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Canadian citizenship practice test 20

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. What practice did Upper Canada move to abolish in 1793, before the British Empire abolished it in 1833?

    1. Child labour
    2. The fur trade
    3. Slavery
    4. The seigneurial system
    Show answer

    Answer: Slavery. Upper Canada was the first province in the Empire to move toward abolishing slavery; the Empire followed in 1833.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  2. What must a party or coalition hold in order to govern Canada?

    1. The Sovereign's personal approval
    2. A majority of seats in the Senate
    3. The unanimous approval of the provinces
    4. The confidence of the House of Commons
    Show answer

    Answer: The confidence of the House of Commons. A government stays in office only while it commands the confidence of the elected House of Commons.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  3. Freedom of peaceful assembly is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Peaceful assembly is one of the fundamental freedoms listed in the Charter.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  4. Which sector employs the largest share of working Canadians?

    1. Natural resources
    2. Service industries
    3. Manufacturing
    4. Agriculture
    Show answer

    Answer: Service industries. More than three-quarters of working Canadians are employed in service industries.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  5. In what role did Lord Durham come to Canada in 1838?

    1. As a rebel leader
    2. As an American envoy
    3. As a fur trade governor
    4. As the Governor sent to report on the rebellions
    Show answer

    Answer: As the Governor sent to report on the rebellions. Durham was sent to investigate the causes of the 1837-38 rebellions and propose reforms.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  6. How are Lieutenant Governors chosen?

    1. Appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister
    2. Elected by the voters of the province
    3. Chosen by the Senate
    4. Selected by the provincial premier
    Show answer

    Answer: Appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the Governor General on the Prime Minister's advice, usually for five years.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  7. On a federal election ballot, whom do you actually vote for?

    1. The Prime Minister directly
    2. A candidate running in your electoral district
    3. A Senator for your province
    4. A judge of your local court
    Show answer

    Answer: A candidate running in your electoral district. Canadians elect a local Member of Parliament; the party leadership of the winning side forms the government.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  8. The rebellions of 1837-38 succeeded in overthrowing the colonial governments.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. Both rebellions were defeated, but they pushed Britain toward reform and responsible government.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  9. What does "due process" mean?

    1. Trials must finish within one day
    2. The government must respect all the legal rights a person is entitled to under the law
    3. The police decide guilt or innocence
    4. Laws apply only to citizens
    Show answer

    Answer: The government must respect all the legal rights a person is entitled to under the law. Due process requires the state to respect every legal right a person has under the law.

    Study this in The justice system.

  10. Ministers of the Crown are usually chosen from among whom?

    1. Provincial premiers
    2. Senior civil servants
    3. Members of Parliament
    4. Judges
    Show answer

    Answer: Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister usually selects Cabinet ministers from the elected members of the House of Commons.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  11. Which of the following is a service industry?

    1. A pulp and paper mill
    2. A wheat farm
    3. A copper mine
    4. Banking and communications
    Show answer

    Answer: Banking and communications. Service industries — like banking, communications, health care and retail — employ most working Canadians.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  12. For roughly how long has the maple leaf been associated with Canada?

    1. Since the 1700s
    2. Only since the flag debate of 1965
    3. Since the Second World War
    4. Since the Constitution Act of 1982
    Show answer

    Answer: Since the 1700s. The maple leaf was adopted as a symbol by French Canadians as early as the 1700s, long before it appeared on the flag.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  13. What does it mean that Canada is a "federal state"?

    1. Powers are divided between the federal and provincial or territorial governments
    2. All power rests with Ottawa
    3. Each province is an independent country
    4. Cities control the provinces
    Show answer

    Answer: Powers are divided between the federal and provincial or territorial governments. In Canada's federal system, the constitution divides responsibilities between the federal government and the provinces and territories.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  14. The Governor General decides which laws Parliament will pass.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. Elected representatives make the laws; the Governor General's assent is a formal constitutional step.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  15. Where did the first representative assembly in what is now Canada meet in 1758?

    1. Quebec City
    2. Halifax, Nova Scotia
    3. York (Toronto)
    4. Winnipeg
    Show answer

    Answer: Halifax, Nova Scotia. The first representative assembly was elected in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1758.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  16. Which of the following is described as both a right and a responsibility of citizenship?

    1. Driving a car
    2. Owning land
    3. Voting in elections
    4. Paying rent on time
    Show answer

    Answer: Voting in elections. Citizens have the right to vote and the responsibility to exercise it in federal, provincial and municipal elections.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  17. At Confederation, the Province of Canada was split into which two provinces?

    1. Manitoba and Saskatchewan
    2. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
    3. British Columbia and Yukon
    4. Ontario and Quebec
    Show answer

    Answer: Ontario and Quebec. At Confederation in 1867, the Province of Canada was divided into two provinces: Ontario and Quebec.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  18. What can you do if you believe the police have not treated you properly?

    1. Make a complaint — police services have public complaint procedures
    2. Nothing can be done
    3. Sue the Sovereign personally
    4. You must leave the country
    Show answer

    Answer: Make a complaint — police services have public complaint procedures. Police are subject to the law, and anyone who feels mistreated may question their conduct through complaint procedures.

    Study this in The justice system.

  19. The 1988 Canada-United States free trade agreement was later expanded to include Mexico.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement brought Mexico into the free trade zone.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  20. What is Canada's official summer sport?

    1. Soccer
    2. Canadian football
    3. Lacrosse
    4. Curling
    Show answer

    Answer: Lacrosse. Lacrosse, an ancient sport first played by Aboriginal peoples, is Canada's official summer sport. Hockey is the national winter sport.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

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.