Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Tuberculosis (TB) Testing of Livestock (Level 3) with
strands in Cattle and Deer
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
3
Credits
40-45
NZSCED
050105
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies >Agriculture>
Animal Husbandry
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
April 2018
Approval date
22 August 2014
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the domestic cattle
and deer industries with individuals who are able to prepare for
and carry out the testing of domestic cattle and deer for bovine
tuberculosis (TB) according to regulatory requirements and
industry best practice. All TB testing officers are required to be
accredited under the Biosecurity Act 1993.
This qualification is targeted at individuals who have extensive
animal handling experience.
Learners will benefit from gaining a valued skill set which may
enable opportunities for seasonal, part-time or secondary
employment.
The pastoral livestock industry will benefit from having individuals
who can carry out mandatory testing with minimum distress to
livestock or interruption to the workplace.
The community as a whole will benefit from having individuals
who are qualified to test for TB in cattle and deer. TB is a threat
to human and animal health, and monitoring ensures that the
incidence of TB is minimised, and the economic and social costs
of its spread are mitigated.
Outcome Statement
Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2369
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:

Interpret legislative and regulatory requirements in tuberculin
testing processes.

Complete documentation and prepare tuberculin reactor
valuation contracts.

Conduct themselves safely and professionally for tuberculin
testing.
Graduates of the strand in Cattle will also be able to:

Prepare for, carry out and read caudal fold intradermal tests
Page 1 of 6
for cattle.

Bleed cattle for tuberculin testing and submit samples to
testing laboratory.
Graduates of the strand in Deer will also be able to:

Prepare for, carry out and read mid cervical tests (MCTs) for
deer.

Prepare for, carry out and read comparative cervical tests
(CCTs) for deer.

Bleed deer for tuberculin testing and submit samples to
testing laboratory.
Education pathway
This is a stand-alone qualification but may lead on to other
agricultural or rural servicing qualifications.
Employment pathway
Graduates may be employed as TB testing officers provided they
become an accredited person under the Biosecurity Act 1993.
Continued accreditation is subject to periodic reaccreditation
requirements.
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5
of the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education
Act 1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification
will display the NZQF logo and may also include the name
and/or logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for managing
consistency
All education organisations offering programmes leading to
the qualification must engage with arrangements for
managing consistency, including covering actual and
reasonable related costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what
specific evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes of the
qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:
• Student feedback on course delivery and qualification
achievement, their perception of the value of the training,
and suggestions for improvements
• Feedback from employers on the level of skills, knowledge
and behaviour demonstrated by graduates of the
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© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
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qualification
• Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems
• Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that
supports the consistency review.
Credit transfer and recognition of
prior learning arrangements
Education organisations must have policies and procedures
in place for managing credit transfer, and assessing
recognition of prior learning and recognition of current
competency. These policies and procedures, and
information about associated fees, must be available to the
candidate prior to enrolment.
To facilitate credit transfer, education organisations must
clearly demonstrate the equivalency or comparability
between each of the outcomes in the graduate profile, and
the assessment components of their programmes.
Minimum standard of achievement
and standards for grade
endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate
outcomes in the graduate profile through successful
completion of an NZQA approved programme.
Entry requirements (including
prerequisites to meet regulatory body
or legislative requirements)
Candidates should ensure that they are eligible to become
an accredited person under the Biosecurity Act 1993 if they
wish to seek employment as a TB Testing officer.
Qualification conditions
Overarching conditions relating to the qualification
Conditions for programme
structure
None.
Conditions for programme
context
None.
Other conditions
All outcomes in this qualification require aspects of record
keeping and communication which should be considered as part
of the assessment process.
Compliance with workplace health and safety requirements,
sustainable practices and animal welfare standards applies
across all outcomes.
All programmes should include, for each strand: preparation for
taking samples, methods for taking samples, documentation
requirements, animal handling, reading samples and submitting
samples for testing.
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© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
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Specific conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
Mandatory
or Optional
1
Programmes may include the following topics:
Optional
Interpret legislative and
regulatory requirements in
tuberculin testing processes.
Credits 5

animal welfare standards

TB-free New Zealand Strategy including
National Operational Plan and National
Disease Management Plan

National Animal Identification and Tracking
(NAIT) scheme and requirements

classification of livestock for TB testing

TB infection and control strategies

advice to herd owners on their
responsibilities and TB management.
Assessment may include the following unit
standards:
2
Complete documentation and
prepare tuberculin reactor
valuation contracts.
Credits 5

25624

25621
Programmes may include the following topics :

procedure for dealing with reactor livestock

preparation of TB reactor valuation contracts.
Optional
Assessment may include the following unit
standard:

3
Conduct themselves safely
and professionally for
tuberculin testing.
Credits 3
25622
Programmes may include the following topics:

hygiene, health and safety requirements

professional conduct

communication

teamwork

conflict management

hazard identification and management.
Optional
Cattle strand
4
Prepare for, carry out and
read caudal fold intradermal
tests for cattle.
Programmes should include the: topics
recommended in the conditions relating to the
qualification, relevant to cattle.
Credits 15
Assessment may include the following unit
standards:

Qualification Reference 2369
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
Mandatory
Optional
25613
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
5
25619
Bleed cattle for tuberculin
testing and submit samples to
testing laboratory.
Programmes should include the: topics
recommended in the conditions relating to the
qualification, relevant to cattle.
Credits 12
Assessment may include the following unit
standards:

24619

25617
Mandatory
Optional
Deer strand
6
7
Prepare for, carry out and
read mid cervical tests
(MCTs) for deer.
Programmes should include the topics
recommended in the conditions relating to the
qualification, relevant to deer.
Credits 12
Assessment may include the following unit
standards:

25616

25620
Prepare for, carry out and
read comparative cervical
tests (CCTs) for deer.
Programmes should include the topics
recommended in the conditions relating to the
qualification, relevant to deer.
Credits 10
Assessment may include the following unit
standard:

8
25615
Bleed deer for tuberculin
testing and submit samples to
testing laboratory.
Programmes should include the topics
recommended in the conditions relating to the
qualification, relevant to deer.
Credits 10
Assessment may include the following unit
standards:

25623

25618
Mandatory
Optional
Mandatory
Optional
Mandatory
Optional
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualifications replaces the National Certificate in Tuberculosis (Tb)
Testing of Domestic Cattle and Deer (Domestic Cattle) with an optional
strand in Deer [Ref: 1611].
Trainees currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification may either complete the
requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
Qualification Reference 2369
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
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The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2016. The
last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2018 at which time it will be designated
as discontinued.
It is the intention of Primary ITO that no existing trainee should be disadvantaged by these transition
arrangements. Any person who considers they have been disadvantaged may appeal to the Primary ITO.
Box 10383, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. Email standards@primaryito.ac.nz.
Republication information
Version 1 of this qualification was republished In February 2015 to update the Evidence requirements for
managing consistency
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© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2014
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