Good news! You finally received your notice to appear to write the Canadian citizenship test. You are pretty well on your way to becoming a proud Canadian citizen! Now find some important tips on the question – how can I study for the Canadian citizenship test?
Citizenship Test Tip: First-to-do-jobs
After you have received your notice, check the following things first:
- date and time
- the place where you will take the exam
- things you need to bring, and
- things you should do if you cannot make it to the set date and time.
If you require any accommodations to write the citizenship test, let IRCC know as soon as you get your notice. For example, if you need wheelchair access, Braille or large print format of the exam, let your local IRCC office know right away.
Citizenship Test Tips: the Content of Canadian Citizenship Exam
How can I study for the Canadian citizenship test?
You have to have adequate knowledge about the following things:
- Canada’s history
- Your rights, freedoms and responsibilities
- Form of government
- Politics and political history
- Social and cultural history
- Symbols
Citizenship Test Tips: What happens at the venue
When you arrive at the venue on exam day, just follow carefully what the proctor/official say. Usually, you have to do the things below:
- Go to a waiting room with other applicants.
- Enter the exam room when the proctor/official asks you to.
- Don’t sit next to your family members.
- Listen to the proctor/official and follow his/her instructions.
Citizenship Test Tips: The format of Canadian Citizenship Test
The citizenship test will have:
- 20 questions in total.
- multiple choice type and one or two true/false questions
- 30 minutes to finish the exam
In order to pass, you must answer at least 15 questions correctly. Don’t skip any questions even if you don’t know the answers because there is no negative marking.
Canadian Citizenship Test Tips: if you pass
If you pass the exam, you will be called for a short interview. The citizenship officer will verify your identity and the originals of the documents you attached at the time you applied. He or she will also ask a few questions to verify your knowledge of English or French.
Once this process is done, congratulations! You need just one last step to become a Canadian citizen – the oath taking ceremony. You will receive your invitation to the ceremony by (e)-mail. It will take place around 4-6 months after the exam, depending on the volumes of applicants.
Canadian Citizenship Test Tips: if you fail
If you score lower than 15 in the final citizenship exam, don’t worry because a new poll (2019) says the vast majority of Canadians(who are already citizens by birth) would fail the citizenship test. But be serious!
In that case, you will be re-scheduled to retake the citizenship test. You can write the test again in 3 to 4 weeks. You will be informed of the date, time and place by (e-)mail.
Again, if you don’t even pass the second test, you will be called in to attend an interview with a citizenship officer. The interview lasts from 30-90 minutes and will test your knowledge about Canada and your language proficiency.
Canadian Citizenship Test Tips: how to prepare
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Study ahead of time.
Do not cram or memorize without understanding. If you cram, you will feel stressed and so de-focused.
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Read and understand Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.
It is the only official study guide. Discover Canada is free and available in various formats. You can:
- Read it online.
- Get a paper copy by downloading the pdf or eBook.
- Order a printed copy.
- Listen to it by downloading an MP3 version.
You will find all the answers to the test in this guide. It is important that you read and understand it. The 63-page booklet is well-written, simple to understand, and has many beautiful photos and illustrations. Discover Canada is easy to read and re-read several times.
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Practice our free practice tests and review
You can start your own review class. If you are taking the citizenship test with your family members or friends, you can use our Citizenship Practice tests. We have more than 360 important questions that will help you pass with flying colours.
These practice tests are not official questions but they can help you review what you’ve read in Discover Canada booklet.
Citizenship Test Tips: before you go to the exam hall:
- Review your notice to check the right date and time.
- Check the address of the venue. If you don’t know the place, search in Google Maps, or ask a friend to know where it is and how to go there.
- Get the documents as the notice has asked you to. And don’t forget to bring that letter/notice!
- Get child care for your young children. They will not be allowed inside the testing/interview room if you bring them with you.
- Take a whole day off from work. Although the test itself takes only 30 minutes, it will be hard to estimate the time needed to process the exam and interview. You can be in for long wait times if there are many examinees.
Citizenship Test Tips: the exam day
Don’t be late! Try to be there 20 to 30 minutes early. No examinee is allowed in the exam room after the time indicated on the invitation. If you are not allowed from attending the exam due to an emergency, contact the local IRCC office within 30 days and provide a reasonable explanation.
- During the test, relax, read, and understand the questions. You will have about a minute and a half for each question. This time is beyond enough.
- If you are faced with a difficult question, don’t waste your valuable time behind it for a long time. Move on to the next.
- Answer easy questions first.
- If you don’t know the answer to a question, start cutting from the least possible option. Keep doing until you have a feeling that this is the right choice.
- Confirm your pass marks.
- Some questions might be set in a slightly different way from what you have studied. For example, you have read a question like this: “Who are party leaders?“, and it might have been set in the following way:
Who isn’t a current party leader in the House of Commons?
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- Justin Trudeau
- Andrew Scheer
- Elizabeth May
- Gilles Duceppe
- One question or two might also be set not from the Discover Canada booklet but from general knowledge/common sense. For example,
Which of the following is a website:
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- www.musitrature.com
- www.musitrature
- musitrature
- citizenship-musitrature
- When you’re done with all the numbers, go back to the question or questions that you missed.
- Check if you answered all the questions before submitting your paper.
Listen to the Audio of Citizenship Test Tips
Best of luck!