Sydney-based Tarjini Thakkar is among the sixteen thousand people who pledged their allegiance to Australia at the citizenship ceremonies across Australia on January 26th.
“The feeling is amazing. It feels very special to receive Australian citizenship on this day. My journey has been very nice. (I received) warm welcome from the Australians. I love the culture here. I am proud to be (an) Australian,” she told SBS Hindi.
In order to become an Australian citizen, the applicant needs to pass the citizenship test but it is not easy for many.
The Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) figures reveal not everybody who sits for a test is able to pass it.
"A total of 73,692 citizenship applicants sat the test in 2017-18. Of these, 1,437 failed the test three times or more and did not achieve a pass," a spokesperson of DoHA told SBS Hindi.
According to a to a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, "A total of 73,692 citizenship applicants sat the test in 2017-18. Of these, 1,437 failed the test three times or more and did not achieve a pass."
What is the Australian Citizenship test?
The test assesses applicant’s English language skills and the general knowledge about Australia, according to the Department of Home Affairs.
It is a basic test to judge the applicant’s understanding of what it means to become an Australian citizen.
The test consists of 20 multiple choice questions such as ‘What do we remember on Anzac Day?’ or ‘which official symbol of Australia identifies Commonwealth property?’
These questions are randomly drawn from a pool of 75 questions and the applicants need to answer 15 questions correctly to pass.
Many say the test citizenship test is reflective of a person's commitment to Australia.
Dr Deepak Rai, who took the test six years back says, “The test is partially reflective of a person's commitment to Australia. It just gives you a bit of idea about law and order and lifestyle."
"It is a very basic general knowledge type test. One just needs to read the booklet, and he or she can pass the test,” he says.
Failing the test is not a problem as yet because one can take the test multiple times.
However, the federal government is planning to ban those who fail the test three times from taking it again for two years. The legislation to bring this ban into effect is yet to pass the Senate.
