The Australian values questions: what they ask and how to get them right

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 is about the five questions that decide the result.

Why they matter

You need 15 of 20 to pass. You also need every values question right. Home Affairs added this rule in November 2020. The values questions leave no room for error.

The questions are drawn from Part 4 of the booklet, "Australian values". Part 2 covers the same beliefs, so read it too.

The values as short rules

Turn each value into a rule you can say in a line.

• Rule of Law. Everyone obeys the law, and no one is above it. This holds even when no one is watching.
• Parliamentary democracy. The people elect parliaments, and parliaments make the laws. Voting is compulsory.
• Freedom of speech. Say and write what you think, within the law. Peaceful protest is fine. Violence and false allegations are not.
• Freedom of association. Join or leave any legal group. No one can make you.
• Freedom of religion. Follow any religion or none. Australian law comes before religious practice.
• Equality. All people have equal rights under the law. This covers gender, race, religion, age, disability and more.
• Fair go. Success should come from talent and work, not background.
• Mutual respect and tolerance. Listen to other views. No violence, no racism, no abuse.
• Community and loyalty. Contribute. Help others. Learn English. Report serious danger and child abuse. Follow Australian law everywhere you must.

What the questions look like

We cannot show you the real questions. We can show you the kinds of choices the booklet supports.

A direct fact. "Which of these is a value in the booklet?" You pick the one the booklet names.

A case. A short situation, and you choose what is right under Australian law. Think of a person who wants to protest, or a family custom that conflicts with the law.

A wrong-but-tempting answer. One choice sounds kind or respectful but breaks the law. Another sounds strict but is not what the booklet says.

Common slips

• Putting custom above law. The booklet says Australian law applies to everyone. Religious laws and cultural practices do not override it.
• Treating free speech as unlimited. It has limits. You must obey the law, and you must respect other people's freedom.
• Mixing up "legal group" and any group. Association covers legal groups.
• Forgetting that equality is wide. It covers gender, race, religion, age, disability and national origin, not only one of them.
• Missing the flip word. A single NOT turns a true statement into the wrong choice. See the trap words.

How to practise

1. Read Part 4 twice. It is about six pages.
2. Write each value in your own words.
3. Do a timed mock. Count the values questions on their own.
4. If you miss one, find the page, read the paragraph, and say why the right answer is right.
5. Repeat until you get every values question right in two mocks in a row.

That last step is your own standard, not a promise about the real test. Practice helps you read carefully. It does not change what is on the day.

Take the mock

Our mock has five values questions. It scores them apart and tells you if one of them cost you the result.

Start the free mock

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