The citizenship test

What the test covers

The test checks your knowledge of Canada. You will have to answer 20 questions on the rights and responsibilities of Canadians and on the following aspects of Canada:

1. its history
2. its geography
3. its economy
4. its government
5. its laws
6. its symbols

The test questions are based on the official study guide for the citizenship test: Discover Canada – The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. The citizenship test is not meant to assess your language skills in French or English.

Taking the test

The test:

1. is in French or in English
2. lasts 30 minutes
3. has 20 questions
4. has multiple-choice questions and true or false questions

You must get 15 correct answers to pass the test.

It is usually a written test, or an oral one in certain cases. A citizenship officer may decide on the day of the test that you will take an oral test rather than a written one. That decision rests on a number of factors. For example, if you have difficulty reading and writing in French or English, we will have you take an oral test. The oral test takes place at a hearing before a citizenship officer.

In some cases the hearing will be held on the date of the original test. In most cases it will be held 4 to 8 weeks after the date of the original test. If it is held later, we will send you a notice telling you the date, the time and the place.

After the test

After the test, you will be interviewed by a citizenship officer. During the interview, the citizenship officer will:

1. give you the results of your test, if you took it;
2. check your language skills, if you are between 18 and 54 years old;
3. check your application and your original documents;
4. ask you questions about your application if any points remain to be clarified;
5. confirm that you meet all the conditions required to obtain citizenship.

If you pass and meet the other citizenship requirements, we may:

• tell you, at the same time as your test results, the date on which the ceremony will be held; or
• send you an email or a letter setting out the date and time of your ceremony.

If you fail on the first attempt

If you fail the written test the first time but meet the other citizenship requirements, you will be given an appointment for a second test. That second test usually takes place 4 to 8 weeks after the first, but the wait could be longer.

If you fail the second test, we will send you a notice asking you to appear at a hearing with a citizenship officer. The hearing:

1. will last 30 to 90 minutes;
2. may be held in person or by video conference;
3. may be used to assess one or more citizenship requirements, for example:
   1. knowledge of Canada
   2. language skills

If you do not pass the test after three attempts, your application will be refused. You may then submit a new application and try again.

If you apply along with the rest of your family, all the applications will be processed together. If you have to take the test again or are called to a hearing, your family could be invited to a ceremony before you. If you want all the applications processed at the same time, ask for the processing of your other family members’ applications to be paused until you meet all the requirements, so that you and your family are invited to the same citizenship ceremony and become Canadian citizens at the same time.