Here you will find information about the Registration Exam, which is independent from the AUT programme and is administered by NZATS on behalf of the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand (MSC).

Upcoming Exams & Forms

Exam dates for December 2022 are the weekend of the 3rd-4th December.

Required Forms and Information:

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General Examination Information

Ngā Whakamārama mō te Whakamātautau

The Registration Exam will be delivered twice yearly. The Registration Exam is independent from the AUT theoretical learning programme and is the final assessment required by the Medical Sciences Council (MSC) for recognition of skills and knowledge in anaesthetic clinical practice which is inclusive if, but not limited to, subject matter covered in the anaesthesia papers. The candidate will be expected to have a wide knowledge of Operating Room practice and patient care. The Medical Sciences Council of NZ state that use of a Reader/Writer support person is not permitted in the Anaesthetic Technician Registration Examination. Suggested reference reading is included in the AUT syllabus. The prospective candidate must have completed the Diploma in Applied Sciences or Graduate Certificate in Science (Anaesthetic Technology) or provide evidence of qualifications gained overseas.

The following documentation must be presented by the New Zealand trained candidate:

  • Completed Registration Examination Application Form including passport-size photograph
  • Evidence of completion of the Diploma/Graduate Certificate. Overseas trained candidates need a letter from MSC instructing them to sit the exam instead.
  • If a candidate has been unsuccessful in any of the Diploma/Graduate Certificate papers, that trainee is not eligible to sit the Registration Examination until successful. In some circumstances AUT may grant an extension and a specific time-frame for the completion of the Anaesthetic Technology II paper. Written confirmation will be required from AUT to confirm this before the trainee may be registered to sit the Registration Examination.
  • A summary of training time in hours. Please complete the clinical hours form.
  • Evidence of other relevant qualifications (e.g. nursing, paramedic, diploma of military medicine)
  • Full payment of the examination fee – please see Payment section below
  • Criminal Conviction History. This is a request by MSC that must be included with your exam application.
    • The Criminal Conviction History Certificate will need to be produced when applying for your registration with MSC after your success with the NZATS examination process.
    • The Certificate must not be older than three months
    • The application form can be found on the Ministry of Justice. The process can take up to 20 working days.
    • If you are still waiting to receive your Criminal Conviction History Certificate – for Registration Exam when you are ready to submit your exam application, then please just submit your application to do the exam. You may mention it is yet to arrive and then bring the certificate (and a photocopy of this) on the day of the exam.
  • Current CPR certificate.

 

Exam

All the above listed requirements must be forwarded to the Examination Secretary by the due date which will be approximately 4 weeks prior to the examination. Incomplete documentation will be returned to the candidate minus a 10% administration fee. Failure to present application requirements and documentation by the stated post-date will forfeit the trainee’s eligibility to sit the examination. If a candidate withdraws for any reason after the Examination Secretary has completed the documentation a 10% administration fee will be charged. Please see the Examination Policy for Candidates suffering from Illness, Accident, Disability or Bereavement prior to or at the time of the Examinations.

At the end of 2019, the Medical Sciences Council decided to make reduction in clinical hours the responsibility of the employer to determine, ie the employer can decide if they feel the Trainee is competent to sit the Registration Exam once all theoretical components from AUT have been completed. The only restriction on this is that, as per PS08, at least 12 months of practical hours must be completed. So whilst information is on the NZATS website regarding hours, it is not an NZATS decision to make.

Payment

The total cost of the exam is $1265 (inclusive of GST). Our preferred payment method is online banking:

Bank Account #: 03 07260649992 00 (please reference “Regi Exam” and your name)

If you wish to pay by Visa or Mastercard, please click the Buy Now Button.

Please note: Receipts for examination fee payments will be issued within 3 – 5 working days of receiving payment.

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Examination Process & Format

Hātepe me te Hōputu Whakamātautau

Candidates are expected to practice within the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) guidelines. Please read the Exam Resources page for more information.

The Registration Exams are held in March and December currently in Christchurch. These details are subject to change in extreme circumstances when the likely venue will be Auckland, Palmerston North or Wellington. This will consist of up to 17 x 7-minute Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).

If the failure rate exceeds 25% NZATS will delay in releasing the results until the discussed with the Medical Sciences Council.

NZATS advises candidates that written stations are included in the examination process.

The OSCEs will consist of up to 17 stations, during this examination the candidate will move in a controlled sequence from station to station. The Machine Check component of the examination consists of 5 OSCE stations with to focus on testing, checking, or describing the function of a particular part of the machine. From October 2015 onwards every exam will have an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) station. The other stations may include short scenarios, written answers or the candidate may be asked Viva questions. The candidates may also be asked to demonstrate a specific skill at a station. The candidates will rotate through the stations at 7-9 minutes intervals. An overall pass rate of 14 out of the 17 OSCEs must be achieved.