Practice

What Topics Are Covered in the Citizenship Test?

26 February 2026

Every question on the test falls into one of four fixed categories. Here's what each one actually covers.

1. Australia and Its People

History and identity: Indigenous heritage, European settlement, Federation, migration, national symbols, and the states and territories. Mostly factual recall, dates, places, and names.

2. Democratic Beliefs, Rights and Liberties

The principles underpinning Australian society: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, gender equality, and the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship, including that voting is compulsory from age 18.

3. Government and the Law

How the system actually works: the three levels of government (federal, state, local), the structure of Parliament, how laws are made, the Constitution, and the role of courts. The most structurally detailed of the four categories.

4. Australian Values

This is the category with the highest stakes, exactly 5 of the 20 questions are always from this section, and you must get all 5 correct to pass, regardless of your score elsewhere. It covers principles like the rule of law, mutual respect, and equality, often through scenario-based questions rather than simple facts. We've written a full, dedicated breakdown in our Australian Values Guide.

All Four, Every Test

Every sitting of the test includes questions from all four categories, none are optional or occasional. For a closer look at the style of question each category tends to use, see our questions and answers walkthrough.

Practise Each Category on Its Own

Our practice tool lets you focus on a single topic at a time, which makes it much easier to spot which of the four needs more work, rather than a vague sense that "some of it" is hard. Our Learn Centre covers the material for each topic if you want to read before you practise.