What is the Australian Citizenship Test and How to Book It

The Australian citizenship test is a mandatory test that permanent residents in Australia take when they initiate their citizenship application. This test is designed to assess candidates’ understanding of local culture, people, laws, and government. If you have fulfilled the residence requirement, you can apply for citizenship. Booking the test is easy but make sure you arrive at the test center prepared for a pass.
Here is everything you need to know about the test and its booking procedure.

What is the Australian Citizenship Test?

Australian citizenship test examines your knowledge and understanding of local customs, living, and legal infrastructure. Authorities want to ensure that you know your role as an Aussie in society before they grant you citizen status.
You are given comprehensive study material to prepare for this test. The booklet – Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond – covers every detail that might be tested in the exam. It covers the following topics:
Australia and its people,
Government structure and legal system,
Its democratic beliefs and rights, and
An understanding of Australian values and commitment to abide by them.
This test s based on 20 multiple-choice questions. You get three possible solutions for every question unless it’s a true-false question.
You are given a pass when:
You don’t leave a question unanswered,
Answer 15 or more questions correctly scoring 75% or more marks, and
Answer all questions in the values section correctly.
You are given 45 minutes to complete this computer-based test and your score is displayed as soon as you finish it.
If you fail the test once, you can take it up to two more times without additional fees. A failure in its third attempt will result in the denial of your citizenship application and you will have to wait for two years to reapply.

How to Book the Australian Citizenship Test

The Australian Citizenship Test is a part of the complete naturalization process. In simple words, when you initiate the citizenship process, the immigration authority will automatically select a test venue and date for this test for you. Note that you don’t need to be a citizen to apply for a driving license or pass a driver knowledge test in Australia.
Expect to receive an appointment letter a few months after initiating the application. If the date or venue of the test isn’t convenient for you, you can reschedule it using the detail presented in the letter. In most cases, rescheduling is easily done online. But in rare cases, you have to call the provided helpline to request a reschedule.
Booking for the second and third attempts is also easy. Once you are notified of failing the test, you can request a re-attempt on the same day or some other day in a couple of weeks at the test center. Most people want to wait for a few days to complete their citizenship test practice before reattempting.

Take Away

The Australian citizenship test is a prerequisite that you must fulfill if you want to get Australian citizenship. It assesses if you understand the local lifestyle and legal infrastructure and are ready to commit to this way of living. If you have prepared well, this test shouldn’t be difficult for you.