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20 Tricky Australian Citizenship Test Questions (With Answers)

Twenty Australian citizenship practice questions that commonly cause mistakes, with the correct answer and a short explanation from Our Common Bond.

Updated Based on Our Common Bond

10 min read

Key facts

  • The most common mix-ups are Head of State vs Prime Minister, and the roles of the Governor-General and the courts.
  • The Senate has 76 senators: 12 from each state and 2 each from the ACT and Northern Territory.
  • A referendum changes the Constitution and needs a double majority.
  • Where religious practice and Australian law conflict, Australian law applies.

The questions people get wrong on the Australian citizenship test are usually about who does what in government, numbers such as senators and states, and values questions where two answers sound reasonable. Below are 20 practice questions in that style, with answers and explanations taken from the testable parts of Our Common Bond.

These are our own practice questions, not questions from the real test.

Government and the law

1. Who is Australia’s Head of State?

Answer: The King of Australia, His Majesty King Charles III.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the Australian Government, not the Head of State. The King is represented in Australia by the Governor-General.

2. Which of these is a role of the Governor-General?

Answer: Signing all Bills passed by the Australian Parliament into law. This is called Royal Assent.

The Governor-General does not appoint state premiers and does not choose the Head of State. Their other roles include ceremonial duties, approving the appointment of ministers and federal judges, starting the process for a federal election, and acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force.

3. Which arm of government interprets and applies the law?

Answer: The judicial power: the courts and judges.

Parliament has legislative power (making laws). The Executive, including the Prime Minister, ministers and the Governor-General, has executive power (putting laws into practice).

4. What is a referendum?

Answer: A vote to change the Australian Constitution.

A change needs a “double majority”: a majority of voters in a majority of states, and a majority of voters across the nation.

5. How many senators are there?

Answer: 76. Each state elects 12 senators, and the ACT and the Northern Territory elect 2 each.

All states have the same number of senators, whatever their population.

6. Who usually forms the Australian Government after a federal election?

Answer: The party or coalition of parties with the majority of members in the House of Representatives.

The leader of that party becomes Prime Minister. The party or coalition with the second largest number of members forms the Opposition.

7. Which statement about voting is correct?

Answer: People are free and safe to vote for any candidate, because voting is by secret ballot.

No one is allowed to know whom you voted for unless you choose to tell them.

8. Which level of government is responsible for rubbish collection?

Answer: Local government.

As a rule of thumb: immigration, defence and foreign affairs are federal; hospitals, schools and police are state or territory; rubbish, local roads and parks are local. See the three levels of government explained.

9. What is one difference between states and territories?

Answer: Self-governing territory laws can be altered or revoked by the Australian Government. States have rights recognised by the Constitution; territories do not.

10. Can police be bribed in Australia?

Answer: No. It is a serious crime to bribe the police, and a crime even to offer a bribe.

Australia and its people

11. What are the colours of the Torres Strait Islander Flag?

Answer: Green, blue, black and white.

Green represents the land, blue the sea, black the Torres Strait Islander people, and the white dancer’s headdress is a symbol for all Torres Strait Islanders. The Australian Aboriginal Flag is black, red and yellow.

12. What do the seven points of the Commonwealth Star represent?

Answer: One point for each of the six states and one point for the territories.

13. What do we commemorate on Anzac Day?

Answer: The landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli, Türkiye, on 25 April 1915 during World War I.

It is also a day to remember all Australians who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

14. How many convict ships were in the First Fleet?

Answer: 11. They arrived from Great Britain on 26 January 1788. The first Governor of the colony of New South Wales was Captain Arthur Phillip.

15. Which group were the first large group of migrants not from Europe?

Answer: Chinese people, who arrived during the gold rush that began in 1851.

16. What did the 1967 referendum change?

Answer: It allowed Aboriginal peoples to be counted in the Census. More than 90 per cent of Australians voted “Yes”.

17. Which is the smallest mainland state?

Answer: Victoria. Tasmania is the smallest state overall; Western Australia is the largest.

Australian values

18. If a religious practice conflicts with Australian law, which applies?

Answer: Australian law. Religious laws have no legal status in Australia, and practices such as polygamy and forced marriage are against the law.

19. Can a woman get a job ahead of a man?

Answer: Yes, if she has better qualifications and skills. Jobs should go to the person with the best skills and experience, not because of gender, wealth or ethnicity.

Answer: 16 or 17, depending on the state or territory.

How to get these right on the day

  • Read every option. Several answers can sound right until you read the last one.
  • Watch for words like “not”, “all” and “only”.
  • Use Hard mode to practise questions with close distractors.
  • Review explanations, not just answers. Knowing why helps with questions worded differently.

Ready to test yourself? Try a free 20-question mock test or browse 50 practice questions and answers.