The test
English and the Australian citizenship test
Answer three questions: the tool tells you whether the standard or the Assisted Test is likely, and how long you will have.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
Which version of the test applies to me?
Likely format
Standard test
| Time allowed | 45 minutes |
| Language | English only, with a listen option |
| Assisted test offered with | a request for help, plus 400 AMEP hours or an impairment |
Australia does not ask citizenship applicants for an English exam such as IELTS. The citizenship test is the language check: Home Affairs says passing it shows a basic knowledge of English, along with knowledge of Australia and of the values of citizenship. The test is in English only, but the computers and tablets have headsets, and a candidate who cannot read English can choose to listen to the questions. Staff can help you read the screen or use the equipment if you ask. Candidates who requested help in their application and completed at least 400 hours of English tuition under the Adult Migrant English Program, or who have an impairment needing extra time, may be offered the Assisted Test, with 90 minutes instead of 45. The study booklet, Our Common Bond, exists in 40 community languages, so the facts can be learned in your own language before practising them in English.
Do I have to sit the citizenship test?
Citizenship test
Yes, you sit the test
| Ages who sit it | 18 to 59 |
| Test fee | included in the application fee |
| Interview | at the test appointment |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
What "basic English" means here
The level is set by the test, not by a scale. If you can read a short question, understand three or four short answers and choose one in about two minutes, you have the English the test needs. The questions use the vocabulary of Our Common Bond: parliament, referendum, Constitution, rule of law, freedom of association. Those words are the real hurdle, more than grammar, and they can be learned like any list.
Help on the day
| Help | Who can have it |
|---|---|
| Headset to listen to the questions | any candidate who prefers to hear them |
| Help to read the screen or use the computer | any candidate who tells staff |
| Assisted Test, 90 minutes | help asked for in the application, plus 400 AMEP hours or an impairment |
| A helper sitting with you | nobody: the test is sat alone |
Learning the facts in your language first
Home Affairs translates the booklet into 40 community languages, and offers a podcast version in English. A good method for candidates whose English is still developing: read a part of the booklet in your language to understand it, read the same part in English to learn the words, then do the practice sets for that part in English. The page on the translated booklet explains how to use the two versions together. The department also points learners to AMEP Online, its free English site with easy material on the citizenship test.
A short word list worth knowing
These words appear again and again in the testable section: Commonwealth (the federal level of government), Governor-General (the King's representative), House of Representatives and Senate (the two houses of federal parliament), referendum (a vote to change the Constitution), rule of law, jury, compulsory voting, mateship, fair go. Each one is explained in the booklet's glossary. When a practice question uses a word you do not know, look it up before moving on.
Practising reading speed
Take the timed mock test with the clock on. If you finish with less than ten minutes left, practise reading questions aloud and predicting the answer before you look at the options; it speeds things up and is close to the experience of listening through the headset. If speed stays a problem and you completed AMEP tuition, mention it when you ask for help: the Assisted Test exists for that case.
Teenagers and seniors
Applicants aged 16 or 17 do not sit the test, but an officer may check their basic English at an interview. Applicants aged 60 or over do not sit the test and are not checked on English; they may be interviewed to confirm they understand the application, and an interpreter can be arranged. The exemptions page lists every group that skips the test.