Study guide
Free Australian citizenship test resources: what to use and when
Reading, listening and taking a practice test solve different study problems. Start with the official resources, then choose an additional exercise that helps with the part you find difficult.
By AusCitizenReady · Reviewed
Quick answer
Compare the free options
This comparison covers the Department of Home Affairs resources and our own free mocks. We publish AusCitizenReady, so we explain its access conditions and limitations alongside the official options. The Department's preparation page is the starting point for current official materials; it does not endorse external preparation apps.
| Resource | Useful for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Official booklet | Learning and checking the testable material | Reading alone does not show what you can recall |
| Official sample test | Practising the official test format and navigation | The real test uses different questions |
| Official podcast | Listening to the main booklet topics | Pause and check your understanding as you listen |
| AMEPOnline | Learning citizenship language through activities | Use it as English support alongside the booklet |
| AusCitizenReady mocks 1 and 2 | Two additional timed practice sets and result review | Independent questions; score and answer access conditions below |
Read the official booklet first
Home Affairs identifies Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond as the resource containing the information needed to prepare. Its testable section is available in English and 40 community languages. The citizenship test itself is in English.
Use the booklet when you are new to a topic or need to settle an uncertain answer. A practical reading session is to choose one subsection, write its main idea in your own words, and return to the source to check your explanation. If a translation helps you understand a concept, revisit the English wording afterwards.
Highlighting every paragraph can make it hard to identify what needs another look. Keep a short list of ideas you cannot yet explain. Our Australian values guide shows one way to turn a principle from the booklet into an everyday study example.
Use the official sample for the test experience
The Home Affairs practice testis a sample with 20 multiple-choice questions and a 45-minute allowance. Its instructions describe answering in any order and skipping questions to return to them. Home Affairs states that the real test's questions will be different.
Use this resource to become familiar with the official interface and instructions. Afterwards, identify which topics need another read. Repeating a familiar sample until its answers feel automatic is different from being able to explain the underlying ideas.
Before any timed attempt, understand both pass requirements: at least 15 correct answers overall and all five values answers correct. Our format and pass-mark guide has worked examples of how those requirements interact.
Add listening or English support
The official Our Common Bond podcast has five episodes covering the introduction and the four testable topic areas, with transcripts on the Home Affairs website. It presents the booklet's main points. Try listening to a section, pausing to summarise it, then using the transcript to check an unfamiliar word.
For English support, Home Affairs links to AMEPOnline citizenship modules. Its preparation page describes characters, storylines and interactive activities that help learners engage with the booklet. The Department's preparation video transcript identifies AMEPOnline as a free website.
Choose the activity that matches the difficulty. If the concept makes sense but the English wording slows you down, work on that vocabulary. If you understand the words but cannot explain the concept, return to the relevant booklet section. Neither task needs to start with another timed mock.
What our two free mocks include
AusCitizenReady provides free mock 1 and free mock 2, each with 20 original practice questions and a 45-minute timer. They use the same overall and values pass requirements. The questions are based on the booklet; they are not live or leaked exam questions, and the service is not government-endorsed.
- You can start both mocks without an account or payment.
- New visitors enter their name and email once to see the overall score, values result, all 20 correct answers and explanations, and chapter breakdown together. No account, password or payment is required.
- Signed-in and Premium users, and visitors whose browser remembers a previous submission, are not asked to complete that form again on later tests.
- The review includes every answer, whether you got it right or wrong, with no second form to open it.
Our mocks move through questions sequentially. Use the official sample above to practise the official skip-and-return navigation. Two fixed mocks also have a limited question set: redoing them can make the wording familiar, so check your understanding against the booklet instead of treating a higher repeat score as proof of readiness.
More mocks and focused drills are available through optional Premium plans. You can continue using the official resources and our two free mocks without buying Premium. Our privacy page explains how the free test details are used.
Choose your next study step
- Starting from scratch: read the official booklet, using a translation or English-support activity where helpful.
- Ready to try the format: take the official sample and read its navigation instructions.
- Want another timed exercise: choose one of the free mocks, knowing its score and answer access conditions.
- Finished an attempt: choose one unclear topic to revisit before taking another test.
Our mistake-review guide provides a simple note-taking routine for that last step. If you already know you want a timed exercise, the mock-test catalogue shows the free and Premium options in one place.