The rule that fails people with high scores
5 of the questions are about Australian values, and every one of them must be answered correctly. Miss a single values question and the test is failed, whatever your total. That is how people fail with a score that would otherwise pass comfortably.
The format
The format is fixed:
- 20 multiple-choice questions
- 15 correct answers to pass, which is 75%
- All 5 values questions correct, on top of the pass mark
- 45 minutes
Where the questions come from
Our Common Bond is split into four parts: Australia and its people; Australia’s democratic beliefs, rights and liberties; government and the law; and Australian values. Government and the law is the largest — 108 of the 289 questions in our bank come from it: Parliament, the Constitution, the courts, and the three levels of government.
How to know you are ready
Two conditions, not one. Your last five full practice tests should average at least 12 percentage points above the pass mark — that is when our readiness score calls you ready. And you should be getting every values question right every time, not most times.