The Australian citizenship test is the knowledge exam most applicants aged 18 to 59 must pass as part of their citizenship application. It covers Australian history, geography, values, democratic beliefs, and the system of government, all drawn from the same public study booklet you use to prepare.
What is the Australian citizenship test, and who needs to take it?
The Australian citizenship test is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam administered by the Department of Home Affairs. Most people applying for Australian citizenship who are aged between 18 and 59 are required to pass it. Applicants outside that age range are generally exempt, as are those with a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity that prevents them from understanding the test.
The test is taken at a Department of Home Affairs office on a scheduled date, not at home. There is no fee charged for the test itself; it is part of the citizenship application process.
How many questions are on the test, and what is the pass mark?
The test has 20 multiple-choice questions, and you have 45 minutes to complete it. Each question has four answer options; you select one.
To pass, you need at least 15 correct answers, a score of 75%. That threshold applies to your total score, but there is an additional rule that makes the values section uniquely important.
What is the all-five-values rule?
Five of the 20 questions are drawn from the Australian values section of the study booklet. The rule is simple: you must answer all five values questions correctly. A single wrong answer in the values section means you fail, even if you scored 19 out of 20 overall. There is no partial credit on this requirement; all five must be correct.
This rule reflects how the test is designed: demonstrating that you understand and accept Australia’s core values is treated as non-negotiable, separate from your general knowledge score.
What topics does the test cover?
Every question comes from one of four parts of the testable section of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, the official study booklet published by the Commonwealth of Australia:
- Australia and its people: the land, its geography, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, national symbols, significant days, and immigration history.
- Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties: the freedoms Australians hold, equality under the law, voting as both a right and a responsibility, and the concept of a fair go.
- Government and the law: how the federal and state governments work, the role of Parliament, the court system, and the responsibilities that come with citizenship.
- Australian values: the shared values the booklet describes as central to Australian life, including freedom, respect, fairness, equality of opportunity, and the Rule of Law. This is the section with the all-five rule attached.
The questions are drawn across all four parts. The category weights mean roughly six questions will come from Australia and its people, six from government and the law, five from Australian values, and three from democratic beliefs.
What is the official study resource?
The test is based entirely on Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, a booklet published by the Commonwealth of Australia under a CC BY 4.0 licence. It is freely downloadable from the Department of Home Affairs website. Everything testable in the exam comes from the material in that booklet; nothing is asked that is not covered there.
Reading the booklet thoroughly and testing yourself across all four sections is the core preparation strategy. Pay particular attention to the values section, since those five questions carry a pass-or-fail condition that the rest of the exam does not.
What happens if you fail?
A failed test does not cancel your citizenship application. You can retake the test. The Department of Home Affairs will schedule another sitting; there is no mandatory waiting period specified in public guidance, and there is no published limit on the number of attempts.
Consistent practice across all four topic areas, with extra focus on Australian values, gives you the best chance of passing on your first attempt.