Applying for the Citizenship Test in Australia

Do you know that there are more than 25 million residents living in Australia and you can also become part of it. A lot of people migrate to Australia because it has a strong passport in terms of global travel and visa-free access to other countries and it gives you various opportunities. If you want to be a part of Australia permanently, you have to take the Australian Citizenship Test.

Is Taking a Test Compulsory?

The short answer is Yes if you want to get citizenship in Australia. Australia now has a lot of immigrants from different countries but even then you will find a homogeneous societal culture. The test makes sure that you know the Australian core values and understand its culture. You will also encounter questions related to citizenship and the democratic systems of Australia in the test.

The national language of Australia is English so you need to have a strong command of this language. The test also evaluates your English skills. If you want to become a citizen of any commonwealth country, you have to take and pass their tests as well.

Why They Take Test

Passing the test makes you eligible for Australian Citizenship which allows you to work, stay and remain Aussie. Without Citizenship, you have fewer limitations to the freedom e.g. you are not eligible to vote for state or federal elections.  It also means that you do not have any say in the government and democratic process. Other than that, if you are an Australian Citizen, you can easily apply to the armed forces and help immigrant family members of yours to become Australian citizens. You can also show your love and commitment to this country if you score well on the test.

There are also other reasons that immigrants want to become members of this society. Australia has high-quality education and medical services. The economic situation is strong and the living standard is high. You won’t find any issue with law and order in Australia.

Applying for the Test

According to a survey, passing the Australian Citizenship Test is more challenging than many countries offering citizenship tests. It is important to understand how the test works.

One of the most important steps in the process of acquiring Australian citizenship through conferral, which is one of the pathways to becoming an Australian citizen for eligible individuals who are not born in Australia. Let us discuss that in detail.

Australian Citizenship by Conferral

This is a process through which eligible candidates apply for and are granted Australian citizenship. It's different from citizenship by birth or descent.

Invitation to Attend an Appointment

After applying through conferral, you are invited to attend an appointment to confirm your identity. This prevents identity fraud and lets them know that you are the person whom you claim to be.

Confirming Understanding of Australian Citizenship

The other reason for the appointment is to confirm your understanding of Australian citizenship. This involves assessing your knowledge of Australian values, traditions, history, and other aspects of being an Australian citizen. This is to make sure that you have a basic understanding of Australian Citizenship.

Understanding the Test

When you complete all the mentioned initial steps, you are assigned the test date, day and location. The total number of questions featured in the test is 20. The test is computer-based and has challenging MCQs. The duration to complete this exam is 40 minutes. It means that you have plenty of time to read and understand the question. After completing the exam, you will get the result within one hour.

In case you were not fortunate enough to pass, don’t get demotivated. Remember more than 1000s of candidates fail in their first attempt. You can always reschedule your appointment to take the test. Keep in mind that if you fail the test after three appointments, your application for Australian Citizenship can be declined.

Conclusion

There is no shortcut way to get Australian Citizenship other than taking the Australian Citizenship Test. To pass the exam, you need to study the syllabus thoroughly. There are various resources you can find that can help you in preparation. Make sure to take mock tests at the end of your preparation. Also, do not lose hope, if you fail the exam. There is no limitation to the number of attempts that you can take.