Updates as of September 22, 2026
The Department of Home Affairs states that the test is 20 computer-based multiple choice questions with 45 minutes to complete them, and that a candidate must reach an overall mark of at least 15 out of 20, which is 75 per cent, and must also answer 5 out of 5 of the Australian values questions correctly. Both conditions apply together.
Home Affairs, Citizenship testThere is no separate charge for the test. Home Affairs says plainly that there is no extra cost to sit the citizenship test and that the citizenship application fee already paid includes it. The department's application fee schedule, form 1298i in the edition carrying a design date of 07/26, lists the conferral fee under general eligibility as 595 Australian dollars.
Home Affairs form 1298iCitizenship application fees are indexed annually. Form 1298i states that on 1 July each year indexation is applied to citizenship application fees based on the consumer price index, so the figure a candidate budgeted for in one financial year is not necessarily the figure payable in the next. A concession rate of 85 dollars applies to eligible cardholders.
Home Affairs form 1298iEvery question is drawn from the official resource. Home Affairs says the test is conducted only in English and that all questions come from the booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, whose testable section is published in English and 40 community languages. The department also states that it does not endorse external paid courses or apps that claim to help with preparation.
Home Affairs, Prepare for the testThe test is sat at an appointment the department arranges, not at a published examination sitting. Home Affairs tells applicants that if it needs to interview them it will contact them with the details, and requires a photo identity document on the day such as an Australian driver licence, a passport or an Australian-issued proof of age card. Certified copies and electronic images are not accepted.
Home Affairs, Test and interviewA free official practice test is published by Home Affairs at citizenshippracticetest.homeaffairs.gov.au, alongside an Our Common Bond podcast and citizenship modules on AMEPOnline. The department notes that the practice test gives a sample experience but differs from the actual examination, so a strong practice score is not a substitute for reading the testable section itself.
Home Affairs practice testAustralian Citizenship Test at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 20, computer-based multiple choice |
| Time allowed | 45 minutes |
| Pass mark | 15 of 20 overall, and 5 of 5 on Australian values |
| Who sits it | Most conferral applicants aged 18 to 59 |
| Cost | No separate fee; included in the application fee |
| Study source | Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, testable section |
The test covers four areas: Australia and its people; Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; government and the law in Australia; and an understanding of and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality. Home Affairs describes the purpose as confirming basic English, an adequate knowledge of Australia and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and a commitment to those values.
Dates and windows
| What | When | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting the test | No fixed exam calendar; at an appointment Home Affairs arranges after the application is lodged | Rolling |
| Fee to sit the test | None at any time; covered by the citizenship application fee | Rolling |
| Conferral application fee, general eligibility | 595 Australian dollars in the form 1298i edition dated 07/26 | Confirmed |
| Concession fee for eligible cardholders | 85 Australian dollars | Confirmed |
| Children aged 15 or under on a responsible parent's form | No fee payable | Confirmed |
| Annual fee indexation | 1 July each year, based on the consumer price index | Confirmed |
| Fee concessions and exemptions page last updated | 24 July 2026 | Confirmed |
This is not an exam with published sitting dates, so there is nothing to diarise except the annual fee indexation on 1 July. The date that matters to an individual applicant is the appointment date the department issues, and Home Affairs says it will contact the applicant with those details.
What this means for your preparation
The single most misunderstood thing about this test is that there are two pass marks, not one. Reaching 15 out of 20 overall is not enough on its own: the five Australian values questions must all be answered correctly. A candidate who scores 17 overall but drops one values question has not passed. Everything in a sensible preparation plan follows from that asymmetry.
Treat the values questions as pass or fail
Five of the 20 questions come from the Australian values material, and the department requires 5 out of 5 on them. In effect, a quarter of the paper is scored on an all-or-nothing basis while the other 15 questions allow a margin of five wrong answers. That should change the shape of revision: the values content, built around freedom, respect and equality and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, deserves repeated, deliberate study rather than a single read, because there is no room to be approximately right. The remaining three areas, Australia and its people, democratic beliefs, rights and liberties, and government and the law, are where the tolerance sits.
Read the testable section, not the whole book
Home Affairs states that all questions are drawn from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, and it publishes a specific testable section of that resource in English and in 40 community languages. The rest of the booklet is context rather than examinable content. Candidates who work through the full publication in a second language often spend hours on material that cannot be asked, and candidates who rely only on a translated version sometimes forget that the test itself is conducted in English. The efficient approach is to learn the substance in whichever language is easiest, then re-read the English testable section so the vocabulary on screen is familiar.
Time pressure is not the constraint
Forty-five minutes for 20 multiple-choice questions is 135 seconds per question, which is generous by the standards of any computer-based test. This is not an exam that rewards speed, and there is no advantage in finishing early. The realistic failure mode is misreading a question rather than running out of time, particularly on items that turn on a single qualifier. Candidates who have practised only on third-party question banks sometimes answer from memory of a similar-looking item rather than from the wording actually on screen. Use the spare time deliberately: read each question twice, and re-check the five values questions before submitting if the interface allows.
Use the department's own practice test
Home Affairs publishes a free practice test and an Our Common Bond podcast, and hosts citizenship modules on AMEPOnline, with the broader Adult Migrant English Program available for English language support. The department also says explicitly that it does not endorse external paid courses or apps that claim to help candidates prepare. That is worth weighing against the volume of commercial preparation sites that market themselves around this test. The department's own caveat on its practice test is equally worth noting: it replicates the experience but differs from the real examination, so it is a familiarisation tool rather than a predictor of the result.
Bring original photo identification
The appointment is not only a test; it is also where identity is confirmed. Home Affairs requires a photo identity document and names an Australian driver licence, a passport or an Australian-issued proof of age card as acceptable. It states that certified copies and electronic images of photo identification will not be accepted, which rules out a photograph of a licence on a phone, a scan, or a justice-certified copy. An applicant who arrives without an original document risks losing the appointment slot entirely. The department contacts applicants with the appointment details, so watch the address and inbox nominated on the application.
Common questions
What is the pass mark for the Australian citizenship test?
There are two requirements and both must be met. Home Affairs requires an overall mark of at least 15 out of 20, which the department describes as 75 per cent, and separately requires 5 out of 5 on the Australian values questions. Missing a single values question means failing the test even if the overall score is well above 15. The test is 20 computer-based multiple choice questions and candidates are given 45 minutes to complete them.
How much does the citizenship test cost?
Nothing on its own. Home Affairs states that there is no extra cost to sit the citizenship test because the citizenship application fee already includes it. The application fee itself is the cost to watch: the department's fee sheet, form 1298i in the edition with a design date of 07/26, gives 595 Australian dollars for citizenship by conferral under general eligibility, with a concession rate of 85 dollars for eligible cardholders and no fee for children aged 15 or under applying on the same form as a responsible parent.
Who has to sit the test?
Home Affairs says most applicants between 18 and 59 years of age applying for citizenship by conferral must sit it. The department frames the test as confirming a basic knowledge of the English language, an understanding of Australian citizenship, adequate knowledge of Australia and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and a commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality. The department's citizenship test page does not set out the full list of exemptions, so anyone who believes an exemption applies should check their own circumstances against the departmental guidance for their application type.
What should I study for the test?
Only the official resource. Home Affairs states that all questions are taken from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, and that the testable section of that booklet is available in English and 40 community languages. The four areas covered are Australia and its people; Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; government and the law in Australia; and an understanding of and commitment to Australian values. The department also publishes a podcast version and citizenship modules on AMEPOnline, and says it does not endorse external paid courses or apps.
Is there an official practice test?
Yes. Home Affairs links to a practice test at citizenshippracticetest.homeaffairs.gov.au from its preparation page, and it is free. The department describes it as designed to replicate the official exam while noting that it differs from the actual examination, so it is best used to get comfortable with the on-screen format rather than as a score predictor. Because every real question comes from the testable section of Our Common Bond, reading that section remains the substantive preparation; the practice test is familiarisation on top of it.
When and where do I sit the test, and what do I bring?
There is no published calendar of test dates. Home Affairs says that if it needs to interview an applicant it will contact them with the details, so the appointment follows the lodged application rather than the other way round. On the day a photo identity document is required, and the department names an Australian driver licence, a passport or an Australian-issued proof of age card as acceptable. Certified copies and electronic images of photo identification are not accepted, so the original document must be brought to the appointment.
