Canadian Citizenship Test: Questions, Pass Mark and How to Prepare

Short answer: The Canadian citizenship test has 20 multiple-choice and true-or-false questions. You have 30 minutes and need 15 correct answers (75%) to pass. Applicants aged 18 to 54 take it, usually online, in English or French. Every question is based on the official study guide Discover Canada.

Canadian citizenship test at a glance

Who has to take the Canadian citizenship test?

If you are between 18 and 54 years old on the date you sign your citizenship application, you must take the test. Applicants under 18 or aged 55 and over do not take it. Applicants in the 18 to 54 age range must also prove their English or French language ability, normally at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.

What topics are on the test?

The test covers the chapters of Discover Canada:

• Rights and responsibilities of citizenship
• Who we are: Indigenous peoples, English and French Canadians, and diversity
• Canada’s history, from early exploration to modern Canada
• How Canadians govern themselves: federal state, parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
• Federal elections and voting
• The justice system
• Canadian symbols, from the Crown and flag to the national anthem
• Canada’s economy and its regions, provinces and territories

How the online test works

After you apply, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sends you an invitation to take the test, usually online. You take it on your own computer with a webcam, within a set window of time, following IRCC’s rules on identity checks and test conditions. Read your invitation carefully: it explains the deadline and the technical requirements.

How to prepare for the Canadian citizenship test

1. Download Discover Canada for free from the IRCC website, or listen to the audio version during your commute.
2. Take a baseline quiz. Start with our Canadian citizenship practice test to see where you stand.
3. Learn your own province or territory. Some questions ask about the region you live in, such as its capital and its features.
4. Know who represents you. Learn the names of the Prime Minister, your premier, your Member of Parliament and the head of state’s representative, because these change.
5. Do timed mock exams. Twenty questions in 30 minutes is generous, but practising under time pressure makes test day feel routine.

Tip: Rights and responsibilities questions are easy marks. Know the responsibilities (obeying the law, taking responsibility for yourself and your family, serving on a jury, voting, helping others, protecting heritage and the environment) and the freedoms in the Charter.

What happens if I fail the Canadian citizenship test?

You are usually given a second test. If you fail again, you may be invited to an interview with a citizenship official, who can ask you the questions in person. See our full guide on what happens if you fail a citizenship test.

After the test: the citizenship ceremony

Once you pass and IRCC approves your application, you are invited to a citizenship ceremony where you take the Oath of Citizenship. Only then do you become a Canadian citizen. Learn more in our guide to citizenship ceremonies.

Official sources

• IRCC: Prepare for the citizenship test

Start now: take a free Canadian citizenship practice quiz.