To obtain Canadian citizenship through naturalization, most permanent residents will be required to pass the Canadian citizenship test.

If you take the test, you will be asked about Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols. There will also be questions about the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens.

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This test consists of 20 multiple choice and true-or-false questions, and you must answer at least 15 out of 20 questions (75%) correctly in order to pass.

Typically, you will be invited to complete the test online and will be expected to do so within 45 minutes. You may also be permitted to take your test through Microsoft Teams or in person.

Permanent residents between 18 to 54 years of age are required to take the citizenship test, which can be administered in either English or French depending on your personal preference.

CIC News invites you to assess your knowledge of Canada by completing the practice test below. This carefully curated assessment mirrors the format and content of the actual citizenship examination.

We advise having a pen and paper on hand as you answer, allowing you to keep track of your answers and tally up your score once you finish.

Canadian citizenship practice test

1. What are the three main distinct groups of Indigenous peoples in today’s Canada?

A) Status Indians, Non-Status Indians, and Treaty Indians.

B) Indian/First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

C) Ojibwe, Cree, and Mi’kmaq.

D) Ojibwe, Métis, and Cree.

2. On what date did the Battle of Vimy Ridge begin?

A) April 22, 1915.

B) July 1, 1916.

C) April 9, 1917.

D) June 6, 1944.

3. Which are Canada’s prairie provinces?

A) Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, the Yukon, and Alberta.

B) Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

C) Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan.

D) Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick.

4. Name three responsibilities that come with Canadian Citizenship.

A) Obeying the law, voting in elections, and taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family.

B) Serving in the military, volunteering in your community, and paying taxes.

C) Knowing both official languages, taking responsibility for those in your local community, and protecting the environment.

D) Voting in elections, obeying the law, and staying informed on current events.

5. Which of these has been a symbol of the state in Canada for the last 400 years?

A) The beaver.

B) The Great Seal of Canada.

C) The Crown.

D) The Cross of St. George.

6. Who was the first prime minister of Canada?

A) Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

B) Lester B. Pearson.

C) William Lyon Mackenzie King.

D) Sir John Alexander Macdonald.

7. When did Canada become a self-governing nation?

A) May 9, 1840.

B) December 23, 1931.

C) April 18, 1919.

D) July 1, 1867.

8. In Canada, judges are elected by the public.

True.

False.

9. Nunavut holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada.

True.

False.

10. The great majority of Canadians identify as….?

A) Christian.

B) Non-religious.

C) Muslim.

D) Spiritual.

11. What do Canadians remember on Remembrance Day?

A) The first Thanksgiving celebrated by early settlers.

B) The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

C) The courage and sacrifice of those who served and died in all wars in which Canada took part in.

D) The day Canadian women gained the right to vote.

12. The Supreme Court of Canada has how many judges?

A) 8.

B) 10.

C) 14.

D) 9.

13. All members of the House of Commons have the right to question any decisions made by the Cabinet.

True.

False.

14. Which of these people won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry?

A) Mo Yan.

B) Grameen Bank.

C) Elinor Ostrom.

D) Gerhard Herzberg.

15. What is the highest honour available to Canadians?

A) The Victoria Cross.

B) The Canadian Medal of Bravery.

C) The Cross of Valour.

D) The Star of Courage.

16. What does Habeus Corpus mean?

A) The right to a speedy trial.

B) The right to legally challenge unlawful detention by state.

C) The legal principle that evidence obtained illegally cannot be used in court.

D) The right to remain silent during a police interrogation.

17. The Quebec Act of 1774….

A) allowed religious freedom for Catholics.

B) permitted Catholics to hold public office.

C) is one of the constitutional foundations of Canada.

D) all of the above.

18. As a Canadian citizen, you are legally required to serve on a jury if called to do so.

True

False

19. Which of the following is Canada’s smallest province?

A) Saskatchewan.

B) Prince Edward Island.

C) Manitoba.

D) Nova Scotia.

20. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants Canadians mobility rights. What does this mean?

A) Canadian citizens have the right to live or work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport.

B) The government must provide free transportation services when Canadian citizens relocate between provinces for work purposes.

C) Canadian citizens receive government subsidies when purchasing homes in different provinces.

D) Canadian citizens are not subject to border security checks when moving between Canadian provinces and territories.

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Calculate your score

Now that you’ve completed the practice test, it’s time to see how well you did.

Give yourself one point for each answer you got right. Your goal is to get a minimum of 15 questions correct, as this is the passing mark for the official Canadian citizenship test.

Scoring at least 15 out of 20 demonstrates you have a decent understanding of Canada’s history, values, government, and rights as a citizen.

If you didn’t quite reach the threshold, it’s wise to go through and review the questions you missed in our practice test and brush up on areas in which you require additional study and preparation.

The Government of Canada has a free official study guide for the citizenship test online titled Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship to help you ace not only our practice test, but also the official Canadian citizenship test.

The Canadian citizenship test may also include questions about the province or territory you live in.

What to expect after completing the Canadian citizenship test

You passed the official test, now what?

Good news: you passed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCCs) Canadian citizenship test. You answered at least 15 out of 20 (75%) questions correctly on the test and received a passing grade.

IRCC will invite you to the citizenship ceremony, the final step required before you can become a Canadian citizen.

In some cases, the immigration department will invite you to an interview with a citizenship official.

In such cases, you can expect the interview occur approximately eight weeks after you get your official test result.

You failed the official test, now what?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada gives permanent residents three chances in total to pass the Canadian citizenship test—meaning you can try two more times.

You are only eligible for a retest within 30 calendar days (for online test) of receiving your initial test invitation. You cannot take the test again if 31 or more days pass.

If you fail the test in each of these three instances, the immigration department will invite you to a hearing with a citizenship official.

At this hearing—which typically lasts around 30 to 90 minutes—a citizenship officer will orally ask you questions about the following:

• Your knowledge of Canada; and
• Your residence in Canada.

You will also be assessed on whether you have adequate knowledge of English or French speaking and listening skills. Adequate knowledge is considered to be a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level four across all language abilities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

Following this hearing, you will be sent a letter with your results. If you pass the hearing, the immigration department will send you an invitation to the citizenship ceremony.

If you fail the hearing, your application may be refused. In such cases, you can either

• Apply for Canadian citizenship again by submitting a new application with all the required forms and documents; or
• Appeal the decision by requesting a judicial review from the Federal Court of Canada.

If you apply as a family or group, your applications are processed simultaneously. In cases where you require a retest or hearing, your fellow applicants may be invited to the citizenship ceremony before you do (provided they passed their citizenship test(s)).

Dual citizenship

Canada recognizes and permits its citizens to hold dual citizenship – meaning that Canadian citizens are permitted to hold citizenship of other countries.

Not all nations recognize dual citizenship, however.

Certain countries, such as Brazil or France, wholly recognize dual citizenship. Others, such as Iran, do not.

Some countries may allow dual citizenship, but only under certain conditions.

Your ability to retain your other citizenship(s) will depend on the laws of the other country or countries of which you are a citizen.

Our recent article covers the implications of dual citizenship for the top 10 source countries of naturalized Canadian citizens.

If your home country does not permit dual citizenship, one of two scenarios will apply if you become a citizen of Canada:

• Automatic revocation: your original citizenship may be immediately terminated by your home country; or
• Required renunciation: you’ll need to formally renounce/surrender your previous citizenship.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration
Law Firm