The Australian citizenship resource book: Our Common Bond
There's one official source for everything in the Australian citizenship test: Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. Every question in the test comes from this booklet. If you've read and understood it, you're ready. If you haven't, no amount of third-party practice materials will fully make up for it.
Download the booklet free: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/test-and-interview/our-common-bond
What the booklet is
Our Common Bond is the official study guide published by the Department of Home Affairs. It explains Australia's history, democratic system, values, and what citizenship means in practical terms. Understanding the content matters more than memorising it.
It's free to read online, and printed copies are sometimes available through libraries. If you prefer reading on paper, print it — having it in front of you while you take notes is a useful way to study.
How the booklet is structured
The testable content is divided into four sections. All 20 questions in the citizenship test come from these sections.
| Section | What it covers | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Australia and its people | History, Indigenous Australians, migration, national symbols and identity | Tests facts and understanding of how Australia was shaped |
| Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties | How democracy works, rights and freedoms, civic participation | Tests your understanding of how Australian society is governed |
| Government and the law | Three levels of government, how laws are made, the courts, the Constitution | Tests specific roles and responsibilities — easily mixed up if not studied carefully |
| Australian values | Respect for the law, equality, freedom of religion and speech, tolerance | The five values questions that must all be answered correctly to pass |
Beyond the four testable sections, the booklet also covers the citizenship pledge and what it means — useful background for the ceremony, but not directly tested.
Why the values chapter matters most
Five of the 20 questions are specifically about Australian values, and you must answer all five correctly to pass — even if you score well on everything else. Getting four right and one wrong is still a fail, regardless of your overall score.
Read the values chapter with an eye toward how each value applies in real situations. The test uses scenarios: a situation is described, and you choose the response that best reflects Australian values. Knowing the names of the values isn't enough — you need to understand what they mean in practice.
See Australian citizenship test values questions explained for how these questions are structured and how to study for them.
How to use the booklet effectively
Read it all the way through first. Don't jump straight to practice questions. A single read-through gives you the full context of what the test covers.
Break it into sections for revision. After your first read, go through each of the four parts separately. Take notes in your own words — writing things down helps them stick better than passive reading.
Use practice tests alongside it. After studying each section, do practice questions focused on that area. For every wrong answer, find the explanation in the booklet and make sure you understand why the right answer is correct. Practice Test 1 is a good starting point.
Focus extra time on values. After you've covered the other sections, come back to Australian values and spend more time on it. Make sure you can apply each value to different situations, not just recite a definition.
Studying the booklet over 7 days
If you have a week before your test or before you want to start practice tests in earnest:
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read "Australia and its people" — take brief notes |
| 2 | Read "Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties" — list each right mentioned |
| 3 | Read "Government and the law" — draw a diagram of the three levels |
| 4 | Read "Australian values" in full — explain each value in your own words after reading |
| 5 | First full practice test: Practice Test 1 — check every wrong answer in the booklet |
| 6 | Re-read the values chapter; do a second practice test |
| 7 | Focus on any section where you're still getting questions wrong |
For a more detailed two-week plan, see the Our Common Bond 14-day study plan.
Language support
The booklet is available in many community languages through the Department of Home Affairs. If English is your second language, reading it in your language first can help you understand the concepts before tackling the English version. The test is only in English, so you'll want to study the English booklet as part of your preparation.
Watch-outs
- Don't rely only on third-party summaries or apps — they can be outdated or incomplete. The official booklet is the only guaranteed source for test content.
- The booklet is updated periodically. If you're using an old printed copy, check the Department's website to confirm it's still the current version.
- The values section is the shortest chapter — but it's the one that requires the deepest understanding. Don't skim it just because it's brief.
Related guides
- Australian citizenship test values questions explained
- How the Australian citizenship test is scored
- Our Common Bond 14-day study plan
- Practice Test 1
This guide reflects current booklet structure. Always download the latest version from the Department of Home Affairs before sitting your test.