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How many times you can sit the citizenship test, and what happens after a fail

Last updated 22 October 2026

Everything on the test is in the free booklet, Our Common Bond. We help you practise reading the questions the way the test asks them. This guide answers the question people ask with fear: what if I fail?

The short answer

You can have up to three appointments for the test. If you do not pass, Home Affairs books you another appointment. There is no extra cost for sitting again. The cost of the test is part of the citizenship application fee you already paid.

If you do not pass after three appointments, Home Affairs may refuse your application.

What a fail does not do

A fail does not affect your permanent visa. It does not stop you from living in Australia.

This is Home Affairs' own position. We repeat it because many people think a fail ends everything. It does not.

What happens after a fail

  1. You finish the test and see that you did not pass.
  2. Home Affairs books another appointment. You do not book it yourself.
  3. A letter arrives with the new date, time and place.
  4. You sit the test again.

If you need to change the date, follow the steps in your appointment letter.

We have not found a published waiting time between appointments, so we do not give one. Your letter shows the date.

Why people fail

There are two reasons, and they are different.

The score is under 15. Fourteen or fewer right fails, whatever the values questions show. This can be a gap in knowledge. You missed a topic, or you rushed.

A values question is wrong. Even with 15 or more right, one wrong values question fails you. This can be a reading slip, not a gap in knowledge. The wrong answer sounded kind, or the question used NOT and you read it the other way.

Know which one it was. They have different fixes. Our mock tells you which rule you missed. Read more in how the test is scored.

How to use the time before the next appointment

  1. Write down what you remember. Do it the same day. Note the topics of the questions that felt hard. You will not remember the exact questions, and you do not need to.
  2. Go back to the booklet. Read the parts those topics came from.
  3. Reread Part 4. One wrong values question fails you.
  4. Take timed mocks. Do two or three over a few days. Look at both numbers: overall and values.
  5. Rest the night before. Reading until midnight rarely helps.

The booklet is free. Our free mock is free. You do not need to pay to prepare again.

What not to do

  • Do not panic and search for "leaked" questions. The questions come from the booklet. Real facts are in the booklet.
  • Do not skip Part 4 because you got the overall score.
  • Do not miss the date. If you need a new one, follow the steps in the letter.

One more point

The same rules apply at every appointment: 20 multiple choice questions, 45 minutes, 15 right, and every values question right. The rules do not change between appointments. If you have read the booklet well and practised the question style, you are in a better place than you were.

Start the free mock

Last checked against Our Common Bond (2020): 22 October 2026