Can I take the citizenship test in Arabic, Farsi or Dari?

The short answer

No. Home Affairs says the test is conducted in English only. There is no Arabic, Farsi or Dari version, and nobody can sit the test with you to translate.

That is part of what the test is for: passing it shows that you have a basic knowledge of English, as well as knowledge of Australia and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

The test asks for basic English, not perfect English, and you can learn what it covers in your own language first.

Prepare in your language, then in English

1. Read the official booklet, Our Common Bond, in your language. Home Affairs publishes it in 40 community languages as well as English, including Arabic, Persian (Farsi) and Dari.
2. Read the same parts in English, and learn the key words in English, such as parliament, democracy and the rule of law: the test uses only the English words.
3. Practise questions in your language, then the same questions in English. On this site every question is in English, Arabic and Farsi/Dari, and you can switch between them.
4. Finish with timed mock tests in English, as the real test will be.

Free help from Home Affairs

• The Our Common Bond podcast
• The official citizenship practice test, designed to look and feel like the real one
• AMEPOnline's citizenship modules, made for people learning English: they teach the booklet's content through characters, stories and activities

Help with English on the day

You sit the test on your own, but a Test Facilitator at the centre can:

• show you how to use the computer or tablet, or use it for you
• give you headphones so you can listen to the questions
• read the questions aloud
• select your answers if you say them aloud

An Assisted Test gives you 90 minutes instead of 45. Home Affairs may offer you one if you asked for it in your application, have low literacy skills and have completed at least 400 hours of English classes in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). You do not need to ask your AMEP provider to confirm your hours: Home Affairs checks them after you apply.

If you have an interview instead

People who do not sit the test, for example because they are 60 or older, have a hearing, speech or sight impairment, or have a permanent or enduring incapacity, may have an interview instead. At the interview:

• Home Affairs can arrange an interpreter if you need one
• a family member or another person can come with you
• you bring your original photo ID, such as a passport or an Australian driver licence

Learn English for free

• The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) teaches English for free. You can join if you are 18 or over, speak little or no English, and are a permanent resident, hold an eligible temporary visa, or are a citizen who held an eligible visa.
• Free childcare is available for children under school age while you are in an AMEP class.
• Time limits for joining and finishing can apply, depending on when your visa started.
• AMEPOnline and its app are free for anyone.

Talk to Home Affairs in your language

To phone Home Affairs, or any other organisation, through an interpreter, use TIS National, the government's Translating and Interpreting Service:

1. Call 131 450, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
2. Say the language you need, and stay on the line while an interpreter is found.
3. Give your name, and the name and phone number of the organisation you want to reach.
4. The operator connects you and the interpreter to that organisation.

Most TIS National services are free for people who do not speak English, because the organisation you contact usually pays. The call costs the same as a local call, though calls from a mobile can cost more.