Free NZ Firearms Licence Practice Test 2026
200 original questions on the Firearms Safety Code: the seven rules, states of readiness, target identification, firing zones, safe handling, storage and transport, and the Arms Act 2026. Six 30-question tests. Tuned for mobile. No account needed.
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The NZ firearms licence test exam at a glance
Anyone applying for a New Zealand firearms licence for the first time, or whose licence expired more than a year ago, must pass the free Firearms Safety Course before the vetting interview. Its theory test is 30 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes on the Firearms Safety Code, safe firearms practice and the law, offered in English, Simplified Chinese and te reo Māori, followed by a practical session handling a deactivated firearm. The regulator publishes no pass mark; candidates report needing about 27 of 30. A failed first attempt can be resat after the practical session.
Tigertest has 200 NZ firearms licence test practice questions with explanations, all free with no account required.
- Questions
- 30 multiple choice
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Pass mark
- Not published; candidates report 27 of 30 (Tigertest's target)
- Languages
- English, Simplified Chinese, te reo Māori
- Study from
- Firearms Safety Code (being updated for the Arms Act 2026)
- Also on the course
- Practical safe handling session
- Run by
- Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand's firearms safety course pages, checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with Firearms Safety and Education NZ: Firearms safety course options.
How It Works
Train One Topic at a Time
Five training sets: the first three rules with the states of readiness, target identification and firing zones, safe handling in the field, storage, transport, alcohol and the law, and firearms and ammunition. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Real-Length Tests
Six tests of 30 questions, like the real theory test, each drawn across the whole Firearms Safety Code with a 27 of 30 target. No question appears in more than one test, and every answer explains the rule behind it.
Built on the Firearms Safety Code
The real theory test is 30 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes on the Firearms Safety Code, safe practice and the law. The regulator publishes no topic weights, so each test here follows the code's own sections:
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Share FeedbackHow to Pass the Firearms Theory Test
1. Know the seven rules by heart, in order
Treat every firearm as loaded, point it in a safe direction, chamber a cartridge only when ready to fire, identify your target beyond all doubt, check your firing zone, store and transport firearms and ammunition safely, and avoid alcohol or drugs. Many questions are a rule applied to a hunting scene.
2. Learn the four states of readiness
LOAD has cartridges in the magazine only, ACTION a round chambered with the safety on, INSTANT the safety off once you have decided to fire, and UNLOAD everything empty and checked twice. Know when each one applies: reaching the hunting area, sighting game, crossing a fence, entering a hut, going back to the vehicle.
3. Think "if in doubt, don't shoot"
Never fire at sound, shape, colour or movement alone, never at the skyline, and never when you have lost sight of a companion. Background, target, sights is the order for checking your firing zone.
4. Study the code more than once
The regulator says everything on the theory test is in the Firearms Safety Code and advises studying it thoroughly, not reading it once. Finish every training set, then aim for 27 or more on each practice test before your course.
Firearms Licence Test Frequently Asked Questions
What is the New Zealand firearms licence theory test?
It is the written part of the Firearms Safety Course that you must pass before your vetting interview if you are applying for a firearms licence for the first time, or your licence expired more than a year ago. The course is run by Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand, the regulator that replaced Te Tari Pūreke (the Police Firearms Safety Authority) under the Arms Act 2026. You sit the theory test first, then a practical session where you show safe handling of a deactivated firearm.
How many questions are on the firearms theory test and what score do you need?
The theory test is 30 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes, offered in English, Simplified Chinese and te reo Māori, and you may bring a reader, writer or interpreter. The regulator does not publish a pass mark. Candidates report needing about 27 of 30, so Tigertest uses 90% as its target. If you fail the first attempt you get a second one after the practical session.
What should I study for the firearms theory test?
The regulator says everything you need is in the Firearms Safety Code: the seven basic rules of firearm safety, the LOAD, ACTION, INSTANT and UNLOAD states, target identification, firing zones, safe handling, storage and transport, and licence holder obligations. The code is being updated for the Arms Act 2026, which came into force on 23 September 2026, so these questions follow the new Act where it changed the rules.
How are these practice tests different from the real test?
Each of the six practice tests has 30 questions like the real one, drawn across the whole code, and no question appears in more than one test. Five training sets cover the same topics with instant feedback until you master them. The practical session, where you show safe handling, states of readiness and fence crossing with a deactivated firearm, can only be learned hands-on.
Are these the real firearms licence test questions?
No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from the Firearms Safety Code, the regulator's current guidance on storage and the Arms Act 2026. It is free practice for safe firearms knowledge, not affiliated with Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand or New Zealand Police, and it does not replace the Firearms Safety Course.
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