Our Common Bond: the citizenship test booklet, explained

Checked 6 Oct 2026

Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond is the free Home Affairs booklet behind every test question. Here is what is in it, which part is tested, and how to get it in print, audio or your language.

In short

Our Common Bond is free from Home Affairs. The test is based on its testable section, four Parts on book pages 7 to 39, followed by a glossary. It is available as a PDF in English and 40 other languages, and as a five-episode podcast. You do not need to buy anything else to prepare.

What it is

Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond is the citizenship test resource booklet from the Department of Home Affairs. Home Affairs says all test questions are based on it, and the booklet itself says all the information you need to sit the test is inside. The current English edition names His Majesty King Charles III and carries the line © Commonwealth of Australia 2020.

Download the English testable section (PDF, 50 pages)

What is inside, page by page

Section	Book pages	Tested?
A message to you: becoming a citizen, the test, the pledge and the ceremony	2 to 5	No, but worth reading
Part 1: Australia and its people	7 to 16	Yes
Part 2: Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties	17 to 22	Yes
Part 3: Government and the law in Australia	23 to 32	Yes
Part 4: Australian values	33 to 39	Yes
Glossary of the testable section	From 40	Words used in the Parts

Page numbers are the numbers printed in the book; in the PDF viewer the page number is two higher. Each Part links to our plain English summary of it, topic by topic.

The four Parts in one line each

Australia and its peopleThe first Australians, European settlement, migration, the states and territories, and national days, flags and symbols.
Democratic beliefs, rights and libertiesDemocracy, the Rule of Law, freedoms, equality, and what citizens must do and can do.
Government and the lawVoting, the Constitution, Parliament, the three levels of government, courts, police and the law.
Australian valuesThe values all Australians are expected to respect, share and uphold. 5 test questions are about values, and all 5 must be right.

Print, audio and other languages

PDF in English: the testable section, free to download and print.
40 other languages: the testable section in Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Dari, Tagalog and 31 more. The test itself stays in English. See help in other languages.
Podcast: Our Common Bond podcast, five episodes. Episode 1 covers the test, the ceremony and the pledge; episodes 2 to 5 cover Parts 1 to 4. Transcripts are on the page.
AMEPOnline: free citizenship modules for English learners, built on the booklet's content.

How to use it well

Read one Part at a time, then check yourself before moving on. Short daily sessions beat one long weekend. Give Part 4 and the values topics of Part 2 extra time, because all 5 values questions must be right. Our study plan puts this into steps, and our 120 sample questions each point back to the page in the booklet.

Take the full free test: 20 questions Read the 4 Parts in plain English

Using the booklet

Except for the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, Our Common Bond is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). That is why we can summarise it and point to its pages. Our summaries and questions are our own words, not the booklet's.

Sources

Department of Home Affairs: Read Our Common Bond booklet, Prepare for the citizenship test, Our Common Bond podcast; Our Common Bond, testable section (contents and pages 2 to 5). Read by us on 6 October 2026. Based on Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (testable section), © Commonwealth of Australia 2020, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). Changes made: our own summaries.

Independent app, not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Government. Found a mistake? Write to hello@calaustralia.com.

Common questions

Where can I download Our Common Bond as a PDF?

From the Home Affairs page "Read Our Common Bond booklet". The English testable section is a free PDF of 50 pages, and the same page links to the testable section in 40 other languages.

Which part of Our Common Bond is tested?

The testable section: Part 1 Australia and its people, Part 2 Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties, Part 3 Government and the law in Australia, and Part 4 Australian values. All test questions are based on it.

Is there an audio version of Our Common Bond?

Yes. Home Affairs has an Our Common Bond podcast in five episodes: one about the test, the ceremony and the pledge, then one for each of the four Parts. Transcripts are on the same page.

Do I need to buy a citizenship test book?

No. The booklet says all the information you need for the test is in it, and that you are not required to buy other packages. It is free. Home Affairs does not endorse paid preparation apps, including this one.

Are there 50 questions in Our Common Bond?

No. The booklet is reading material, not a list of questions. Home Affairs does not publish the test questions. Its free practice test and our practice questions are samples written for practice.

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