What is Our Common Bond? The Official Citizenship Test Study Guide Explained

If you are preparing for the Australian citizenship test, you only need one study resource: Our Common Bond. Every question in the test is drawn directly from this document — nothing else.

What is Our Common Bond?

Our Common Bond is the official Australian Government publication produced by the Department of Home Affairs. It describes what it means to be an Australian citizen — the values, rights, responsibilities, history, and democratic traditions that Australians share.

The document exists in two versions:

• The full version — a comprehensive guide to Australian citizenship, values, and way of life.
• The testable content version — a shorter PDF that contains only the sections from which citizenship test questions are drawn. This is what you need to study.

Both versions are free to download from the Department of Home Affairs website. You can also access the testable PDF directly from our Study Guide page.

What topics does it cover?

Our Common Bond is organised into five sections that match the five topic areas of the citizenship test:

1. Australia and its people — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, European settlement, the gold rush, federation, migration, geography, national symbols, public holidays, and sporting culture.
2. Australian values — The importance of freedom, respect, equality, and a fair go. Australia's national language (English) and commitment to a multicultural society.
3. Democratic beliefs, rights and liberties — The Australian Constitution, the rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, referendums, and the role of citizens in democracy.
4. Government and the law in Australia — How Parliament works, the three levels of government, the role of the Governor-General, the court system, and paying tax.
5. Becoming an Australian citizen — Responsibilities of citizenship, how to apply, the citizenship ceremony, and what it means to pledge your commitment to Australia.

How to use it to study

The best approach is to combine reading with active recall:

1. Read one chapter of the testable version of Our Common Bond.
2. Immediately take a practice test — even if you only get 4–5 questions from that section, the act of being tested after reading strongly reinforces memory.
3. Listen to the audio lessons while doing something else (commuting, exercising) to reinforce the material a second time.
4. After completing all five sections, take several full practice tests until you are consistently scoring above 80%.

Key facts to remember

These are some of the most frequently tested facts from Our Common Bond:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are Australia's first inhabitants — they arrived 65,000–40,000 years ago.
• European settlement began on 26 January 1788 when the First Fleet arrived from Great Britain.
• The separate colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.
• Australia Day is 26 January. Anzac Day is 25 April.
• Australia's national anthem is Advance Australia Fair. National colours are green and gold.
• A referendum is a vote by Australian citizens to change the Australian Constitution.
• All Australian citizens aged 18+ are required by law to enrol and vote in federal elections.