You've spent months waiting for your appointment, you arrive at the Department of Home Affairs, sit down at the computer, and the 45-minute timer starts ticking.
You finish the 20 multiple-choice questions, but when the screen flashes your results, you see a score below 75%—or worse, a 95% overall score but a failure on a mandatory Australian Values question.
You've failed the Australian Citizenship Test.
It's a sinking feeling, but panic won't help. A staggering number of applicants fail the test on their first attempt. The most important thing to know is that failing the test does not mean your citizenship application is immediately rejected.
Here is exactly what happens if you fail, and the steps you must take to secure a pass on your next attempt.
1. Immediate Re-testing on the Same Day
If you fail the test on your first attempt, the testing officer is usually authorized to allow you to re-sit the test immediately on the same day. This is a common occurrence, and it gives you a second chance without having to wait months for a new appointment.
However, there is a catch: you cannot simply retry the exact same 20 questions. The system will randomly generate a completely new set of questions. If you failed because you were nervous or misread a specific word, sitting it again immediately is a viable option. But if you failed because you genuinely lacked knowledge—especially on the new Australian Values section—the same knowledge gaps will cause you to fail again.
2. Booking a New Appointment
If you fail the same-day re-test, or if you feel too overwhelmed and prefer not to attempt it immediately, you can book a completely new appointment.
Your application is placed on hold instead of being rejected. There is no additional fee to book a re-test. However, the wait times for a new test appointment can range from a few weeks to several months depending on your local office's backlog. During this wait, the anxiety can build, making your second official attempt even more stressful.
3. After Three Failures: Application Refusal
The Department of Home Affairs will generally allow you several attempts to pass the exam over a defined period (usually within 12 months of your original application). However, if you continuously fail despite multiple re-tests, eventually the Delegate assessing your case will refuse your application for Australian citizenship on the grounds that you have not demonstrated a basic knowledge of Australia.
If your application is refused:
You will lose the application fee you paid initially.
The time spent processing your application (often over a year) is wasted.
You will have to start the entire process over again from absolute scratch, repaying the fee and waiting in line for a new test date.