Canadian Citizenship Test - A Brief Overview

The Canadian Citizenship Test is a "knows about Canada" test required by the Canadian citizenship applicants that are between the ages 18 and 54. The test is run by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and is required as part of the Canadian citizenship application process. The test is available in both official languages including French and English.

Its a 30 minutes test and contains 20 multiple choice questions. Applicants for citizenship must answer at least 60%, or 12 questions, correctly in order to pass the test. They must also answer all questions correctly relating to the electoral system in order to be successful.

Contents of the Canadian Citizenship Test:

The test contains questions drawn from a pool of around 200 taken from the official guide "A Look At Canada" and assesses knowledge and language abilities. The test asks questions on the following subject matter:

• the rights and responsibilities of a citizen
• Canadian social and cultural history (for example, which three Aboriginal groups are recognized in the Constitution)
• Canadian politics (for example, the names of the leaders of the major political parties) and
• Canadian physical and political geography (for example, how many provinces there are and the names of their capital cities).
• The test and your interaction with Citizenship and Immigration Canada staff will show if you can speak either English or French well enough to communicate with people. You must be able to understand simple spoken statements and questions. You must also be able to communicate simple information.

Pass Rate:

Approximately 150,000 people every year are granted Canadian Citizenship. Independent surveys such as the National Angus Reid Poll have found that around 45% of people who already have Canadian Citizenship failed the test. Please note that the test is just one of the requirements for obtaining Canadian citizenship and does not guarantee citizenship. You must also meet all other requirements for citizenship. See the How to Become a Canadian Citizen article for more information.

Failing the Test:

You will fail the test if you score less than 60% or do not answer all questions correctly relating to the electoral system. If the applicant fails the citizenship test, then he or she will be invited to have an interview with a citizenship judge for about 15 to 20 minutes. There, the citizenship judge will assess whether or not the applicant has the necessary knowledge and language abilities for citizenship.