Our Common Bond Translations: All 40 Languages

The Australian citizenship test is in English only, but the official study booklet is not. Home Affairs publishes the testable part of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond in 40 community languages. This guide lists them, explains how to use a translation without being surprised by the English questions, and shows where our own practice app fits.

What the translations are for

Home Affairs states that you need to pass the citizenship test to show a basic knowledge of the English language, an understanding of what it means to become an Australian citizen, an adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, and an understanding of and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality. The test is conducted in English only. To help you prepare, Our Common Bond is available in 40 community languages, so you can understand the content in a language you read comfortably before you meet it in English.

What is translated: the testable section

The files on the Home Affairs page are the testable section of the booklet, which is the part the questions come from. The English version is called Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Testable, English. The translated files use the same name with the language added. Our study guide follows the same four testable parts, and the test format page explains that part 5 of the booklet is not tested.

The 40 languages

The languages are Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese (Myanmarese), Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Croatian, Dari, Dinka, French, German, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Karen, Khmer, Kirundi, Korean, Macedonian, Nepali, Nuer, Persian (Farsi), Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Sinhalese, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Each is a separate file that you can download for free from the Home Affairs Our Common Bond page. If your language is not on the list, use the English booklet and the free learning resources that Home Affairs links from its test preparation pages.

Read in your language first, then in English

A translation helps you understand ideas such as the Rule of Law, the three levels of government or the Australian values. It cannot help you with the wording of the test, because the questions and the answer options are in English. A practical method is to read each chapter in your language, then read the same chapter in English and note the key English terms: Parliament, Senate, Governor-General, Constitution, referendum, Premier. Our study tips explain how to build a plan around the booklet, and our chapter pages summarise each part with the English terms the questions use.

Watch out for terms that differ by translation

Some institutions have no exact equivalent in other languages, and translators choose different words. The head of a state government, for example, is called a Premier in the states and a Chief Minister in the territories, and translations can choose different words for these titles. When you meet a term that feels unclear in your language, check it against the English booklet. The test will ask for the English term. Names of laws, days and places, such as Anzac Day or the Commonwealth Parliament, should always be learnt in English.

Why English still matters on test day

Home Affairs checks basic English as part of the test, and every question is shown on the screen in English. You may ask to listen to the questions with headphones, and the Assisted Test gives people with low literacy or a documented impairment more time, but neither changes the language. If reading English is your main difficulty, plan time for it: practise reading short English questions aloud and train yourself to find the key word in the question before you look at the options.

Practice questions in Hindi, Chinese, Urdu and Nepali

Citizenpro Australia has more than 400 practice questions based on the four testable parts. The website is in English. The app also offers Hindi, Chinese, Urdu and Nepali as practice languages, which means you can learn the content in one of the languages that is also an official translation of the booklet. The app is a private study aid and is not connected with Home Affairs. Whichever tool you use, finish your preparation with English questions, because that is what you will see at the appointment.

Where to find the original files

Always download the booklet from the Home Affairs page and not from third party websites, because only the department publishes the current version. Booklet content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, which is explained on our attribution page. The department's page on Our Common Bond was last updated on 15 November 2024, and the translated files are listed on that page.

Our Common Bond in Your Language: The 40 Official Translations for the Citizenship Test