1st October 2007 saw the sitting of the first Australian citizenship tests. Migrants are now required to sit a multiple choice examination which will test their knowledge of the country’s history, traditions, government and values as part of their being accepted into Australia as fully-fledged citizens.

The tests, compiled by the Australia federal government comprise 20 questions out of a possible 200, of which migrants are required to correctly answer a minimum of 12. All possible questions and answers are distributed to examinees prior to their sitting the tests so that they are able to revise the material in order to maximise their knowledge of their new home county and boost their chances of success.

Of the 26 migrants throughout Queensland and Victoria who sat the test on 1st October, 25 were successful and 12 achieved a perfect score of 20.

Migrants were by and large happy to sit the citizenship tests, but the tests have been criticised by certain government officials who do not see them as a productive means of evaluating migrants’ suitability for citizenship. Australian Democrats leader, Lyn Allison claimed: “it would be ridiculous not to grant citizenship to migrants for not knowing that Australia’s national flower is the golden wattle.”