

Not for most flights. The CAA says Part 101 operators do not need a pilot qualification unless they fly an unshielded operation within 4 km of an aerodrome boundary. Inside that distance the pilot needs a qualification from an approved person or organisation (such as a Part 101 pilot certificate course), supervision by a qualified person, or a Part 61 or Part 149 pilot licence, plus the aerodrome's authorisation or agreement. Unshielded night flying needs an approved night training course.

Is there an official Part 101 exam?

No. The CAA does not run a single exam. A Part 101 pilot qualification is issued by an approved person or organisation under rule 101.202, and each one sets its own course and assessment. The CAA publishes no question count, time or pass mark, so the 80 percent line on these practice tests is Tigertest's readiness target, not an official standard.

What do these practice tests cover?

Each 50-question test covers when Part 101 applies and how Part 102 differs, the 4 km aerodrome rule and its conditions, controlled airspace and special use airspace such as restricted areas, military operating areas, danger areas and low flying zones, shielded operations, consent from people and property owners and the 400 ft limit, visual line of sight, FPV and night flying, right of way, hazards and airworthiness, and flight planning and occurrence reporting.

Are these the real exam questions?

No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from Part 101, CATI 101-1, AC101-1 and the CAA's airspace and reporting guides, as in force in November 2026. Charts and maps are described in words. Tigertest is not affiliated with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, Airways New Zealand or any training organisation.

NZ Drone (Part 101) sample questions and answers

6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.

1. Besides Part 61, a pilot licence or certificate issued under which rule part meets the pilot requirement near aerodromes?
- A.Part 91
- B.Part 149
- C.Part 102
- D.Part 47
Answer: B. CATI 101-1 clause 2.3(a)(1)(iii) accepts a pilot licence or certificate issued under Part 61 or Part 149. Part 149 covers aviation recreation organisations that issue pilot certificates.
2. A volcanic hazard zone is raised to a higher alert level. How is that usually made known?
- A.By text from Airways
- B.By a sign at the summit
- C.By the drone's app only
- D.By NOTAM
Answer: D. The CAA airspace guide says VHZs grow in size as the alert level rises, and the change is advised by NOTAM, with ash clouds advised by SIGMET.
3. A real estate agent has the seller's consent to film a house. The drone must cross two neighbouring sections. What else is needed?
- A.The neighbours' consent
- B.Nothing more at all
- C.The council's permit
- D.A NOTAM for the flight
Answer: A. Consent is needed for each property flown over, so the neighbours' owners or occupiers must agree too, or the flight path must avoid their sections.
4. Which drone event does the CAA's reporting guide list as typical of one to report?
- A.A calm sunny flight
- B.A software update
- C.An airspace incursion
- D.A fully charged battery
Answer: C. The guide's list of typical drone events to report includes injury, loss of control, fly-away, motor or structural failure, incidents with manned aircraft, airspace incursions and third-party damage.
5. Why does AC101-1 list flying over buildings and vehicles as a possible hazard?
- A.Cars carry radio jammers
- B.Buildings are restricted areas
- C.People inside could be hurt
- D.Roofs reflect GPS signals
Answer: C. AC101-1 Appendix 1 lists flights over buildings, structures, installations and vehicles where people may be present and could be harmed by a power, control or propulsion failure.
6. What does the term RPAS add to remotely piloted aircraft?
- A.The remote station and links
- B.The pilot's licence and logbook
- C.The aircraft's insurance cover
- D.The flight's NOTAM details
Answer: A. AC101-1 defines a remotely piloted aircraft system as the aircraft plus its remote pilot station or stations, the command and control links and any other components needed to fly it.

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