New Australian Citizenship test launched

As of today, a new citizenship test will be in place to assess all potential citizens of Australia with the emphasis being on personal and civic responsibility.

The new test replaces the controversial general knowledge quiz which was widely denounced by the public and media as most Australians themselves were unable to correctly answer many of the questions. Included in the previous exam were such questions as: Who landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula, the northern tip of Australia, in 1606? When did Caroline Chisholm land in Australia? When did Ludwig Leichhardt disappear and when did Sir Henry Parkes die? Questions that would stump many historians.

According to Chris Evans, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, the new test will be built around understanding the level of commitment of those people who emigrate to Australia with a view to becoming citizens.

Rather than a historical quiz, the new test will instead focus more on areas such as Australia’s democratic principles, government and local laws and the privileges and responsibilities that accompany citizenship. The test will consist of 20 multiple choice questions in Basic English and is available in the English language only. The questions are all drawn from a single source; the resources book ‘Our Common Bond’.

Senator Evans said that he hoped all applicants would understand the values of the Australian society and its pursuit of democracy.

The pass mark for the test is 75% or 15 out of 20 questions answered correctly.