Australia to review dodgy citizenship test

Australia will review its controversial citizenship test introduced three months ago after 20% of aspiring citizens were found to be flunking the exam, which has been slammed as "racist" by critics.

Out of 10,636 people who took their citizenship tests after its introduction in October by the previous John Howard government, 2,311 failed, the latest official figures revealed.

The new immigration minister Chris Evans yesterday said the government would review the citizenship test in light of the poor test results and could make wholesale changes.

"The government will review the scheme in the new year and assess the process and whether improvements can be made," Evans was quoted as saying by media here.

"The citizenship test should be about increasing awareness of citizens' responsibilities and of the Australian way of life", he said.

Despite the problems, the minister encouraged people to continue taking the test.

Under laws introduced by the former Howard government, anyone who wishes to be an Australian citizen must pass a 20-question quiz on Australian history, values and way of life, including their understanding of "mateship", and demonstrate an adequate knowledge of English.

Howard had denied the tests had racist overtones and marked a return to the kind of exams used until the 1950s that excluded mainly-Asian migrants under the "White Australia" policy.

Reported by Natasha Chaku