NZ EWRB registration exam practice

Q: The Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 are made under which Act?

Electricity Act 1992. The ESR 2010 are secondary legislation under the Electricity Act 1992. They cover prescribed electrical work, certification and safety of works, installations, fittings and appliances.

Q: An Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) also confirms that the electrical work complies with the building code for the purposes of which Act?

Building Act 2004. The ESC confirms the installation is safe to connect and also confirms building code compliance under section 19(1)(e) of the Building Act 2004, so no separate building consent sign-off is needed for that electrical work.

Q: Which of these are EWRB registration classes?

Electrician; Electrical inspector; Electrical engineer. Registration classes include electrician, electrical engineer, electrical inspector, electrical appliance serviceperson, line mechanic and others. 'Solar technician' is not a class; PV work is done under existing classes.

Q: Which NZ Electrical Code of Practice covers homeowner or occupier electrical wiring work in domestic installations?

NZECP 51. NZECP 51 sets out what a homeowner may do on their own domestic wiring and how. NZECP 46 covers high voltage live work.

Q: Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, who has the primary duty of care for workers' health and safety?

The PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking). The PCBU has the primary duty, so far as reasonably practicable. Workers also have duties to take reasonable care and follow instructions.

Electrical workers in New Zealand register with the Electrical Workers Registration Board under the Electricity Act 1992. The regulations exam is typically a computer-based multiple-choice paper with permitted reference material, so knowing where to find answers quickly matters as much as memorizing them.

The main themes are the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, prescribed electrical work and its risk categories, certification (Certificate of Compliance, Electrical Safety Certificate, Record of Inspection), the high-risk database, the electrical codes of practice such as NZECP 34, and AS/NZS 3000 for New Zealand. The lab's open-book mode mirrors that format.

Start a timed EWRB exam Practise with explanations Calculation drills

What the questions cover

Cables & voltage drop, Calculations, Earthing & bonding, Fire, life safety & ELV, Protection & RCDs, Regulations & procedures, Renewables & EV, Safety & isolation, Special locations, Supply & earthing, Testing & inspection.

Main references: Electricity Act 1992, Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010, AS/NZS 3000:2018, NZECP 34.

Key values to know

ESR 2010 made under the Electricity Act 1992
NZ supply 230 V ±6%, 50 Hz
CoC for all general-risk and high-risk PEW (reg. 65)
High-risk PEW: mains work, PV, medical-device installations (reg. 6A)
High-risk PEW: independent inspector issues Record of Inspection
Inspector enters high-risk database within 20 days of RoI
ESC (reg. 74A) also confirms Building Act s19(1)(e) compliance
Trainee: supervisor's registration number on the ESC
Disconnected over 6 months: verify before reconnection (AS/NZS 3019)
NZECP 34: electrical safe distances
MEN system; one MEN link at the main switchboard
Voltage drop ≤ 5% (Clause 3.6.2)
0.4 s for socket circuits ≤ 63 A and hand-held Class I; 5 s other circuits
Insulation ≥ 1 MΩ at 500 V d.c.
Additional protection RCD ≤ 30 mA
Zs = 0.8 × U0 / Ia
Actives not green-yellow, green, yellow, black or light blue
AS/NZS 3008.1.1 Australia, 3008.1.2 New Zealand
AS/NZS 3760 test and tag; AS/NZS 5033 PV arrays
Section 6 damp situations; Section 8 verification; Appendix C maximum demand

Sample questions with answers

1. The Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 are made under which Act?

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Electricity Act 1992
Building Act 2004
Electricity Industry Act 2010

Show the answer

Answer: B - Electricity Act 1992

The ESR 2010 are secondary legislation under the Electricity Act 1992. They cover prescribed electrical work, certification and safety of works, installations, fittings and appliances.

Reference: Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010

2. An Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC) also confirms that the electrical work complies with the building code for the purposes of which Act?

Electricity Act 1992
Building Act 2004
Resource Management Act 1991
Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Show the answer

Answer: B - Building Act 2004

The ESC confirms the installation is safe to connect and also confirms building code compliance under section 19(1)(e) of the Building Act 2004, so no separate building consent sign-off is needed for that electrical work.

Reference: ESR 2010, reg. 74A; Building Act 2004 s19(1)(e)

3. Which of these are EWRB registration classes?

Electrician
Electrical inspector
Electrical engineer
Solar technician

Show the answer

Answer: A, B, C - Electrician; Electrical inspector; Electrical engineer

Registration classes include electrician, electrical engineer, electrical inspector, electrical appliance serviceperson, line mechanic and others. 'Solar technician' is not a class; PV work is done under existing classes.

Reference: Electricity Act 1992; EWRB

4. Which NZ Electrical Code of Practice covers homeowner or occupier electrical wiring work in domestic installations?

NZECP 51
NZECP 34
NZECP 35
NZECP 46

Show the answer

Answer: A - NZECP 51

NZECP 51 sets out what a homeowner may do on their own domestic wiring and how. NZECP 46 covers high voltage live work.

Reference: NZECP 51

5. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, who has the primary duty of care for workers' health and safety?

The PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking)
WorkSafe only
The customer only
The EWRB

Show the answer

Answer: A - The PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking)

The PCBU has the primary duty, so far as reasonably practicable. Workers also have duties to take reasonable care and follow instructions.

Reference: Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, s36

6. Which earthing system is used for LV installations supplied from the public network in Australia and New Zealand?

TT
IT
MEN (a form of TN-C-S)
TN-S only

Show the answer

Answer: C - MEN (a form of TN-C-S)

Australia and New Zealand use the Multiple Earthed Neutral (MEN) system. The supply neutral is earthed at many points on the network and connected to the installation earth at the main switchboard through the MEN link.

Reference: AS/NZS 3000:2018 Section 5

7. Which appendix of AS/NZS 3000 gives the method for estimating maximum demand?

Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix J

Show the answer

Answer: C - Appendix C

Appendix C covers maximum demand estimation, along with other circuit arrangement guidance. Appendix B covers circuit protection guidance including loop impedance.

Reference: AS/NZS 3000:2018 Appendix C

8. Which standard covers periodic verification of existing electrical installations?

AS/NZS 3019
AS/NZS 3012
AS/NZS 3003
AS/NZS 3001

Show the answer

Answer: A - AS/NZS 3019

AS/NZS 3019 covers periodic verification, for example before reconnecting an installation that has been disconnected for a long period.

Reference: AS/NZS 3019

Practise the full paper

The Electrical Licensing Exam Lab has timed papers with an answer sheet, calculation drills with fresh numbers every time, tap-the-diagram and virtual instrument questions, 3D labs, a daily challenge and automatic pass or fail results with a full review.

Start a timed EWRB exam Practise with explanations Calculation drills Open the visual labs

Other exam guides

DEWA electrical engineer exam practice Abu Dhabi electrical exam practice (DoE, ADDC, AADC)SEWA electrical exam practice (Sharjah)EtihadWE electrical exam practice (formerly FEWA)Australian electrical licensing practice (AS/NZS 3000)CPEng readiness: New Zealand and Australia

These questions are written from the published regulations and standards and are not copied from any real exam. Authorities and boards do not publish their question banks, and pass marks and formats can change, so confirm the current details with the body concerned.