What the citizenship test is
Most adults who apply for Canadian citizenship have to show that they know about Canada and about the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. They do this by taking the citizenship test. According to IRCC, you have to take it if you are between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application. People under 18 or 55 and older do not take it, and you can also be excused if you asked for and received a waiver.
The test checks what you know, not your English or French. Your language skills are assessed separately.
The format at a glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Questions | 20, either multiple choice or true or false |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Pass mark | At least 15 of 20 correct (75%) |
| Chances | Up to 3 attempts within the 30-day period in your invitation |
| Language | English or French, your choice |
| How you take it | Usually online, monitored by webcam. In some cases in person (on paper or orally) or orally on Microsoft Teams |
| Study guide | Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship (free) |
If you take the test online, you see an unofficial score right away. An officer then reviews the result to make it official, which can take a few days or a few weeks. If you fail all 3 attempts, IRCC invites you to a hearing with a citizenship official, where you may be asked knowledge questions orally (again 20 questions, with 15 needed to pass).
What the questions cover
IRCC says every question is based on information in Discover Canada. The guide has chapters on these topics, and our practice bank follows the same structure:
- Rights and Responsibilities: Magna Carta, the Charter, fundamental freedoms, jury duty, voting, the Oath of Citizenship.
- Who We Are: the three founding peoples, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, Acadians, official languages, diversity.
- Canada's History: early explorers, New France, the Loyalists, the War of 1812, responsible government, Confederation, the two world wars.
- Modern Canada: postwar growth, NATO and NORAD, the Quiet Revolution, arts, sports, inventions and discoveries.
- How Canadians Govern Themselves: federal state, parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy, how a bill becomes law.
- Federal Elections: who can vote, ridings, the secret ballot, majority and minority government, local government.
- The Justice System: presumption of innocence, due process, courts, police, legal aid.
- Canadian Symbols: the flag, the maple leaf, the motto, the anthem, honours, national holidays.
- Canada's Economy: trade, the three main types of industries, ties with the United States.
- Canada's Regions: provinces, territories and capitals, geography and each region's economy.
How to prepare
Read the whole guide. Discover Canada is free online, including an audio version you can listen to. Give yourself a few weeks rather than a few days. Reading it once and then practising questions works better than rereading it many times.
Learn the provinces, territories and capitals. The guide asks you to know the capital of your own province or territory as well as Canada's capital. Know all 13 so a question about any of them is easy.
Make a dates list. Many questions turn on a year: 1215, 1759, 1774, 1791, 1867, 1885, 1917, 1965, 1982. Write them on one page with what happened.
Know who does what in government. Head of state versus head of government, the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors, which level of government handles defence, education or snow removal. These questions come up a lot and are easy points once they click.
Practise under time. 45 minutes for 20 questions is generous, but practising with the clock running means nothing feels new on the day. Aim for at least 18 out of 20 in practice so you have room to spare.
A note on facts that have changed
Parts of Discover Canada were written years ago, and some figures in it, such as population numbers and the number of electoral districts, are no longer current. We leave out questions that depend on numbers or office-holders that change, and focus on the facts and ideas in the guide that stay true.
About these practice questions
Aptitude Tests Canada is an independent practice platform. We are not connected to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Government of Canada. Our questions are original, written from Discover Canada and official IRCC pages. They are not real test questions, and nobody outside IRCC has those.
Three worked examples
One question from different sections of the full pack, with the answer and explanation.
In what year was Magna Carta signed in England?
- 1066
- 1497
- 1608
- 1215
Which key phrase appears in the British North America Act of 1867?
- Peace, Order, and Good Government
- Strong, Proud and Free
- Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
The remains of a Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows are found in which province?
- Quebec
- Prince Edward Island
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland and Labrador