Australian Values Questions: Why All 5 Must Be Right

The Australian citizenship test has a rule that surprises many applicants: a good overall score is not enough. Five of the 20 questions are about Australian values, and you must answer every one of them correctly.

The double pass rule

To pass the test you must answer 20 multiple choice questions, get a mark of at least 75% overall, and answer all 5 Australian values questions correctly. Home Affairs introduced the values requirement for all applicants on 15 November 2020.

What the values questions are about

All test questions are based on the booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. The values questions come from Part 4, which covers the Rule of Law, parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech, association and religion, equality of all people, a fair go, mutual respect and tolerance, mateship, English as the national language and loyalty to Australia.

Typical traps

Many values questions test whether you know that Australian law applies to everyone and always prevails over religious rules, that men and women have equal rights, that violence is never an acceptable way to settle a disagreement, and that practices such as forced marriage and polygamy are illegal. Read each answer option carefully: the correct option usually reflects equality, peaceful behaviour and respect for the law.

How to prepare

Read Part 4 of Our Common Bond in full, not just a summary. Then practise with values questions until you answer all of them correctly every time. The Citizenpro Australia app has a Values Drill that only asks values questions, so you can train exactly this part of the test.

What passing the test shows

For most applicants, the test is how they meet two legal requirements at once. Home Affairs states that if you score 75% or more and answer all 5 values questions correctly, you meet both the knowledge requirement and the language requirement. Passing shows a basic knowledge of English, an understanding of what it means to become a citizen, an adequate knowledge of Australia and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and an understanding of and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality.

The values beyond the test

The same values come back at the end of the process. When you make the pledge at your ceremony, you promise loyalty to Australia and its people, "whose democratic beliefs I share, whose rights and liberties I respect, and whose laws I will uphold and obey". Home Affairs lists the shared values as including respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, speech and association, commitment to the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, equality of opportunity and a fair go for all.