The test
Failed the Australian citizenship test: what happens next
Enter how many appointments you have had: the tool shows where you stand. Then use the time before the next one well.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
Where a failed attempt leaves me
Appointments before a possible refusal
2 left
| Cost of each new attempt | nil, resits are free |
| Refusal can be considered after | 3 appointments without a pass |
| Effect on your visa | none |
Use the gap between appointments to work on the part you missed.
Failing the Australian citizenship test does not end your application and does not touch your permanent visa. Home Affairs books another test appointment, and sitting the test again costs nothing because the application fee already covers it. The one limit to keep in mind: after 3 test appointments without a pass, the department may refuse the application, and a new application would mean a new fee, currently $595 for an adult on form 1300t. Most fails come from one of two causes. Either a single values question was missed, which fails the test even with 19 correct answers out of 20, or the mark fell just short of 15, usually because of Part 3 on government and the law. Your result screen gives no breakdown of the real test, but your practice tests do: find the part that costs you points, read it again in Our Common Bond, then take timed mock tests until you pass with a margin.
Did I pass the Australian citizenship test?
Result
Pass
| Overall | 16 of 20 (80%), 15 needed |
| Values questions | 5 of 5, all 5 needed |
| Why | Both rules met |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
What a fail changes, and what it does not
| Question | Answer from Home Affairs |
|---|---|
| Is my application cancelled? | no, another appointment is offered |
| Do I pay again? | no, the fee includes the test and resits |
| Is my visa affected? | no |
| Is there a limit? | refusal possible after 3 appointments without a pass |
Find out why you failed
The real result screen tells you pass or fail. To know why, reconstruct it. Take three timed mock tests in the days after the attempt, with the marking set to "At the end". The result panel separates the two rules and gives a score for each part of the booklet. If the panel says "Failed on a values question", you know the cause; if your mark hovers around 15, look at the part with the lowest score.
Write down the questions you remember from the real test, even roughly. They point to topics: a question about the Senate, one about a national day, one about a value in a workplace situation. Check each topic in Our Common Bond.
A two-week plan for the next attempt
Days 1 to 4. Read the part that cost you most, slowly, then practise it on its own: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 or the values questions. Do not move on until a set of ten in that part comes back at nine or ten.
Days 5 to 8. Read the whole testable section once more, quickly. Each day, do one set of ten values questions and one full practice test.
Days 9 to 14. One timed mock test a day. The goal is 17 or more with no values mistake, three days running. The hardest questions page picks out the topics candidates confuse most, worth a last look.
If English was the problem
Some candidates know the facts but run out of time reading. Ask for help with the screen or the equipment when you return, and remember the headset option to listen to each question. If you asked for help in your application and completed at least 400 hours of the Adult Migrant English Program, or have an impairment that needs extra time, the department may offer the Assisted Test with 90 minutes. The English and Assisted Test page explains both.
If the application is refused
After 3 appointments without a pass Home Affairs may refuse the application. The refusal letter states the reasons and the review options; the page on refused applications explains what follows. A new application is possible, with a new fee, and the residence requirement is checked again on the new date, so count your recent trips before lodging it.