Worrying responses to citizenship test
Would-be Australians are increasingly struggling to pass citizenship tests, prompting the Coalition to accuse the government of “not investing” in Australian values.
Amid a surge in migration post-pandemic, new data reveals the pass rate has plummeted to 65 per cent between June 2022 and August 2023, with more than 100,000 people having failed the test. That figure is down from an 80 per cent pass rate between 2017-2021.
The test includes 20 multiple choice questions on democracy, rule of law, and freedom of speech; and requires a person to correctly answer five questions on Australian values and achieve a mark of at least 75 per cent to pass.
The data shows between June 2022 and August 2023, 288,603 tests were completed, but only 187,574 passed. Those who have taken tests over the past two years have lived in Australia since at least 2019.
The last significant changes to the test were made by the Morrison government in 2020 when a dedicated section on Australian values was introduced, which applicants must answer correctly or they automatically fail. The pass rate has steadily decreased since the questions were introduced.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the government would “continue to assess the citizenship test to ensure it met community expectations”. He accused Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of having “made a mess of the entire migration system” while in government.
Coalition spokesman for immigration and citizenship Dan Tehan said: “Labor is not investing in Australian values … and this is the result.”