Australian values
The values questions decide your test
Five of the 20 questions on the citizenship test are about Australian values. You must get all five right to pass, however well you do on the rest.
Free · no account · 125 values questions to practice
How the values rule works
- 18 of 20, all 5 values rightPass
- 19 of 20, 4 of 5 values rightFail
A missed values question is a fail even with an otherwise high score.
What Australian values are
- Australian values are based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity.
- Australian laws apply to all people in Australia, regardless of background or culture.
- Shared values help the community remain secure, prosperous and peaceful, and attract people to citizenship.
- Citizenship involves living out Australian values in everyday life and in the local community.
- All Australian people are expected to respect, share and uphold Australian values.
The values, one by one
Each links to its full topic page, with practice questions and sources.
1.Freedom of association
5 minAs an Australian value, freedom of association means people are free to join or leave any legal group voluntarily, and cannot be forced to join or to leave one. Australians can gather freely with others, including to protest against a government action. All protests must be within the law, must be peaceful, and must not injure any person or damage property.
Also taught in Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.
Study freedom of association and test yourself →2.Freedom of religion
4 minAustralia has no official national religion, and people are free to follow any religion they choose — or none. The government treats all citizens equally regardless of religion or beliefs. But religious practices must not break Australian law: religious laws have no legal status, and Australian law must be followed by everyone, even where it differs from religious law. Polygamy and forced marriage are against the law in Australia.
Also taught in Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.
Study freedom of religion and test yourself →3.Freedom of speech
11 minAs an Australian value, people should be able to express their ideas freely within the law — in speech, in writing, in the media, and by meeting for social or political discussion in public or private. Australians may peacefully protest against government actions, and tolerance of peaceful public protest is an essential part of democracy. The limits: it is never acceptable to promote violence against a person or group, it is illegal to make false allegations or to encourage others to break the law, and other people's lawful freedom of speech must be respected.
Also taught in Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.
Study freedom of speech and test yourself →4.Parliamentary democracy
4 minAs an Australian value, parliamentary democracy means Australia's laws are made by parliaments elected by the people, and the power of the government comes from the Australian people. Citizens are involved in how Australia is governed: they vote for representatives, and voting is compulsory, which shows how important taking part in elections is.
Also taught in Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.
Study parliamentary democracy and test yourself →5.Rule of Law
4 minAs an Australian value, the Rule of Law means all Australians are equal in relation to the law and no person or group is above it. All Australians are protected by Australia's laws and legal systems, and Australians recognise that laws keep society peaceful and orderly. Everyone should obey the law — even when no one is watching — and people who break the law face penalties.
Also taught in Australia's democratic beliefs, rights and liberties.
Study rule of law and test yourself →
Common mistakes on values questions
- Thinking a person can be made to join, or made to stay in, a group. (Freedom of association)
- Assuming freedom of association covers groups that break the law — it applies to legal groups. (Freedom of association)
- Believing a protest has no limits — it must be lawful, peaceful, and cause no harm to people or property. (Freedom of association)
- Thinking a religious rule can override an Australian law — it cannot. (Freedom of religion)
- Assuming freedom of religion allows practices that break the law. (Freedom of religion)
- Believing Australian law applies only to citizens, or only to people without a religion — it applies to everyone in Australia. (Freedom of religion)
- Treating freedom of speech as having no legal limits. (Freedom of speech)
- Thinking promoting violence is acceptable if it targets a group rather than an individual — it is never acceptable. (Freedom of speech)
- Assuming you only have to respect speech you agree with — lawful speech must be respected even when you disagree. (Freedom of speech)
- Thinking a person's background or culture can exempt them from Australian law. (Overview of Australian values)
- Treating Australian values as ideas to learn for the test rather than to live by. (Overview of Australian values)
- Assuming the values apply only to new arrivals — they apply to all Australian people. (Overview of Australian values)
- Thinking government power comes from parties, the Prime Minister or another country rather than the people. (Parliamentary democracy)
- Believing voting is optional — it is compulsory. (Parliamentary democracy)
- Assuming citizens have no role in government between elections. (Parliamentary democracy)
- Thinking status or power puts someone above the law. (Rule of Law)
- Believing the law only needs to be followed when it is being enforced or observed. (Rule of Law)
- Assuming legal protection depends on a person's occupation or where they were born. (Rule of Law)
The values drill
Only values questions, one at a time, with the reason and the source after each answer. Keep going until you get them right every time — that is what the test asks of you.