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Australian citizenship test
The test most applicants for Australian citizenship by conferral aged 18 to 59 must pass, on Australia's people, democracy, laws and values.
The exam
- Set by
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs
- The paper
- 20 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes; pass with 75% and all five values questions correct
- How it is sat
- By appointment once you have applied, on computer at a Home Affairs or Services Australia centre
- Where
- Australia, in English
About the exam
The Australian citizenship test is a 20-question multiple-choice test taken on a computer or tablet at a citizenship appointment. Most people applying for citizenship by conferral must pass it, and passing shows that you have basic English, understand what becoming a citizen means, know enough about Australia and commit to its values of freedom, respect and equality.
After a pass and an approved application, you become a citizen at a citizenship ceremony; the invitation usually comes about four weeks before it. The test costs nothing extra, because it is included in the citizenship application fee.
What surprises candidates is the values rule. A total of 15 out of 20 is not enough on its own: you must also answer all five questions on Australian values correctly, so one wrong values answer means a fail whatever your total.
Who has to sit it
If you are aged 18 to 59 on the day the Department of Home Affairs receives your application for citizenship by conferral, you will generally sit the test. People who are 17 or younger, or 60 or older, when they apply do not, nor do people with a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity, a permanent loss or serious impairment of hearing, speech or sight, and a few groups with particular birth or family circumstances; they may have an interview instead. Before the test comes the application itself: in general you must be a permanent resident, have lived in Australia on a valid visa for 4 years before applying, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and keep within the limits on time spent abroad.
What is on it
- Australia and its people
- Who Australians are, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the states and territories, and national symbols.
- Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
- The democratic principles Australia is built on and the freedoms, rights and responsibilities of citizens.
- Government and the law in Australia
- How the Constitution, Parliament, the three levels of government and the courts work, and how laws are made and applied.
- Australian values
- The shared values of freedom, respect and equality; five of the 20 questions test this part and all five must be right.
The paper
- 20 multiple-choice questions, five of them on Australian values.
- To pass you need all 5 values questions right and at least 15 of 20 overall (75%).
- 45 minutes for the standard test; the Assisted Test allows 90 minutes.
- The test is in English only, although the official study book is published in 40 community languages.
- All questions are based on the testable section of the official booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond.
- No phones, smart watches or other devices, no notes or books, and no talking to anyone except the test facilitator.
- A test facilitator can show you how to use the device, read questions aloud or enter answers you give verbally; an Assisted Test is available if you ask for it in your application and have done at least 400 hours of English under the Adult Migrant English Program, or have an impairment backed by a health practitioner's evidence.
- Your result appears on screen as soon as you finish.
How to book it
- Apply for citizenship by conferral (usually online through ImmiAccount) and pay the application fee, which includes the test. Ask for an Assisted Test or other accommodations in the application if you need them.
- You do not book the test yourself: the department sends you a letter with the date, time and place of your appointment. Waiting times vary, and the letter explains how to reschedule.
- Appointments are held at departmental offices in most capital cities and at some Services Australia offices. If you applied from overseas, you are invited once you are back in Australia; an embassy or consulate is used only in exceptional cases.
- Bring your original photo ID (for example a passport, Australian driver licence or proof of age card), your appointment letter on paper or on your phone, and any documents you were asked for. Copies are not accepted, and without photo ID your appointment is moved to a later date.
- Arrive 10 minutes early. Staff discuss your application, confirm your identity and take your photo before you sit the test; children cannot come into the test centre.
- If you fail, the department books another appointment at no extra cost. If you have not passed after three appointments, your application may be refused.
Fees and dates
- Fee
- No separate fee: included in the citizenship application fee (listed on Form 1298i, usually rising on 1 July each year)
- When
- By appointment letter from the department after you apply; wait times vary
- Results
- Shown on screen as soon as you finish
- Attempts
- Further appointments at no extra cost; application may be refused after three appointments without a pass
- Time allowed
- 45 minutes (Assisted Test: 90 minutes)
- Language
- English only; study booklet in 40 community languages
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the Australian citizenship test?
There are 20 multiple-choice questions, five of which are about Australian values. You have 45 minutes, or 90 minutes if you sit an Assisted Test.
What is the pass mark?
You must score at least 15 out of 20 (75%) and also get all five values questions right. Missing a single values question means you fail, even with a high total.
Do I have to pay for the test?
No. The cost of the test is included in the citizenship application fee, and resits after a fail are booked at no extra cost.
Who does not have to sit the test?
Generally, people aged under 18 or 60 and over when they apply, and people with a permanent physical or mental incapacity or a serious hearing, speech or sight impairment, along with a few other specific groups. They may be asked to an interview instead.
Can I take the test in my own language?
No, the test is in English only. You can study from the Our Common Bond booklet in one of 40 community languages, and a test facilitator can read questions aloud to you.
Can I take the test online?
No. You sit it on a computer or tablet at your appointment, at a Home Affairs or Services Australia office, after staff have confirmed your identity.
What happens if I fail?
Failing does not affect your visa. The department books another appointment at no cost, and if you still have not passed after three appointments your application may be refused.
Sources
What Licento would give you
- Practice questions written to this exam's syllabus, scheduled up to your exam date.
- Mock exams in the real exam's format, timed and marked the same way.
- How ready you are, topic by topic, so you know where to spend your time.