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Canadian citizenship practice test 1

20 questions drawn from Discover Canada, the official study guide, in the format of the citizenship test: multiple choice and true or false, with 15 correct answers needed to pass. The real test allows 45 minutes; aim to finish this one in 30.

16 multiple-choice and 4 true-or-false questions · free, no account needed · answers explained

The 20 questions

  1. Which document, signed in England in 1215, is also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms?

    1. The British North America Act
    2. The Quebec Act
    3. The Magna Carta
    4. The Constitutional Act
    Show answer

    Answer: The Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms. Many of Canada's fundamental freedoms trace back to it.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  2. Which explorer, sailing in 1497, was the first to draw a map of Canada's East Coast?

    1. Jacques Cartier
    2. John Cabot
    3. Samuel de Champlain
    4. Henry Hudson
    Show answer

    Answer: John Cabot. John Cabot, an Italian immigrant to England, was the first to draw a map of Canada's East Coast during his 1497 expedition.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  3. The beaver appears on the Canadian five-cent coin.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. True. The beaver, an emblem linked to the fur trade and the Hudson's Bay Company, appears on the five-cent coin.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  4. The name 'Canada' comes from the Iroquoian word 'kanata'. What does 'kanata' mean?

    1. River
    2. Land of snow
    3. Meeting place
    4. Village
    Show answer

    Answer: Village. 'Kanata' is the Iroquoian word for 'village'. Jacques Cartier heard it used, and by the 1550s the name Canada began appearing on maps.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  5. Government in Canada has three branches: the executive, the legislative, and which other branch?

    1. The judicial branch
    2. The municipal branch
    3. The electoral branch
    4. The ceremonial branch
    Show answer

    Answer: The judicial branch. The three branches of government are the executive, legislative and judicial branches, which work together but have separate roles.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  6. Which of the following is one of the fundamental freedoms protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

    1. Freedom from paying taxes
    2. Freedom of peaceful assembly
    3. Freedom to a guaranteed job
    4. Freedom to ignore court orders
    Show answer

    Answer: Freedom of peaceful assembly. The Charter protects fundamental freedoms including freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  7. What did Samuel de Champlain do in 1608?

    1. He completed the Canadian Pacific Railway
    2. He defeated the French at Quebec
    3. He built a fortress at what is now Quebec City
    4. He founded the Hudson's Bay Company
    Show answer

    Answer: He built a fortress at what is now Quebec City. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain built a fortress at what is now Quebec City, a key settlement of New France.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  8. Canadian citizens are required by law to vote in federal elections.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. False. Voting is an important responsibility of citizenship, but it is not compulsory by law in Canada.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  9. Who chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada in 1857?

    1. Sir John A. Macdonald
    2. The Fathers of Confederation
    3. King George V
    4. Queen Victoria
    Show answer

    Answer: Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857. It remains the capital of Canada today.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  10. What does the presumption of innocence mean in Canada's justice system?

    1. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty
    2. Everyone must prove their own innocence
    3. Only citizens are presumed innocent
    4. Judges decide guilt before a trial begins
    Show answer

    Answer: Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. A fundamental principle of Canadian law is that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    Study this in The justice system.

  11. The fur trade in New France was driven by the European demand for which product?

    1. Buffalo hides for blankets
    2. Timber for shipbuilding
    3. Beaver pelts for fashionable hats
    4. Cod for salted fish
    Show answer

    Answer: Beaver pelts for fashionable hats. The fur trade was driven by the demand for beaver pelts, which were used to make fashionable hats in Europe.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  12. At the federal level, who normally selects the Cabinet ministers?

    1. The Governor General acting alone
    2. The Prime Minister
    3. The Senate
    4. The voters in each province
    Show answer

    Answer: The Prime Minister. The Prime Minister selects the Cabinet ministers, who are responsible for running the federal government departments.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  13. When called to serve on a jury, you are legally required to do so.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. True. Serving on a jury is a responsibility of citizenship, and when called to do so you are legally required to serve.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  14. In what year was the current Canadian flag, with its red maple leaf, raised for the first time?

    1. 1965
    2. 1867
    3. 1982
    4. 1931
    Show answer

    Answer: 1965. The new Canadian flag was raised for the first time in 1965. Red and white are Canada's official colours.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  15. What does voting by secret ballot mean in a Canadian federal election?

    1. You must register your vote with your employer
    2. Your vote is recorded next to your name in public records
    3. You may only vote by mail
    4. No one can watch you vote, and no one should look at how you voted
    Show answer

    Answer: No one can watch you vote, and no one should look at how you voted. Canadian law provides for a secret ballot: no one can watch you vote and no one should look at how you voted.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  16. Who are the three founding peoples of Canada?

    1. Aboriginal, French and British
    2. French, British and American
    3. Aboriginal, British and Spanish
    4. French, Dutch and British
    Show answer

    Answer: Aboriginal, French and British. Discover Canada identifies three founding peoples: Aboriginal peoples, the French, and the British.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  17. Canada's territory touches three oceans. Which are they?

    1. Pacific, Atlantic and Indian
    2. Atlantic, Arctic and Southern
    3. Pacific, Indian and Arctic
    4. Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic
    Show answer

    Answer: Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic. Canada is bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  18. Senators in Canada's Parliament are elected by the voters.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. False. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve until age 75.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  19. What is 'habeas corpus'?

    1. The right to a free education
    2. The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state
    3. The right to own property
    4. The right to vote in elections
    Show answer

    Answer: The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state. Habeas corpus is the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state. It comes from English common law.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  20. What is the highest court in Canada?

    1. The Federal Court of Canada
    2. The Court of Queen's Bench
    3. The Supreme Court of Canada
    4. The provincial court of appeal
    Show answer

    Answer: The Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada is the country's highest court, above the federal and provincial courts.

    Study this in The justice system.

What your score means

15 or more correct is a pass. Below that, open the questions you missed and follow the link under each answer: the test is drawn entirely from Discover Canada, so the chapter it points to is exactly what to revise. A score that is a pass here is a good sign, not a guarantee; the real test draws different questions from the same guide.

More practice

Questions are written from the Government of Canada study guide, Discover Canada, which is the authority on what the test covers. They are practice questions, not the official test.