The test
Who does not have to sit the Australian citizenship test
Enter your age on the day your application is received: the tool says whether you sit the test. The full list of exemptions follows.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
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 |
Home Affairs lists six groups of applicants for citizenship by conferral who do not sit the citizenship test: people aged 17 or under when they apply; people aged 60 or over when they apply; the child of a former Australian citizen who lost citizenship in specific circumstances; people born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to an Australian citizen born in what is now Australia; people born in Australia who are stateless; and people unable to sit the test because of an incapacity or impairment. Age is taken on the day the department receives the application, so a 59-year-old who applies a week before turning 60 sits the test. Those who skip the test may still be called to an interview, where the officer confirms identity and, depending on the case, checks that the applicant understands the application. Skipping the test does not mean skipping the other requirements: residence, character and the ceremony still apply to most of these applicants.
How a child becomes a citizen with me
How the child applies
On your form
| Fee | nil |
| Residence requirement | not required |
| Test and ceremony | no test, ceremony optional |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
The six exemptions
| Group | What replaces the test |
|---|---|
| Aged 17 or under when applying | possible interview; at 16 or 17, basic English and understanding may be checked |
| Aged 60 or over when applying | possible interview to check you understand the application |
| Child of a former citizen who lost citizenship in specific circumstances | no test |
| Born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to an Australian citizen born in Australia | no test |
| Born in Australia and stateless | no test |
| Incapacity or impairment preventing the test | medical evidence, possible interview |
Age counts on the day of receipt
The age band of 18 to 59 is checked on the day Home Affairs receives the application, not on the day of the decision or the appointment. Someone who turns 60 while the application is being processed still sits the test; someone who applies on or after their 60th birthday does not. If you are close to a birthday, the choice of lodging date matters, but it should never push you to lodge before the residence requirement is met: an application lodged before the residence requirement is met can be refused.
Teenagers aged 16 and 17
A child of 16 or 17 cannot be included on a parent's form and applies alone, through the "other situations" form, at $365 on form 1298i. They do not sit the test, but at an interview they may have to show they understand the application, have a basic knowledge of English and understand the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. They also have to meet the residence requirement, unless they show it would cause significant hardship. The page on children covers the under-16 case.
Incapacity
The exemption covers a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity that means the person cannot understand the nature of the application, or cannot demonstrate the knowledge the test checks. It is not a shortcut for nervousness or limited English: for those, Home Affairs offers headsets, help with the screen and, in the cases it lists, the Assisted Test described on the English page. People exempt for incapacity are also not required to attend the ceremony.
The three rarer groups
The child of a former citizen who lost citizenship in the circumstances the law sets out, a person born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to an Australian-born citizen, and a stateless person born in Australia are each covered by their own provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. They are not asked to sit the test, and some of them use a specific application form rather than the general one. The page on people born in Australia explains the main rule of citizenship by birth.
Exempt from the test, not from the rest
An exemption from the test changes one step. The residence requirement still applies, save for children under 16 and the specific groups the law exempts; character is assessed from age 18; most applicants aged 16 or over at the time of applying must attend a ceremony and make the pledge; and the fee depends on the form. The page for applicants aged 60 and over looks at that case in detail.