How to prepare for your Canadian citizenship test

Taking the citizenship test is one of the final steps towards becoming a Canadian citizen.

Canada’s citizenship test evaluates your knowledge of Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols.

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

This guide will walk you through the following:

How the test is conducted;
Who is eligible to take the Canadian citizenship test;
How you can prepare for the test;
What to expect on the day of the test; and
What to expect after the test.

How is the Canadian citizenship test conducted?

You can take citizenship test in either English or French. The test is 45 minutes long.

Most applicants take the citizenship test online.

If you have issues with accessibility, accessing the Internet, or removing a face covering, you may ask to take the test through another format (for example, in person or through Microsoft Teams).

The test features 20 questions. Questions are either multiple choice or true or false. You must get a minimum of 15 questions out of 20 correct to pass the test.

If you do not pass, you get two more attempts within 30 days. If you fail all three test attempts, you will be invited to a hearing with a citizenship official.

According to an access to information and privacy (ATIP) released earlier this year, from January 1, 2022, to June 14, 2024, the Canadian citizenship test had a pass rate of 92%.

The median time to complete the test was 12 minutes.

Who is eligible to take the Canadian citizenship test?

In order to take the Canadian citizenship test, you must meet all the other criteria to become a Canadian citizen.

This includes:

Having become a Canadian permanent resident;
Having lived in Canada for three* out of the last five years;
Having filed your taxes; and
Having proven your language skills.

*In case of temporary residents or protected persons, each day spent in Canada counts as a half day for the physical presence requirement, up to a maximum of 365 days.

Whether you need to take the test also depends on your age. You have to take the Canadian citizenship test if you’re between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application.

Those under the age of 18 or over the age of 54 do not have to do the test but may be invited to an interview, in some cases.

Once you’ve submitted a citizenship application, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) usually sends an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter or email after ensuring it is complete.

About a week after you’ve received your AOR, you can expect to receive an invitation to schedule your test.

If you’ve shared your email address in your application, you can expect your invitation to arrive by email.

How do I prepare for the Canadian citizenship test?

Use the official study guide “Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship” to study for the test.

You can choose to

read it online;
listen to an MP3 version;
download the PDF or ebook; or
order a paper copy of the study guide.

How much time it takes to study for the test can vary according to your learning style, prior knowledge of the subject, and study habits.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the material, you can try practice tests with sample questions that are available online.

While there are no official practice tests by the Government of Canada, some are available online that mimic the format of the Canadian citizenship test, helping you get more familiar and confident with the material.

Some examples include those by Citizenship Counts and the Richmond Public Library.

What to expect on the day of the test?

Before the test

Decide when you want to have the test. After you receive the invitation, you can take the online test within a 30-day period. Within this period, you have up to three chances to pass the online test.

Make sure you have everything you need for the test. You’ll need

identification;
a compatible browser and device;
a reliable internet connection;
a working webcam; and
a proper location to take the test (something well-lit and free of noise).

During the test

Ensure that your webcam is turned on and your face is fully visible.
Remove items with your personal information from the webcam’s view (for your privacy).
Close other tabs, windows or programs, and turn off any VPN.
Store away any other electronic devices you have with Internet.
Do not consult with other people or other sources of information (for example, notes or the Internet).

After the test

After you’ve submitted your online test, your test result will be automatically generated.

Your official test results will be reviewed and confirmed in the upcoming months with instructions on how to proceed.

If you have passed, you will be contacted with your next steps, which include

(maybe) an interview with a citizenship official; and
the Canadian citizenship ceremony.

You may or may not be required to undergo an interview with a citizenship official. IRCC decides whether or not to require interviews on a case by case basis.

At the Canadian citizenship ceremony, you’ll sing the Canadian national anthem and take the Oath of Citizenship. Upon taking the Oath, you become a Canadian citizen.

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