Changes to the citizenship test

The government is committed to the citizenship test. It encourages potential citizens to find out more about Australia and understand the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship.

An independent review of the Australian citizenship test was undertaken in 2008 to help the government examine the content and operation of the citizenship test to make sure that it is achieving its purpose of providing an effective pathway for residents to become Australian citizens.

The Citizenship Test Review Committee made 34 recommendations to improve the test. The government fully supported 23 of the recommendations and gave in-principle support to a further four.

Work is underway to implement the government supported changes including:

• a new citizenship test based on the citizenship Pledge of Commitment that new Australians make when becoming citizens
  See:
  New citizenship test
  Pledge of Commitment
• a revised citizenship test resource book
  See: Revised citizenship test resource book
• a new citizenship course
  See: New citizenship course
• exemptions from testing for torture and trauma victims.
  See: New test exemption

More information on the independent review committee’s work including the committee’s report Moving forward… Improving Pathways to Citizenship and the government’s response to the report can be found here.
See:

• Moving forward… Improving Pathways to Citizenship (1.75MB PDF file)
• Government response to the Report by the Australian Citizenship Test Review Committee (46KB PDF file)
• Recommendations and Government Response – Fact Sheet (79KB PDF file)
• Media release from the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in response to the review

More information

Please contact the Citizenship Information Line during business hours if you would like more information on the changes or if you would like to enquire about a citizenship test appointment for yourself or a family member.
Telephone: 131 880

As information about the changes becomes available it will be published on this website.