Gon's aunt Mito gives him the go ahead to take the Hunter Exam after he has successfully passed her test, using a special rod from his father. Gon goes to town to catch a ship to the exam. In town, Gon befriends Leorio, after several run-ins with each other through the town. Leorio is also intent on taking the exam, and they take down a cruel animal show. In the end, they almost miss the ship, but through Gon's quick thinking, they manage to board the ship at the last minute.

On the ship to the exam, Gon and Leorio meet Kurapika. The captain asks each for their reason to be a Hunter. Gon wants to find his father, Leorio wants to be rich, and Kurapika wants to be a force for justice.

The ship's captain recommends they go towards a tree on the top of a mountain instead of directly at their goal. Leorio takes the bus and the rest head towards the tree. The bus is a trap, so Leorio abandons it and catches up with Gon and Kurapika. Matthew, an examinee they meet, travels with them and then betrays them. They successfully answer a riddle asked by an examiner and move on to the next test.

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio continue on the test, arriving at a cabin in the woods. A husband and wife say they have been attacked by beasts, when a beast shows up and kidnaps the wife. Leorio stays to treat the husband's wounds as Gon and Kurapika help the wife. In the end it turns out the couple and the beasts are a family and they find the group worthy of continuing to the next test.

Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio reach the first stage of the Hunter Exam, a seemingly endless forced run through a tunnel leading by the examiner named Satotz. They are befriended by Tonpa, a man taking the exam for the 35th time, and meet Killua, another entrant. In the end Tonpa betrays Leorio, as Gon and Kurapika go looking for them.

Tonpa has placed Leorio and another examinee near hallucinogenic sap. In a dream state, he explains that he wants to be a Hunter to get money so he can become a doctor who doesn't charge for his services. Gon and Killua bond. At the end of the first stage, a man appears to accuse the examiner of being a fake.

Hisoka determines the real examiner by flinging deadly playing cards at each man, reasoning the true Hunter will live, and it's Satotz. Later, he plays at being an examiner and kills many examinees. Although Hisoka is able to kill all of his intended victims, he recognizes that Gon and Leorio are special and lets them live.

The group starts stage 2 of the test, which is to satisfy Gourmet Hunters Buhara and Menchi with their cooking. Everyone satisfies Buhara's taste for BBQ pork, but they all fail to make sushi good enough for Menchi. She says all examinees fail.

While one of the examinees, wrestler Todo, criticizes Menchi and all Gourmet Hunters, Netero, the head examiner and Hunter Association's president, arrives and asks Menchi to give everyone another chance. The test takers collect spider eagle eggs, and Todo learns to respect Gourmet Hunters, vowing to return and take the test again.