Most people preparing for the Australian citizenship test know the headline number: 75%. Fewer know that 75% is only half the rule. The other half is why some people get 18 or 19 answers right and still fail.
Everything below comes from the Department of Home Affairs and the 2020 ministerial announcement that introduced the current format. Nothing here comes from forums or other prep sites.
The format: 20 questions, 45 minutes
From Home Affairs' citizenship test page, you "answer 20 multiple choice questions," and "You will have 45 minutes to complete the test." The questions are computer-based and multiple choice.
You sit the test at an appointment with Home Affairs. The department's preparation page states: "The test is conducted in English only."
The two conditions you must meet to pass
Here is the exact wording from Home Affairs. To pass, you must:
"achieve an overall mark of at least 15/20 (75%)"
and
"answer 5/5 (100%) of the Australian values questions correctly"
You have to meet both conditions. That leads to results that surprise people:
| Your result | Values questions | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| 15/20 | 5/5 correct | Pass |
| 20/20 | 5/5 correct | Pass |
| 19/20 | 4/5 correct | Fail: one values question wrong |
| 14/20 | 5/5 correct | Fail: below 75% overall |
Getting 19 out of 20 isn't enough if the one you missed was a values question. Getting every values question right isn't enough if your overall score is 14.
Where the values rule came from
The five mandatory values questions were announced in September 2020 by Alan Tudge, then Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs. The release says:
"From 15 November 2020, there will be an updated Australian Citizenship Test with a clear focus on Australian values."
"The updated Citizenship Test will comprise 20 multiple-choice questions, including five questions on Australian values."
"A person will be required to correctly answer all five of the questions on Australian values, with a mark of at least 75 per cent overall, to pass the test."
As for what those questions cover, the Minister said they "require potential citizens to understand and commit to our values like freedom of speech, mutual respect, equality of opportunity, the importance of democracy and the rule of law."
This is still the current format. If you see a prep site advertising "new 2026 test changes," check it against Home Affairs. The scoring rules above are the ones in force.
What the test is actually testing
According to Home Affairs, passing the test shows you have four things:
- a basic knowledge of the English language
- "an understanding of what it means to become an Australian citizen"
- "an adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship"
- "an understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality"
The English requirement is why the test is in English only, even though the study booklet is translated.
Who sits the test
"Most applicants between 18 and 59 years of age will need to take the Australian citizenship test." Home Affairs' test and interview page adds: "Others may only have an interview with us."
What it costs
"There is no extra cost to sit the citizenship test." The test is part of your citizenship application, so you don't pay again to sit it.
What to study, and what Home Affairs says about apps like ours
Home Affairs is clear about the source material: read Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, which is "available in English and a range of community languages." Every test question is based on that booklet. The department also publishes a free official practice test, which it describes as "designed to look and feel like the official test. It is a sample test only. The questions will be different on the day of the test."
The same page also says something we want to be upfront about:
"The Department does not endorse or recommend any external courses that claim to help you prepare for the citizenship test, including paid external apps."
That applies to every third-party resource, including ours, and it's worth knowing before you spend money anywhere. In our view, the booklet and the official practice test are the authority. A practice app is only useful if it helps you learn that booklet faster: through repetition, and through mock exams marked the way the real test is, so you can see whether you'd actually pass.
That's what we built. Our free Australian citizenship mock exams are marked with both rules. A 19/20 with one values question wrong shows up as the fail it would be on the day. The AU Citizenship Test: Values app has 630+ questions written from Our Common Bond and mapped to its four testable parts. It also has a Values Drill that tracks every values question until 5/5 is routine, and 40 timed mock exams scored the way Home Affairs scores the test.
How to prepare for the scoring rules
Treat the values section as its own test. You can't afford a single mistake there. The values content is in Part 4, "Australian values," of the testable section of Our Common Bond. Read it until you understand the principles, not just the phrases.
Don't aim for 15. Aim for 20. If you aim for exactly 15, a misread question or a moment of nerves is enough to fail you.
Use the full 45 minutes. It isn't a race. Read every question twice, especially the values scenarios, which test judgement rather than recall.
Practise under real conditions. That means 20 questions, timed, and scored on both rules. If your practice tool doesn't flag a values mistake separately, you won't know you're at risk until test day.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Australian citizenship test?
20 multiple-choice questions, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
How long do you get?
45 minutes.
What is the pass mark?
There are two conditions: at least 15/20 (75%) overall, and all 5 Australian values questions answered correctly.
Is 15 out of 20 a pass?
Yes, as long as all 5 values questions are among your correct answers.
Can you fail with 19 out of 20?
Yes. If the one question you got wrong was an Australian values question, you fail, because you have to get all 5 values questions right.
Does it cost anything to sit the test?
No. Home Affairs says "there is no extra cost to sit the citizenship test."
Is the test in English?
Yes. "The test is conducted in English only." Our Common Bond is available in community languages for study, but the test itself is in English.
Who has to sit it?
Most applicants aged 18 to 59. Others may only have an interview.
When did the values questions start?
On 15 November 2020. The change was announced in September 2020 by the then Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Learn about the citizenship test: 20 questions, 45 minutes, 15/20 and 5/5 values, ages 18–59, no extra cost, what the test assesses.
- Department of Home Affairs, Prepare for the test: English only, Our Common Bond, official practice test, statement on external courses and paid apps.
- Department of Home Affairs, Citizenship test and interview: who sits the test and who has an interview.
- Alan Tudge, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Focus on values in updated Australian citizenship test (September 2020): 15 November 2020 start, five values questions, all-correct requirement.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond.
All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.