Our Common Bond Testable Section: What You Actually Need to Study
Only Parts 1 to 4 of Our Common Bond are testable. See what each part covers, what the non-testable section is, and where to download the official PDF.
You only need to study the testable section of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond: Part 1 to Part 4. The booklet's non-testable section (Part 5: Australia today, and Part 6: Our Australian story) is about Australia's history and culture, and the booklet says you will not be tested on it. So no, you do not need to read the whole book to prepare for the citizenship test.
This post explains what each part covers, how to tell the two sections apart, and where to download the official PDF, audio and translations. Everything comes from the Department of Home Affairs' Our Common Bond page, its Prepare for the test page, its podcast page and the booklet itself.
What is the Our Common Bond testable section?
Our Common Bond is the official resource booklet for the Australian citizenship test. Home Affairs says on its Prepare for the test page: "All test questions are based on the OCB resource booklet."
The booklet is split into a testable section and a non-testable section. The testable section PDF states:
"All the information you need to know to pass the citizenship test is in the first four parts of this book"
It also says: "You will need to know and understand the information in the testable section to answer the questions in the citizenship test."
The four testable parts, named exactly as they appear in the booklet's contents page, are:
- 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
The testable section ends with a Glossary of testable section, which explains words used in Parts 1 to 4 (for example "values" and "volunteer") with example sentences.
Testable vs non-testable: the full table
Page numbers are from the contents pages of the two official PDFs. The "what it covers" column uses the booklet's own section introductions and headings, plus the episode summaries on the official Our Common Bond podcast page.
| Part | Starts on page | What it covers | Testable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Australia and its people | 7 | Australia's people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and how Australia became a multicultural nation; the states and territories; traditions and symbols such as Australia Day, Anzac Day, the flags and the Coat of Arms | Yes |
| Part 2: Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties | 17 | Democratic beliefs, freedoms and equalities; the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, such as voting and jury service; participating in Australian society | Yes |
| Part 3: Government and the law in Australia | 23 | How citizens have a say (voting); Federation and the Australian Constitution; the three levels of government; how laws are made; the courts and the police | Yes |
| Part 4: Australian values | 33 | Australian values such as commitment to the Rule of Law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equality, a 'fair go', mutual respect and tolerance, and our community | Yes |
| Glossary of testable section | 40 | Definitions of words used in Parts 1 to 4 | Part of the testable section |
| Part 5: Australia today | 48 | Australia's land, culture, innovators and national identity: World Heritage sites, sport, the arts, science and invention, national days, the economy | No |
| Part 6: Our Australian story | 63 | Australia's history, from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and early European exploration through to Federation, the wars and post-war refugees | No |
| Glossary of non-testable section | 84 | Definitions of words used in Parts 5 and 6 | No |
What is in the non-testable section?
The non-testable section PDF explains its purpose on the first page:
"The non-testable section has important information to help you understand the history and culture of Australia. You will not be tested on this information."
It has two parts.
Part 5: Australia today. The booklet says that in this part "you will learn about Australia’s culture, innovators and national identity." It covers the land and climate, the territories the Australian Government administers, Australia's UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air, sport and recreation, literature, theatre, film and visual art, scientific achievement and invention, national days and public holidays, the economy, and Australia's role in the world.
Part 6: Our Australian story. The booklet describes this part as looking at "our history." It covers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Dreaming, early European exploration, convict transportation and the first colony, the gold rush, Federation, World War I and later wars, the Great Depression, post-war refugees, the Snowy Mountains Scheme and the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.
This is the section that is easy to confuse with test material, because it reads like the kind of history and culture you might expect on a citizenship test. The booklet is clear that it is not tested.
Do I need to read the whole Our Common Bond book?
No. For the test, you need the four testable parts. The non-testable section is optional reading to help you understand Australia.
Two details are worth knowing so you don't skip something you need:
- Some topics appear in both sections. Australia Day and Anzac Day are covered in Part 1 (testable) and again in Part 5's national days list (non-testable). Part 1 also includes some history, such as the early days of European settlement and migration after World War II. Learn these topics from Parts 1 to 4, since that is the section the booklet marks as testable.
- The opening pages come before the testable section. Pages 2 to 5 ("A message to you", information about the test, the Australian Citizenship Pledge and the citizenship ceremony) sit before the page marked "The start of the testable section". They are still useful to read because they explain the test itself.
Where to get the Our Common Bond PDF
Home Affairs offers the booklet as a download on its Our Common Bond page. Here is what is available:
| Format | What it includes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| English PDF, testable section | The introduction, Parts 1 to 4 and the testable glossary | Our Common Bond: Testable (PDF) |
| English PDF, non-testable section | Parts 5 and 6 and the non-testable glossary | Our Common Bond: Non-testable section (PDF) (hosted on the Home Affairs website, but not linked from the Our Common Bond page) |
| Translations | The testable section in 40 community languages | Listed on the Our Common Bond page |
| Podcast (audio) | 5 episodes on the testable section, with transcripts | Our Common Bond podcast |
When we checked in October 2026, the Our Common Bond page linked only to the testable section, in English and in 40 other languages. It did not link to the non-testable section. We found the non-testable PDF on the Home Affairs website through a web search, and the link above opened the PDF when we checked.
Our Common Bond in other languages
Home Affairs says Our Common Bond "is available in 40 community languages." The page lists them under "Download the testable section in other languages", from Albanian and Arabic to Urdu and Vietnamese, including Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Hindi, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Spanish, Tagalog and Tamil.
The Our Common Bond podcast
The official podcast page says the podcast "presents the main points in the testable section." It has 5 episodes: an introduction, then one episode for each testable part (Australia and its people; Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; Government and the law in Australia; Australian values). Each episode has audio and a written transcript, and the page also links to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
Other official ways to prepare
The Prepare for the test page lists these options besides the booklet:
- The official citizenship practice test, which Home Affairs says "is designed to look and feel like the official test." The questions on the day will be different.
- The Our Common Bond podcast (above).
- The AMEPOnline citizenship modules, which help English language learners work with the booklet's content through characters, storylines and interactive activities.
The same page lists what test questions are based on, and the four topics have the same names as the four testable parts: Australia and its people; Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; government and the law in Australia; and "an understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality."
How to practise with the testable section
Start with the official booklet and the official practice test. The booklet's own cover says you are not required to buy other citizenship packages to pass. Home Affairs also says it does not endorse or recommend paid external apps, and our app is one of those.
If you want extra practice after reading the four parts, our free Australian citizenship mock exams are marked with both pass rules (15 out of 20 overall and 5 out of 5 values). There is also a second free mock exam. 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.
Frequently asked questions
Which parts of Our Common Bond are testable?
Parts 1 to 4: Australia and its people; Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; Government and the law in Australia; and Australian values. The booklet says everything you need to pass is in these first four parts.
Do I need to read the whole Our Common Bond book?
No. You need the testable section (Parts 1 to 4). The non-testable section (Parts 5 and 6) is background on Australia's history and culture, and the booklet says you will not be tested on it.
What is in the non-testable section of Our Common Bond?
Part 5: Australia today (land, culture, sport, the arts, innovators, national days, the economy) and Part 6: Our Australian story (Australia's history). Home Affairs says it helps you understand the history and culture of Australia.
Where can I download the Our Common Bond PDF?
From the Home Affairs Our Common Bond page, which links the English testable section and the translations. The non-testable section is a separate PDF on the Home Affairs website that the page does not link to.
Is Our Common Bond available in my language?
Possibly. Home Affairs offers the testable section in 40 community languages, listed on the Our Common Bond page. The test itself is in English only.
Is there an audio version of Our Common Bond?
Yes. Home Affairs publishes a 5-episode Our Common Bond podcast covering the main points of the testable section, with a transcript for each episode.
Are test questions on Australian history?
Only history that is in the testable section. Part 1 includes some history, such as European settlement and migration. The detailed history in Part 6: Our Australian story is non-testable.
Is the values part testable?
Yes. Part 4: Australian values is testable, and you must answer all 5 values questions correctly to pass. Our pass mark guide explains the scoring.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond: booklet download, 40 community languages, testable section translations, English-only test.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Testable (PDF): the four testable parts, page numbers, "first four parts" statement, part contents, testable glossary, opening pages, statement that no other packages are required.
- Department of Home Affairs, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Non-testable section (PDF): Parts 5 and 6, page numbers, "you will not be tested" statement, part contents.
- Department of Home Affairs, Prepare for the citizenship test: all questions based on the booklet, topics questions are based on, practice test, podcast, AMEPOnline modules, non-endorsement of paid apps.
- Department of Home Affairs, Listen to Our Common Bond podcast: 5 episodes, testable section coverage, transcripts, podcast app links, episode topics.
All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.
Study the Four Testable Parts
Download the app
AU Citizenship Test: Values
Australian citizenship test practice: 630+ questions, values drill, mock exams