Australian citizenship test

The Australian citizenship test is a test applicants for Australian citizenship who also meet the basic requirements for citizenship are required to take. In order to be able to take the test, one must be a permanent resident of Australia and one must have applied for Australian citizenship.[1] It was introduced in 2007 to assess the applicants' adequate knowledge of Australia, the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship and basic knowledge of the English language. The format of the test was amended in 2009.

History

In December 2006, it was announced that applicants for Australian citizenship who are over 18 and under 60 years old will need to pass an Australian citizenship test. The objective of the test is to prove an applicant's grasp of English language and understanding of Australia’s "values", history, traditional and national symbols. Citizenship applicants are required to study a booklet produced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

On 2 January 2008, it was announced that the test would be reviewed when statistics showed that over 20% of those sitting the test failed on their first attempts.[2] On 28 April 2008 the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced the appointment of an independent committee to conduct a review of the Australian citizenship test since its implementation on 1 October 2007.[3] This review was commissioned to examine the operation of the citizenship test after six months experience and whether there were ways to improve its operation and effectiveness as the pathway for residents to become Australian citizens. On 22 November 2008, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, released the Citizenship Test Review Report Moving Forward … Improving Pathways to Citizenship and the Government’s response.[4] The report and the government's response are located online.[5]

On 19 October 2009, changes to the citizenship test came into effect. Under the new rules, a mark of 75% (15 out of 20 questions correct) is required to pass.[6] Previously, a mark of 60% plus answering three mandatory questions correctly was required. Applicants will need to pass the test before a decision is made on their citizenship application, i.e. the application must be lodged before the test takes place.[7]

Test format

The computer based test consists of 20 multiple choice questions drawn randomly from a pool of 200 confidential questions. The test is only available in English. Applicants have 45 minutes to complete the test. The material is drawn from the official guide "Our common bond" published by the Australian Government department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Scheduling a time to take the test can be done by the Department of Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC). Wait times vary widely, and applicants may need to wait a considerable amount of time. As of 17 February 2009, one would need to wait almost four months to secure an appointment in central Sydney and over three months in Parramatta. In less congested areas, wait times are considerably less, if any; in Adelaide, for instance, an applicant needs to make an appointment online or by paper application to Adelaide DIAC office anytime.[8]

Questions and answers

Although the following are not necessarily correct answers, they are correct in the context of the test.

[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Understanding the Australian Citizenship Test process".
  2. ↑ Article highlighting failure rates
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-31. Independent committee to review citizenship test
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-31. New Citizenship test to focus on responsibilities and privileges
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
  6. ↑ Australian Citizenship Practice Test
  7. ↑ About the citizenship test
  8. ↑ Department of Immigration & Citizenship website detailing how to make an appointment
  9. ↑ "Australian Citizenship Test practice questions" (PDF). Retrieved 26 June 2012.

External links

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