Short answer
Spend days 1 to 11 on the booklet, one part at a time and three or four sections a day, and give Part 4, Australian values, two full days because every values question must be right. Use days 12 to 14 for timed practice tests and for reviewing every question you get wrong. If your test is further away, stretch the same plan over four weeks.
One session, about 40 minutes
Every day follows the same pattern. Short daily sessions bring you back to each part of the booklet several times before the test, which is how the facts stick.
- Read, 15 minutes
- The day's sections in the booklet
- Listen, 5 minutes
- The same pages read aloud, or an episode of the Our Common Bond podcast
- Practise, 15 minutes
- Questions on today's sections, plus a few values questions
- Review, 5 minutes
- Find each wrong answer in the booklet and reread the paragraph
The 14 days
Choose a day to see what to read. Page numbers are the booklet's own, from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond.
Day 1: Part 1, Australia and its people
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples page 8
- Early days of European settlement page 8
- The nation of Australia page 9
Note two dates: 26 January 1788, when the First Fleet arrived, and 1 January 1901, Federation.
Day 2: Part 1, Australia and its people
- States and territories pages 10-11
- Traditions page 12
- Important days page 13
Learn the six states and two mainland territories with their capital cities.
Day 3: Part 1, Australia and its people
- Australia's flags page 14
- Australia's symbols page 15
- The national anthem page 16
Learn the three officially recognised flags and what their colours and symbols stand for.
Day 4: Part 2, Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
- Our democratic beliefs page 18
- Our freedoms page 19
- Our equalities page 20
Learn the democratic beliefs, freedoms and equalities by name. Part 4 builds on them.
Day 5: Part 2, Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties
- Responsibilities of citizenship pages 20-21
- Privileges of citizenship pages 20, 22
- Taking part in Australian society page 22
Sort what you must do as a citizen from what you can do. Voting is on both lists.
Day 6: Part 3, Government and the law
- Having your say page 24
- Federation page 25
- The Australian Constitution page 25
Voting, Federation and the Constitution. Make sure you can explain a double majority.
Day 7: Part 3, Government and the law
- How the power of government is controlled page 26
- The Head of State and the Governor-General pages 26-27
- Australia's leaders page 27
The three powers of government, the Governor-General, and who leads each level of government.
Day 8: Part 3, Government and the law
- The Australian Parliament pages 27-28
- State, territory and local government page 28
- What the three levels of government do page 29
The two Houses of Parliament, and which level of government looks after what.
Day 9: Part 3, Government and the law
- Political parties and forming a government page 30
- How laws are made page 30
- Courts and police page 31
- Criminal and traffic offences page 32
Forming a government, how a Bill becomes law, courts and police, and serious offences.
Day 10: Part 4, Australian values
- Australian values and our democracy page 34
- Commitment to the Rule of Law page 34
- Freedom of speech page 35
- Freedom of association page 35
- Freedom of religion page 35
Values, day one: the Rule of Law and the three freedoms. Practise values questions only today.
Day 11: Part 4, Australian values
- Equality of all people under the law page 36
- Equality of opportunity and a 'fair go' page 36
- Mutual respect and tolerance page 37
- Our community pages 38-39
Values, day two. Finish with a set of values questions and aim to get every one right.
Day 12: Practice test 1
- Sit a full practice test: 20 questions in 45 minutes, with no notes.
- Look up every wrong answer in the booklet and reread the paragraph around it.
Day 13: Weak spots and values
- Reread the part where you lost the most marks.
- Do a values drill, then sit practice test 2.
Day 14: Final check
- Sit practice test 3 in the morning.
- Put your photo ID with your appointment letter, then stop studying for the day.
Why the plan is shaped this way
- Part 3 gets four days. Government and the law has 13 sections, more than any other part, and its vocabulary, such as Royal Assent, double majority and reserve powers, takes time to learn properly. Our guide to how Australia's government works puts it all on one page.
- Part 4 gets two days, just before the practice tests. The values questions decide the second pass rule on their own, so they should be fresh when you start testing yourself.
- The last three days are tests, not reading. A full practice test shows exactly which facts you don't know yet, and reviewing those misses targets them directly.
If English isn't your first language
Add one step to the start of each session: read the day's sections in your own language first. The booklet is available from Home Affairs in 40 community languages. Then read the same pages in English, because the test is in English only and uses the English terms. The free AMEPOnline citizenship modules are built for English learners and follow the booklet's content.
With less time, or more
One week: read two days of the plan each day for five days, then spend the last two days on practice tests and values questions.
Four weeks or more: give each day of the plan two days. Read on the first, and test yourself on the same sections on the second. Keep the final three days for full practice tests.
The day before your test
- Do your last practice test in the morning, then stop studying by the evening.
- Put your original photo ID with your appointment letter.
- Check that every document is attached to your application in ImmiAccount.
- Confirm your childcare and travel time. Children can't come into the test centre.
Read what happens on test day so that the appointment itself holds no surprises.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to study for the Australian citizenship test?
It depends on your English and how well you know the booklet already. This plan takes about 40 minutes a day for 14 days, a little over nine hours in total.
Do I need to study Part 5 of Our Common Bond?
No. Only Parts 1 to 4, the testable section, are used for the test questions. Part 5 is useful reading but isn't tested.
Is the official practice test enough preparation?
It is a good check, because it is designed to look and feel like the real test, but it is one sample and the questions on the day will be different. Use it alongside the booklet and more practice questions.
What should I study first?
Follow the booklet's order. Part 1 gives you the history and symbols, Part 2 the beliefs that Part 4 builds on, and Part 3 the system of government.
Sources
- Home Affairs: Prepare for the citizenship test
- Home Affairs: Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond in English and 40 community languages
- Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, testable section (PDF)
Section names and page numbers come from the booklet's testable section, checked on 5 October 2026. CitizenOz is not affiliated with the Australian Government.
Practise the way the test is marked
CitizenOz has 444 questions written from the booklet, practice tests marked by both pass rules, a values drill and every question read aloud. Start with the free practice test on this site.