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Canadian citizenship practice test 22

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. Where do most Inuit live?

    1. In large cities in southern Ontario
    2. In small, scattered communities across the Arctic
    3. On the Prairies
    4. Along the shores of the Great Lakes
    Show answer

    Answer: In small, scattered communities across the Arctic. The Inuit live in small, scattered communities across the Arctic, where their knowledge of the land, sea and wildlife enabled them to adapt to a harsh environment.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  2. What does the 'rule of law' mean in Canada?

    1. Judges may change laws whenever they wish
    2. The police decide what the law is
    3. Laws apply only to citizens, not to governments
    4. No person or group is above the law
    Show answer

    Answer: No person or group is above the law. One of Canada's founding principles is the rule of law: individuals and governments are regulated by laws, and no person or group is above the law.

    Study this in The justice system.

  3. Which of the following is one of the fundamental freedoms in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

    1. Freedom of conscience and religion
    2. Freedom from paying taxes
    3. Freedom to a guaranteed job
    4. Freedom from jury duty
    Show answer

    Answer: Freedom of conscience and religion. The Charter's fundamental freedoms include freedom of conscience and religion, of thought and expression, of peaceful assembly, and of association.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  4. Who were the Acadians?

    1. British settlers who founded Halifax
    2. Aboriginal peoples of the St. Lawrence valley
    3. Descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604
    4. Gold prospectors who settled the Yukon
    Show answer

    Answer: Descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604. The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  5. Voting in Canadian federal elections is by secret ballot: no one can watch you vote, and no one should look at how you voted.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Canadians vote by secret ballot; no one, including family members or employers, has the right to know how you voted.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  6. Which of the following is a responsibility of the federal government?

    1. Education
    2. National defence and foreign policy
    3. Highways
    4. Natural resources
    Show answer

    Answer: National defence and foreign policy. The federal government handles matters of national and international concern, including defence, foreign policy, currency, criminal law and citizenship; education and highways are provincial responsibilities.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  7. According to the study guide, what was the stated purpose of the Indian residential school system?

    1. To train Aboriginal children as fur traders
    2. To teach Aboriginal languages to settlers
    3. To educate and assimilate Aboriginal children into mainstream Canadian culture
    4. To prepare children for military service
    Show answer

    Answer: To educate and assimilate Aboriginal children into mainstream Canadian culture. From the 1800s until the 1980s, the federal government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to educate and assimilate them into mainstream Canadian culture; the schools were poorly funded and inflicted hardship, and some students were physically abused.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  8. In what year was the current Canadian maple leaf flag raised for the first time?

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

    Answer: 1965. The new red and white Canadian flag with the maple leaf was raised for the first time in 1965.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  9. How does Canadian law treat so-called 'honour killings', female genital mutilation, forced marriage and other gender-based violence?

    1. As private family matters
    2. As acceptable if they are part of a cultural tradition
    3. As issues to be handled outside the courts
    4. As serious crimes severely punished under Canada's criminal laws
    Show answer

    Answer: As serious crimes severely punished under Canada's criminal laws. Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices such as spousal abuse, 'honour killings', female genital mutilation or forced marriage; those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  10. Military service is compulsory for all Canadian citizens.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. There is no compulsory military service in Canada; serving in the Canadian Forces is a voluntary and noble way to contribute to Canada.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  11. What are the three levels of government in Canada?

    1. Executive, legislative and judicial
    2. Monarchy, Senate and Commons
    3. Federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal
    4. National, regional and international
    Show answer

    Answer: Federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal. Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial and territorial, and municipal (local); executive, legislative and judicial are the three branches of government, not levels.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  12. In what year did the Official Languages Act become law?

    1. 1867
    2. 1931
    3. 1945
    4. 1969
    Show answer

    Answer: 1969. The Official Languages Act, passed in 1969, made English and French the official languages of the federal government.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  13. What does the name 'Nunavut' mean?

    1. 'Our land' in Inuktitut
    2. 'Great river' in Cree
    3. 'Land of the midnight sun'
    4. 'Meeting place' in Michif
    Show answer

    Answer: 'Our land' in Inuktitut. Nunavut, established as a territory in 1999, means 'our land' in Inuktitut.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  14. What can you do if you cannot afford to pay for a lawyer?

    1. You must represent the other party in court
    2. Ask the police to argue your case for you
    3. Use legal aid services, available free of charge or at low cost in most communities
    4. Wait until you can pay before attending court
    Show answer

    Answer: Use legal aid services, available free of charge or at low cost in most communities. If you cannot pay for a lawyer, legal aid services are available free of charge or at low cost in most communities.

    Study this in The justice system.

  15. During the Great Upheaval, more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Between 1755 and 1763, during the war between Britain and France, more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  16. Which of the following people is eligible to vote in a federal election?

    1. A permanent resident aged 30
    2. A Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old on voting day and on the voters' list
    3. Any resident of Canada aged 16 or older
    4. Only citizens who own property
    Show answer

    Answer: A Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old on voting day and on the voters' list. To vote in a federal election you must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years old on voting day, and be on the voters' list.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  17. What is Canada's national anthem?

    1. God Save the King
    2. The Maple Leaf Forever
    3. Vive la Canadienne
    4. O Canada
    Show answer

    Answer: O Canada. 'O Canada' was proclaimed as the national anthem in 1980; 'God Save the King (or Queen)' is the royal anthem.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  18. What are the three main types of industries in the Canadian economy?

    1. Service, manufacturing and natural resources
    2. Tourism, fishing and banking
    3. Agriculture, mining and shipping
    4. Technology, construction and retail
    Show answer

    Answer: Service, manufacturing and natural resources. The Canadian economy includes three main types of industries: service industries, manufacturing industries and natural resources industries.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  19. In Canada, the judicial branch of government writes and passes new laws.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. Laws are passed by the legislative branch (Parliament and the provincial legislatures); the courts interpret and apply the law.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  20. Which province was the first to grant women the right to vote, in 1916?

    1. Ontario
    2. Quebec
    3. Manitoba
    4. Nova Scotia
    Show answer

    Answer: Manitoba. In 1916, Manitoba became the first province to grant voting rights to women.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

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.