Crack the New Zealand Registration Exam

The NZREX Primary Care pathway is a pilot program designed to help overseas doctors who have passed the NZREX Clinical exam to gain full registration for a career in general practice in New Zealand. The primary care trial aims to reduce the logjam of overseas-trained doctors from “non-comparable” health systems who struggled to get the two-year hospital internship required to gain full registration after passing the MCNZ exam (NZREX). The alternative pathway had the selected NZREX doctors, mostly GP equivalents in their home countries, spending 18 months of the two years in general practices.  Here are some more details about the program: Program Overview: Focus : The program is primarily focused on training doctors for community-based primary care settings. It includes an initial six-month hospital-based training component . Pilot Program : The pilot started in January 2023 and is expected to run for two years. It involves a cohort of 8-10 candidates . Location : The pilot is bei...

Passing rates for candidates appearing for the NZREX in the last 5 years: This data is posted on the MCNZ website - please visit their website to get the most uptodate stats. This info was taken from the MCNZ website in June 2025.

Applying for First Year House Officer Positions in New Zealand There is a centralized application for first-year house officer positions in NZ, restricted to NZ and Aus medical grads, excluding NZREX candidates. As an NZREX candidate, you'll need to apply to various DHBs on your own. Application Methods: Email Applications In-Person Applications While emailing might be easier, handing in your CV personally could be more effective. For most candidates, emailing is more feasible as visiting every DHB is impractical. However, visiting your local DHB and meeting someone at the RMO office could be beneficial. Follow up your visit with an email to express your interest. Steps to Apply: Visit Your Local DHB : Apply in person and follow up with an email. Call Other DHBs : Express your interest and follow up with an email. Be prepared for potential rejections. Tips for Success: Frequent Contact : Send your CV every few weeks/months to show continued interest. Highlight your achievements ...

I am from Country *** or have a post-graduate degree in *** or have a few years experience in *** specialty, do I need to take NZREX? Please take the Medical Council  self-assessment questionnaire  and find out the answer yourself! USMLE vs AMC vs PLAB, which exam should I take? The answer to this question varies from person to person. Given that getting into the healthcare system in NZ is not that easy, it is a good idea to have a backup option. Which exam you take depends on what you want your backup to be. If you plan to apply to Aus as a backup plan, then take the AMC exams and so on. Remember that for those taking the USMLEs, you must take 2 exams Step 1 and Step 2CK, for the others its just the one exam. Eligibility for applying for the NZREX? English language requirements: a.       IELTS with a minimum of 7.5 in speaking and listening; a minimum of 7 in writing and reading. Dated within 2 years. b.   ...

It has been very difficult for some of us to get through to the NZ health care system, with some of you waiting for years to get your first job. Congrats to those who got through. If you are one of them, its time to start thinking about your next step - Vocational Training! Below are some of your options for vocational (post-graduate) training after you have completed ~2 years working as a house officer in NZ. Most specialties require you to be a permanent resident before you can apply, with atleast 2 years of NZ or comparable healthcare system experience. The link for each specialty has a pdf file attached to it, listing the requirements, number of candidates accepted vs number applying, etc. Every Specialty would have their own application and selection criteria, below are a few tips: - you must be a NZ resident or citizen atleast by the tim of your interview. - the more competitive specialties would want you to have some registrar experience. - research and audi...

Most overseas doctors looking to practise medicine in New Zealand must gain registration from the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). For this purpose you must take the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX). Check to see if you are  eligible for the NZREX pathway . Once you pass the NZREX, it will be valid for 5 years, before which you must get registered with the MCNZ. For more information on NZREX and related topics please feel free to browse topics in the menu on the top and the links below. Here is some general info about the exam: - its (usually) held  3 times a year . There have been recent changes to the exam schedule as there are very limited number of job opportunities after you pass the exam! - most overseas graduates (who don't come from a comparable healthcare system) need to take the exam to work in NZ as a doctor. - once you pass the exam, you must apply to work as a 1st year house officer (yes,  you get paid ). Mo...