Australian Citizenship Test 2026: What You Need to Know
8 January 2026
If you're starting to prepare for the Australian Citizenship Test, here's a clear rundown of the current format, what's actually being tested, how it's scored, and what the requirements are.
The Format, In Brief
The test is 20 multiple-choice questions, completed on a computer at your local office, with a 45-minute time limit. Each question has four answer options with only one correct answer.
How It's Scored
There are two separate requirements, and both have to be met:
- 75% or higher overall, that's at least 15 of the 20 questions correct.
- All 5 Australian Values questions correct, this is a completely separate requirement from your overall score. Every test includes exactly 5 questions on Australian Values, and every single one of them has to be right. Scoring 95% but missing one values question still means you don't pass.
This second rule is the one that catches people off guard, and it's worth building specific practice around it, see our Australian Values Guide for a full rundown of what's covered.
What the Test Covers
Questions are drawn from four topic areas: Australia and its people (history, symbols, states and territories), democratic beliefs and rights, how government and the law work, and Australian values. All four are represented on every test.
Getting Ready
The most reliable way to prepare is to actually answer questions rather than just re-reading the study material, you find out what you don't remember much faster that way. Our practice tool lets you work through questions by topic with instant explanations, and our mock test mirrors the real format exactly, timer and pass rule included, so the format itself is never the surprise on the day.