Between lodging an application for Australian citizenship by conferral and the ceremony, the test is the step most people worry about. It is shorter than its reputation, and every question comes from one free booklet. Here is how it works, based on the Department of Home Affairs' own pages.
Who has to sit it
If you are aged between 18 and 59 on the day Home Affairs receives your application for citizenship by conferral, you will generally need to sit the test. People who are 17 or younger, or 60 or older, when they apply don't have to, and nor do some others, such as applicants with a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity. Home Affairs lists every case on its citizenship test page.
The format
- 20 multiple-choice questions, chosen at random, answered on a computer or tablet.
- 45 minutes to finish.
- In English only. A test facilitator can show you how to use the device, read the questions aloud, or give you headphones to listen to them.
- Three answer options per question on the official practice test.
There is no extra cost: the test is included in your citizenship application fee.
The pass mark has two parts
To pass you need at least 15 out of 20 (75%) overall and all five Australian values questions correct. Both conditions apply, so a score of 19 out of 20 is still a fail if the one you missed was a values question. That is why the values questions deserve practice of their own.
What the values questions are about
Since 15 November 2020 every test has included five questions on Australian values, drawn from Part 4 of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. They usually describe a situation and ask what is lawful or respectful in Australia: freedom of speech and its limits, freedom of religion, equality of men and women, mutual respect and tolerance, the rule of law, and why learning English matters. The official practice test has examples. One asks what mutual respect and tolerance allow you to do; the answer is to disagree peacefully.
What to study
Everything on the test comes from the testable section of Our Common Bond:
- Part 1: Australia and its people
- Part 2: Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
- Part 3: Government and the law in Australia
- Part 4: Australian values
Parts 5 and 6 are good background reading but are not tested. The booklet is free on the Home Affairs website, along with a podcast version and an official practice test.
On the day
- Arrive 10 minutes before your appointment, with your appointment letter (printed or on your phone).
- Bring original photo ID, such as an Australian driver licence, a passport or an Australian proof-of-age card. Certified copies and photos of ID are not accepted, and without photo ID your appointment is moved to a later date.
- Staff confirm your identity and take your photo, then you sit the test.
- Phones, smart watches, notes and talking to anyone other than the test facilitator are not allowed, and children cannot come into the test centre.
If you need more time
The Assisted Test gives you 90 minutes instead of 45. You need to have asked for it in your application, and either have completed at least 400 hours of English tuition through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), or have a physical or cognitive impairment that stops you sitting the standard test even with support.
If you don't pass
It does not affect your visa, and Home Affairs books another appointment for you at no extra cost. If you have not passed after three appointments, your application may be refused.
A study plan that works
- Read Parts 1 to 4 once, start to finish. Don't try to memorise yet; get the shape of it.
- Practise the values questions on their own until five out of five is routine. They are worded as scenarios, and the wording is what trips people up.
- Take timed tests: 20 questions in 45 minutes, starting with the official practice test.
- Check every mistake against the booklet instead of memorising the answer, so a differently worded question doesn't catch you out.
- Check the facts that change, such as who holds an office, close to your test date.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Australian citizenship test?
What is the pass mark?
Can I take the test in my own language?
What happens if I fail?
Is there a free official practice test?
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs: Learn about the citizenship test (page dated 13 August 2026)
- Department of Home Affairs: Our Common Bond
- Department of Home Affairs: official practice test
Australian Citizenship Test is our study app for this test: 800+ practice questions checked against Our Common Bond, a values drill and timed mock exams in the real format. It's coming soon to the App Store.
We're an independent developer, not affiliated with the Australian Government. Home Affairs' booklet and practice test are free, and the Department doesn't endorse any paid course or app, ours included.