Do people over 60 have to sit the Australian citizenship test?

The published test requirement covers applicants aged 18 to 59; Home Affairs addresses people 60 and over on the interview page instead. Its exact wording: 'Most applicants between 18 and 59 years of age will need to take the Australian citizenship test.' For over-60s, the department says it may ask them to show they understand the nature of their application. Your own requirements are decided against your application, so follow the department's correspondence.

Is there an age limit for the citizenship test?

The requirement Home Affairs publishes covers most applicants aged 18 to 59. For 16 and 17 year olds, the department says it may require them to show they understand the nature of the application, have basic English, and understand the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship — again in the interview context, not the 20-question test.

Do over-60s still attend a citizenship appointment?

Yes. Home Affairs says: 'At your interview, we will confirm your identity and discuss your citizenship application.' If the department needs to interview you, it contacts you with the details.

What if I have a hearing, speech or sight impairment?

Home Affairs groups this with the over-60 wording: 'If you are aged 60 years or over, or have a hearing, speech or sight impairment we may ask you to show you understand the nature of your application.' For how that applies to you personally, rely on the department's correspondence about your application.

I turn 60 while my application is in progress — which rule applies?

The live Home Affairs test pages do not state how the age boundary applies to an application already underway. Nobody outside the department can answer that for your case — confirm it with Home Affairs directly rather than relying on forum answers.

Do you sit the citizenship test if you are 60 or over?

Last reviewed 12 August 2026 · Reviewed by the AussieTizen editorial team

Independent study tool · Not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs

The short answer: Home Affairs states the test requirement for applicants aged 18 to 59, and addresses people 60 and over separately, in the context of the citizenship interview. This page quotes what the live pages said as at 12 August 2026 — no invented exemption lists, no paraphrased rules. It then covers what an over-60 applicant, or the family member helping them, should prepare. For the test itself, see the Australian citizenship test format guide.

What Home Affairs publishes about age

The department's learn about the citizenship test page states the requirement in one sentence: Most applicants between 18 and 59 years of age will need to take the Australian citizenship test. Note the word most — the department decides each applicant's requirements against their application, which is why we quote the sentence rather than turn it into a hard rule.

People aged 60 or over are not mentioned on the test page at all. They appear on the interview page, in the sentence quoted above about showing you understand the nature of your application. The same page covers 16 and 17 year olds: the department may require you to show that you understand the nature of your application, have a basic knowledge of the English language, and understand the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship. That is the complete picture the live pages give — anything more specific you read elsewhere is interpretation, not quotation.

What happens at 60 and over

An appointment still happens. Home Affairs describes it as a check of your identity and a discussion of your citizenship application, and says it will contact you with the details if it needs to interview you — the wording is quoted in full in the guide to the citizenship interview. So the practical expectations for an over-60 applicant are: wait for the department's letter, bring what it asks, and be ready to talk about your application and show you understand what applying for citizenship means.

What the live pages do not describe for over-60s is the 20-question computer test — that requirement is stated for applicants aged 18 to 59. If your own letter says otherwise, the letter wins.

Should over-60s still study?

Yes — and that is Home Affairs' advice, not ours: To prepare for your citizenship interview, you should read the Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (OCB) resource booklet, which is available in English and a range of community languages (the test page counts 40 community languages). The interview is a conversation about your application and what citizenship involves, so familiarity with the booklet's themes — Australian values, responsibilities and privileges — is exactly the right preparation, at any age.

If you are the family member helping a parent apply while preparing for the test yourself, the same booklet covers both of you — the difference is that your sitting ends in 20 timed questions and theirs ends in a conversation.

Turning 60 mid-application

The question people search — "I applied at 59 and turn 60 before my appointment, which rule applies?" — has no answer on the live test pages. As at 12 August 2026, Home Affairs does not publish how the age boundary applies to an application already in progress. We will not guess, and no site can rule on it for you — ask the department directly, or follow what your own correspondence says.

Frequently asked questions

Do people over 60 have to sit the Australian citizenship test?: The published test requirement covers applicants aged 18 to 59; Home Affairs addresses people 60 and over on the interview page instead. Its exact wording: 'Most applicants between 18 and 59 years of age will need to take the Australian citizenship test.' For over-60s, the department says it may ask them to show they understand the nature of their application. Your own requirements are decided against your application, so follow the department's correspondence.
Is there an age limit for the citizenship test?: The requirement Home Affairs publishes covers most applicants aged 18 to 59. For 16 and 17 year olds, the department says it may require them to show they understand the nature of the application, have basic English, and understand the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship — again in the interview context, not the 20-question test.
Do over-60s still attend a citizenship appointment?: Yes. Home Affairs says: 'At your interview, we will confirm your identity and discuss your citizenship application.' If the department needs to interview you, it contacts you with the details.
Do over-60s need to study the Our Common Bond booklet?: Home Affairs' own advice for the interview is: 'To prepare for your citizenship interview, you should read the Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (OCB) resource booklet' — which is available in English and a range of community languages. So reading the booklet remains the department's recommended preparation even when no test is involved.
What if I have a hearing, speech or sight impairment?: Home Affairs groups this with the over-60 wording: 'If you are aged 60 years or over, or have a hearing, speech or sight impairment we may ask you to show you understand the nature of your application.' For how that applies to you personally, rely on the department's correspondence about your application.
I turn 60 while my application is in progress — which rule applies?: The live Home Affairs test pages do not state how the age boundary applies to an application already underway. Nobody outside the department can answer that for your case — confirm it with Home Affairs directly rather than relying on forum answers.

Official sources (Home Affairs)

This page explains age requirements for the Australian citizenship test and is for study and preparation only. It is general information, not immigration advice, and does not determine your eligibility for citizenship. For official rules and any updates, rely on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au; official Department of Home Affairs guidance controls if anything here differs.

Related guides

View all guides →