This drill at a glance
What this topic covers
What is in this drill
16 questions, drawn from the first part of Our Common Bond, Australia and its people. All 16 carry a worked explanation.
The pass mark on this drill is 12 of 16. Every question shows you the correct answer with the reason beneath it, so a wrong answer teaches you something rather than just costing you a mark.
For scale: the first part of the booklet accounts for 177 of the 595 questions in this bank, across 8 topics. That is worth knowing before you decide where your study time goes.
The four worked questions below are taken from the 16 questions on this topic, each with the correct answer and the reason Our Common Bond gives. They show how the questions are worded before you sit the drill, which asks every question on the topic.
Questions from this drill, worked
- 1
What happened to Australia's population 10 years after the gold rush?
Answer: It more than doubled. Gold drew people "from all around the world," and the rush of arrivals more than doubled the population within ten years. Source: Our Common Bond, Part 1 — "Early days of European settlement.".
- 2
When was gold discovered in the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria?
Answer: In 1851. Discovery and rush are the same year in Our Common Bond — 1851. Source: Our Common Bond, Part 1 — "Early days of European settlement.".
- 3
Who was the first Governor of the colony of New South Wales?
Answer: Captain Arthur Phillip. Arthur Phillip led the First Fleet and became the colony's first Governor — one person, two facts to link. Source: Our Common Bond, Part 1 — "Early days of European settlement" (and glossary, "First Fleet").
- 4
When did the European settlement start in Australia?
Answer: 26 January 1788. 26 January 1788 is the founding date — the same date now marked as Australia Day. Source: Our Common Bond, Part 1 — "Early days of European settlement.".
Where people lose marks
How to use this page
Work through the drill once without studying first. The questions you miss tell you what to read in the booklet, which is faster than reading the whole part again.
Then come back and sit it a second time. When you are clearing the pass mark comfortably on this topic, pick the next one from practice test questions and keep full test for last, so the timed sitting is the final rehearsal rather than the first.
Everything here is free, with no account and no card, and you can sit it as many times as you like.
Where this comes from
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many questions are in this drill?
- All 16 of them. That is every question in the bank on this topic, not a sample. You need 12 correct to clear the drill, and you can sit it as many times as you like.
- What catches people out on this topic?
- Dates and order matter here more than in any other topic. A question asking what happened first is asking you to hold a timeline, not a fact.