Citizenship test cost, eligibility and booking — the honest version
The three most-asked practical questions — how much does it cost, am I eligible, and how do I book — share one honest answer: they are set by the Department of Home Affairs, and the details can change. A third-party page that quotes you a fee or a residence rule can go stale without notice — so this one deliberately doesn't. Instead, here is exactly where each official answer lives, and what you can usefully do in the meantime.
Why we won't quote fees or criteria here
Everything procedural about citizenship — application fees, eligibility criteria, appointments and rebooking — belongs to Home Affairs, not to study sites. Our rule across all these guides is the same one we apply to retake rules: logistics are a pointer to the official source, never a claim. Treat any page that does quote you a number (including a cached copy of an official one) as a starting point to verify, not an answer.
The official pages to check
- Eligibility and pathways — Become an Australian citizen (Home Affairs): the ways to apply and the criteria for each.
- The test itself, appointments and preparation — Citizenship test and interview (Home Affairs).
- The official study booklet and its translations — Read Our Common Bond booklet (Home Affairs).
Links current when this page was last reviewed; if one has moved, start at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and navigate to citizenship — the official site, not any summary of it, is the authority.
The part that is genuinely free
Whatever the application costs, the preparation doesn't have to cost anything. The official booklet — the source of every test question — is a free PDF, its official translations are free, and Home Affairs itself says the booklet is “all you need to prepare for the test” (and pointedly does not endorse any external course or paid app). Our practice app is unofficial too — but it is 100% free, with no ads, no sign-up and no tracking, and every question is verified against that same booklet. There is no version of citizenship-test preparation that requires paying a study site.
What you can do while you wait
Whatever stage your application is at, the test itself is fixed and knowable: 20 questions, 45 minutes, 75% to pass, and 5 values questions that must all be correct, drawn from the booklet's testable sections (see what is on the test). The six-step study plan takes you from booklet to test-ready — so when Home Affairs gives you a date, the date is the only thing left to worry about.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Australian citizenship test cost?
Application fees are set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change, so check the official Home Affairs citizenship pages for the current figure rather than any third-party summary. The preparation side is free: the official booklet, its translations and our practice app all cost nothing.
Who is eligible to apply for Australian citizenship?
Eligibility depends on your pathway — conferral and descent are the most common — and the criteria are set by the Department of Home Affairs. The official 'Become an Australian citizen' page on the Home Affairs site is the authority on the current requirements.
How do I book the citizenship test?
Test appointments are arranged by the Department of Home Affairs as part of the citizenship application process. The official 'Citizenship test and interview' page on the Home Affairs site explains the current arrangements.
More citizenship test guides
- What is on the citizenship test?
- What score do you need to pass?
- Australian Values questions
- Free practice questions and answers
- What happens if you fail?
- The test in your language
- How to pass — the study plan
- Our Common Bond — booklet summary
- Free practice app — 500 source-verified questions, lessons and mock exams
Unofficial study aid — not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Australian Government or the Department of Home Affairs. Every practice question is verified against the official booklet. Always confirm anything important against the official Our Common Bond booklet.