Australian Values Questions: What the Citizenship Test Covers
The Australian values questions are 5 of the 20 citizenship test questions, and all 5 must be right. See every value Our Common Bond Part 4 lists.
The Australian citizenship test has five Australian values questions, and you must answer all five correctly to pass. The values themselves are set out in Part 4, "Australian values," of the official booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. Its "Our values" section names eight values, including the Rule of Law, parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech and a "fair go," and a second section, "Our community," adds five more.
This post lists every value exactly as the booklet names it, explains what each one means in plain words, and shows how Part 4 relates to the Australian Values Statement that visa applicants sign. Everything comes from the Our Common Bond testable section and other Department of Home Affairs pages, linked as we go.
What are the Australian values?
Part 4 of Our Common Bond opens by saying that "Australian values based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity are central to our community remaining a secure, prosperous and peaceful place to live." It then lists the values under the heading "Our values." Here they are, in the booklet's order, with a short summary of what the booklet says about each.
| Value (Our Common Bond heading) | What the booklet says it means |
|---|---|
| Commitment to the Rule of Law | Everyone in Australia is protected by the law and must obey it. No person or group is above the law, and Australian laws apply to you whatever your background or culture. |
| Parliamentary democracy | Laws are made by parliaments elected by the people. The government's power comes from citizens voting, and voting is compulsory. |
| Freedom of speech | You can say and write what you think, meet to discuss ideas and protest peacefully, as long as you stay within the law. Promoting violence against a person or group is never acceptable. |
| Freedom of association | You can join or leave any legal group, such as a political party, trade union, or religious, cultural or social group. No one can force you to join or leave. Protests must be peaceful. |
| Freedom of religion | Australia has no official national religion, and you can follow any religion you choose. Religious laws have no legal status, and practices such as polygamy and forced marriage are against the law. |
| Equality of all people under the law | Everyone has equal rights regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, race, or national or ethnic origin. Men and women have equal rights, and violence against a spouse or partner is a criminal offence. |
| Equality of opportunity and a ‘fair go’ | People should not be limited by class. What you achieve should come from hard work and talent, and jobs should go to the person with the best skills and experience. |
| Mutual respect and tolerance for others | Respect other people's freedom, dignity, opinions and choices, even when you disagree. Violence, including verbal abuse, is illegal, and racism has no place in Australia. |
The booklet gives concrete examples inside each section. For example, under the Rule of Law it says: "You should follow the law even if no one is watching." Under mutual respect, it says you should obey a lawful request from the police. These examples are worth reading closely, because they show how each value applies in daily life.
The "Our community" section of Part 4
After the eight values, Part 4 continues with a section headed "Our community." It covers five more topics:
| Heading | What the booklet says |
|---|---|
| Making a contribution | Everyone living in Australia is expected to take part in society and contribute to the community, and to try to support themselves and their families when they can. |
| Compassion for those in need | Australians value ‘mateship’: helping each other in times of need, and a strong tradition of community service and volunteering. |
| English as the national language | English is the national language and an important unifying element of society. People living in Australia should make an effort to learn it. |
| Helping to keep our society safe | If you suspect someone is planning a serious crime, report it to the authorities. If you know of a child being abused, report it to the police. Online abuse is not accepted. |
| Loyalty to Australia | Citizens pledge loyalty to Australia and its people. Dual citizens in Australia must still follow all Australian laws, and everyone shares an obligation not to undermine Australia's interests and security. |
How many Australian values questions are in the citizenship test?
Five. Home Affairs' Learn about the citizenship test page says you must answer 20 multiple choice questions and get "5/5 (100%) of the Australian values questions correctly." The 2020 ministerial announcement described the updated test as "20 multiple-choice questions, including five questions on Australian values." You must get all five right and score at least 15 out of 20 overall, which means a single values mistake is a fail. The full scoring rule, with worked examples, is in our post on the Australian citizenship test pass mark and values questions.
Home Affairs does not publish which values appear in a given test or how the five questions are chosen.
Where do the values questions come from?
Home Affairs states on its Prepare for the test page: "All test questions are based on the OCB resource booklet." The same page lists the areas the questions are based on, the last of which is "an understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality."
The booklet itself says that everything you need to pass is in its testable section, Parts 1 to 4, with Part 4 being "Australian values." Values also come up earlier. Part 2, "Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties," covers parliamentary democracy, the Rule of Law and the main freedoms, and it tells you to see Part 4 for more information. Read the two parts together.
When the values questions were introduced, the ministerial release said they would require applicants to understand and commit to values "like freedom of speech, mutual respect, equality of opportunity, the importance of democracy and the rule of law." The same release said the updated booklet "includes information on the new Australian values component."
What does "values" mean in Our Common Bond?
The booklet's glossary defines values as "the principles that help a person decide what is right and wrong, and how to act in various situations." Part 4 also says these are the values "that all Australian people are expected to respect, share and uphold."
That definition is a useful study guide. You don't need to guess what the government "wants." The booklet states each value directly and gives examples of what it means in practice. Your job is to know what Part 4 actually says, not to read hidden meanings into it.
Australian values vs the Australian Values Statement
You may also have seen the Australian Values Statement. This is a different thing. According to the Home Affairs Australian values page, applicants for most temporary, provisional and permanent visas must read the Life in Australia booklet and then sign or accept the Statement.
The Statement lists values that overlap heavily with Part 4 of Our Common Bond:
| In the Australian Values Statement | Closest Our Common Bond Part 4 heading |
|---|---|
| respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual | Mutual respect and tolerance for others |
| freedom of religion (including the freedom not to follow a particular religion), freedom of speech, and freedom of association | Freedom of speech; Freedom of association; Freedom of religion |
| commitment to the rule of law | Commitment to the Rule of Law |
| parliamentary democracy | Parliamentary democracy |
| equality of opportunity for all people | Equality of all people under the law; Equality of opportunity and a ‘fair go’ |
| a ‘fair go’ for all that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, compassion for those in need, and equality of opportunity for all | Equality of opportunity and a ‘fair go’; Mutual respect and tolerance for others; Compassion for those in need |
| the English language as the national language | English as the national language |
The Statement is something you sign as part of a visa application. The citizenship test is a separate step, and the booklet Home Affairs tells you to study for it is Our Common Bond.
Are there sample Australian values questions?
Home Affairs does not publish the questions used in the real test. It does offer a free official practice test with 20 multiple-choice questions and 45 minutes, and its start page sets out the same two pass conditions. The practice test page says: "This is a sample test only. The questions will be different on the day of the test."
We don't reproduce the official practice questions here, and we don't present any made-up question as a real test question. The best preparation Home Affairs points to is the booklet itself.
How to study Part 4
- Read Part 4 in full. It is a few pages long. Read every heading and every example under it.
- Read Part 2 alongside it. Part 2 covers the same democratic beliefs, rights and liberties, and points you to Part 4.
- Learn the glossary terms. The glossary at the end of the testable section explains words such as "democracy," "equality," "fair go," "mateship," "respect," "Rule of Law" and "secular."
- Use the free official resources. Home Affairs lists the Our Common Bond podcast, the practice test and the AMEPOnline citizenship modules on its Prepare for the test page.
How to practise the values questions
Start with the free official resources above. Home Affairs also states that it "does not endorse or recommend any external courses" for the test, including paid apps, so treat any third-party tool, including ours, as extra practice rather than a replacement for the booklet.
If you want more practice, our free Australian citizenship mock exams are marked with both pass rules (15/20 overall and 5/5 values), and there is a second free mock exam too. The AU Citizenship Test: Values app has 630+ questions written from Our Common Bond and mapped to its four testable parts, a Values Drill that tracks every Australian values question, and 40 timed mock exams marked with both rules.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Australian values?
Our Common Bond Part 4 lists eight under "Our values": Commitment to the Rule of Law, Parliamentary democracy, Freedom of speech, Freedom of association, Freedom of religion, Equality of all people under the law, Equality of opportunity and a ‘fair go’, and Mutual respect and tolerance for others. Its "Our community" section adds five more topics.
How many Australian values questions are in the citizenship test?
Five, out of 20 questions in total. You must answer all five correctly to pass.
Can I fail the test because of one values question?
Yes. You need 5 out of 5 on the values questions as well as at least 15 out of 20 overall. See how the pass mark works.
Are the Australian values questions scenario questions?
Home Affairs doesn't say. Its pages describe the test as 20 computer-based multiple-choice questions, and they do not publish the format of the values questions beyond that.
Where can I find the Australian values for the citizenship test?
In Part 4, "Australian values," of the Our Common Bond testable section, which you can download free from the Home Affairs Our Common Bond page.
Is the Australian Values Statement the same as the citizenship test values?
No. Applicants for most temporary, provisional and permanent visas must sign or accept the Statement. It lists similar values, but the citizenship test is based on Our Common Bond.
Are there official sample values questions?
No real test questions are published. The official practice test is "a sample test only," and its questions will be different on the day.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, testable section (PDF): Part 4 headings and content, Part 2 cross-reference, glossary definition of values, testable section Parts 1 to 4.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond: booklet download, 40 community languages, test in English only.
- Department of Home Affairs, Learn about the citizenship test: 20 multiple-choice questions, 5/5 values and 15/20 overall to pass.
- Department of Home Affairs, Prepare for the citizenship test: questions based on the booklet, areas covered, podcast, practice test, AMEPOnline, statement on external courses and apps.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian citizenship practice test: format and "sample test only" wording.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian values: Australian Values Statement wording and who must sign it.
- Alan Tudge, Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Focus on values in updated Australian Citizenship Test: five values questions out of 20, values named, updated booklet.
All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.
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