Australian citizenship test · Learn · 2 November 2026 · 5 min read

A part-by-part plan for Our Common Bond: what to learn in each of the four testable parts, how to lock in the values questions and when you are ready to sit.

To study Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond well, focus only on the testable section, learn its four parts with a different technique for each, and give Part 4, Australian values the most attention, because every values question on the test must be answered correctly. Home Affairs says the testable section contains everything you need, so there is no need for any other book or paid course.

This guide takes you through the booklet part by part and ends with a three-week plan.

Get the right part of the booklet

Our Common Bond has a testable section and a non-testable section. All test questions are based on the testable section, which has four parts:

1. Australia and its people
2. Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
3. Government and the law in Australia
4. Australian values

The non-testable section is useful background about life in Australia, but nothing in it is examined. Read it for interest after the test, not before.

The booklet is free on the Home Affairs website, in English and in 40 community languages. If English is not your first language, reading a part first in your own language and then in English can help, but remember the test itself is in English only, so learn the key terms in English.

Part 1: Australia and its people

What it covers: the first Australians, European settlement and the gold rush, a nation of many peoples, the states and territories, traditions, important days, flags and symbols.

How to learn it: this part is full of names, places and dates. Use flashcards: one side the question ("Which day marks the arrival of the First Fleet?"), the other side the answer. Make a separate set for the states and territories with their capitals. Study our notes on Australia and its people alongside the booklet.

Part 2: Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties

What it covers: democratic beliefs, freedoms, equalities, and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, such as voting and serving on a jury.

How to learn it: this part is about ideas rather than dates. Write each belief or freedom as a single sentence in your own words, then add one example from daily life. Pay close attention to the two lists of responsibilities (what a citizen gives, such as serving on a jury when called) and privileges (what a citizen receives, such as holding an Australian passport). Voting is the one item that appears on both. Our notes on democratic beliefs, rights and liberties set these out in lists.

Part 3: Government and the law in Australia

What it covers: having your say, Federation and the Constitution, how power is controlled, the Head of State and the Governor-General, Parliament, forming a government, the three levels of government, and how laws are made and enforced.

How to learn it: draw it. One page with three boxes for the federal, state and local levels, and one page showing the two houses of Parliament, the government and the High Court. Then test yourself on facts such as:

• voting is compulsory for citizens aged 18 or over;
• the Constitution came into effect on 1 January 1901;
• the Constitution can only be changed by a referendum with a double majority.

Our government and the law notes follow the booklet's order.

Part 4: Australian values

What it covers: commitment to the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech, association and religion, equality under the law, equality of opportunity and a "fair go", and mutual respect and tolerance.

Why it matters most: five of the 20 test questions are on Australian values, and you must get all five right to pass. A strong overall score cannot make up for one wrong values answer.

How to learn it:

• Read Part 4 slowly, twice. It is short, so this does not take long.
• For each value, write down what is allowed and what is not allowed. For example, peaceful protest is allowed; promoting violence is never acceptable.
• Watch for absolute words in the booklet, such as "never" and "at all times". Questions often turn on them.
• Do the Australian values drill until you score 100% every time, not most times.

Our Australian values notes list each value with its key points.

A three-week plan

Week 1: read and measure

• Days 1 and 2: read the whole testable section once.
• Day 3: take practice test 1 under real conditions: 20 questions, 45 minutes. Note your overall score and your values score separately.
• Days 4 to 7: Part 4 twice, then Part 2. Drill both.

Week 2: facts and structures

• Part 1 with flashcards, a few minutes a day.
• Part 3 with your diagrams.
• Two full practice tests. After each, trace every wrong answer back to the booklet.

Week 3: polish

• A practice test every day.
• Re-drill any part where you dropped more than one mark.
• Run the values drill every second day, even when you are scoring full marks.

You are ready when you score 18 or more out of 20 with 5 out of 5 on values on several tests in a row.

Common mistakes

• Studying the non-testable section. It is not examined.
• Treating values as common sense. The questions test what the booklet says. Learn its wording.
• Ignoring the values score. Check it on every practice test, not just your total.
• Using unofficial material as your main source. Home Affairs says it does not endorse external courses or paid apps. The booklet is the source.

For the test rules in full, read our guide to the Australian citizenship test format and values rule. All 12 practice tests and the part drills are on the Australian citizenship hub.

Official sources: Home Affairs "Prepare for the test" page (last updated 23/02/2026) and "Our Common Bond" page (last updated 15/11/2024), immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, and the testable section of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (Commonwealth of Australia 2020), all read on 1 November 2026.