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NZ Police Recruitment Test: Selection Steps and Practice Questions

Becoming a constable with New Zealand Police means working through a staged recruitment process: an online application, background checks, online psychometric testing, a phone conversation, a medical check, the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT), SCOPE, a formal interview and final checks. NZ Police says the online ability assessment measures verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, with question types mixed throughout. It does not publish its items, so the 50 questions below are our own practice for those reasoning areas and for clear written English, plus a few scenarios built on the published NZ Police values.

NZ Police Recruitment Test at a glance

Ability assessment
60 multiple-choice questions, timed for 30 minutes
What it measures
Verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, mixed throughout an adaptive test
Also in online testing
A 100-question personality profile; some applicants also sit a literacy assessment (POST)
Physical Appraisal Test
2.4 km run, press-ups, vertical jump and grip strength

From the official source listed at the bottom of the page.

Steps in the NZ Police recruitment process

  • Apply online and initial background checksYou complete the Recruit Application, then the Initial Background Check forms online.
  • Online testingPsychometric testing online: an ability assessment and a personality profile, both completed by every applicant. The ability assessment is proctored online.
  • Additional literacy assessment (some applicants)Applicants without the specified NCEA, University Entrance or degree-level literacy sit an extra literacy assessment (POST) after passing online testing.
  • Phone conversation and initial medical checkAn informal call to learn more about each other, then an online health questionnaire.
  • Physical Appraisal Test (PAT)Four elements: a 2.4 km run, press-ups, vertical jump and grip strength. Swimming competency is self-declared and assessed later at the Police College.
  • SCOPEA realistic job preview that lets you experience many different aspects of police work.
  • Formal interviewA competency-based interview with a Selection Specialist, who asks for real examples covering the situation, your actions and the outcome.
  • Final checks and candidate poolBackground and final checks, then entry to the candidate pool and possible selection for a Wing at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

NZ Police Recruitment Test practice test — 50 questions

Original questions written to prepare for the NZ Police Recruitment Test; they are not official test questions. Answer them without an account and see an explanation for each one.

Question 1 of 50

Which word is spelled correctly?

Question 2 of 50

Choose the correct word: "The witness gave a detailed ___ of the car."

Question 3 of 50

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the driver nor the passengers ___ wearing seatbelts."

Question 4 of 50

Which is correct? "The two constables ___ notebooks were handed in."

Question 5 of 50

A patrol car covers 180 km in 2 hours 15 minutes. What is its average speed?

Question 6 of 50

What number comes next? 3, 7, 15, 31, ?

Question 7 of 50

Which sentence uses New Zealand spelling throughout?

Question 8 of 50

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Question 9 of 50

Book is to library as painting is to:

Question 10 of 50

A district had 240 reported burglaries last year and 204 this year. What is the percentage decrease?

What to practise for the NZ Police Recruitment Test

  • Spelling in New Zealand English
  • Grammar and punctuation
  • Clear, concise sentences
  • Reading comprehension
  • Verbal reasoning and analogies
  • Numerical reasoning with working
  • Abstract reasoning – series and patterns
  • NZ Police values (PRIMED) in practice

Type any of these topics into the quiz generator to make a practice quiz. Quiz templates

How to prepare for the NZ Police Recruitment Test with SimpleQuizMaker

  1. Work through the 50 practice questions below in sets of ten and read the explanation for every miss.
  2. Type a topic such as "number series and percentage word problems" and generate your own quiz of up to 10 questions – the free plan includes 5 AI generations a month.
  3. Paste the NZ Police values or your own notes and turn them into a quiz to share – quiz takers do not need an account.
  4. On the Student plan you can upload PDF, Word or image files and create up to 100 questions per quiz.

NZ Police Recruitment Test tips

  • NZ Police says the ability assessment is adaptive: answer carefully rather than guessing quickly, because harder questions are expected.
  • Sit the online test well rested, alone, in a quiet room – it is proctored, and outside help or tools, including AI, are not allowed.
  • Write out your working on paper for numerical questions while you practise, so you can see where an error crept in.
  • Learn the six PRIMED values and prepare honest STAR examples (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for the formal interview.
  • Start PAT training early – NZ Police advises being at or close to the standard before you apply.

Make your own NZ Police Recruitment Test practice quiz

Free account, no card needed. Type a topic or paste your notes and the AI builds the quiz in seconds.

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{short} FAQ

Are these real NZ Police test questions?

No. All 50 questions are original items written by SimpleQuizMaker. They are not official New Zealand Police items and do not reproduce the ability assessment; they practise the verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning skills NZ Police says it measures, plus clear written English.

What is in the NZ Police online testing?

Every applicant completes an ability assessment and a personality profile. NZ Police describes the ability assessment as 60 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes covering verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, and the personality profile as 100 short questions with no right or wrong answers.

Who has to sit the additional literacy assessment?

NZ Police says applicants without the minimum literacy it specifies – NCEA Level 2 or 3 literacy, University Entrance literacy, a university degree or an equivalent – sit an additional literacy assessment (POST) after passing online testing.

Can I prepare for the ability assessment?

NZ Police says the assessment measures underlying ability and that extensive practice is not expected; the main thing is to understand the process from its provider's candidate preparation document. Practice questions like these help you get used to the question styles and the pace.

What does the Physical Appraisal Test involve?

NZ Police lists four elements: a 2.4 km run, press-ups, a vertical jump and grip strength. Swimming is not part of the PAT, but you declare your competency and are assessed at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

What are the NZ Police values?

Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Commitment to Māori and the Treaty, Empathy and Valuing Diversity – often shortened to PRIMED. The formal interview also explores how your values align with them.

Official sources

SimpleQuizMaker is not affiliated with any police service, fire department, recruiting body or government. Our questions are original practice items, not official test questions. Always check the current rules with the official source.