Canadian Citizenship Test: Format, Pass Mark and How to Study

You must take the citizenship test if you are between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your citizenship application. You don't take it if you are under 18, 55 or older, or have received a waiver, for example for a medical condition that prevents you from taking it.

The test comes after you apply. If you haven't applied yet, start with our guide to applying for Canadian citizenship and check your eligibility with the citizenship calculator.

When you are invited to take the online test, you usually have 30 days to take it. Read the invitation carefully and don't miss the window.

All questions come from the official study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. It is free and available online, as a PDF, an eBook, an audio book, and in print.

The test covers:

• Rights and responsibilities of citizens, such as voting, obeying the law, and serving on a jury
• Canadian history, including Indigenous peoples, early settlement, Confederation, and the World Wars
• How Canada is governed: the Constitution, the monarchy, Parliament, federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and elections
• Canada's justice system
• Canadian symbols, such as the flag, the anthem, and national holidays
• Geography: provinces, territories, capitals, and regions
• Canada's economy

Some questions ask about your own province or territory, such as its capital or government.

1. Read Discover Canada from start to finish. Don't skip sections; questions can come from any part.
2. Listen to the audio version if you learn better by hearing. It also helps your listening skills.
3. Make notes on names, dates, and numbers, such as the year of Confederation, the number of provinces and territories, and the roles of the Governor General and Prime Minister.
4. Learn your own province or territory: its capital, its premier's role, and its main features.
5. Take practice tests, but choose them carefully. Some unofficial practice questions are out of date. Always check answers against Discover Canada.
6. Study with family members who are also applying.

Many people study for a few weeks. If English or French is not your first language, give yourself more time, and consider free, government-funded language classes. See our language tests guide.

The real test questions are not published, but the style is simple and factual. Questions like these test the kind of knowledge found in Discover Canada:

Questions are short, and each has one correct answer. Read every option before you choose, because wrong answers are often close to the right one.

If a disability, a medical condition, or limited literacy makes the online test hard for you, you can ask for another format. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers options such as an in-person written test, an oral test with an official, or a test by video call. Ask as early as possible, and include any supporting documents, such as a doctor's letter. People with a long-term condition that prevents them from taking the test at all can ask for a waiver.

If you are 55 or older when you sign your application, you don't take the test. Check the rules in the citizenship section of our site before you apply.

For the online test:

• Use a computer with a working webcam and microphone and a stable internet connection
• Sit alone in a quiet, well-lit room, with nothing on your desk
• Have your identity document ready if the invitation asks for it
• Don't use notes, phones, or other help. The test is monitored, and cheating can lead to refusal and a ban on reapplying

Once the timer starts, you can't stop it. If you have a technical problem, follow the instructions in your invitation right away.

If you pass, IRCC continues processing your application. You may be invited to an interview, and then to a citizenship ceremony, where you take the Oath of Citizenship and become a citizen.

If you don't pass, you have more chances. Depending on your case, you may be invited to:

• A re-test
• An interview with a citizenship official
• A hearing

You get 3 chances in total. If you can't pass after your attempts and interview or hearing, your application can be refused, and you would need to apply again and pay again.