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Canadian citizenship practice test 37

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. Who drove the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway on November 7, 1885?

    1. Sir John A. Macdonald
    2. Louis Riel
    3. Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona)
    4. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
    Show answer

    Answer: Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona). Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona), the Scottish-born director of the Canadian Pacific Railway, drove the last spike on November 7, 1885, completing a powerful symbol of unity.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  2. How are members of the Senate chosen?

    1. They are elected by voters in their province
    2. They are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister
    3. They are chosen by the provincial premiers
    4. They are selected by the Supreme Court
    Show answer

    Answer: They are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister, unlike members of the House of Commons, who are elected.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  3. More than 75 per cent of working Canadians have jobs in service industries.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Service industries such as transportation, education, health care, banking, retail and tourism employ more than 75 per cent of working Canadians.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  4. In what year was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms entrenched in the Constitution?

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

    Answer: 1982. The Constitution was amended in 1982, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was entrenched in it that year.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  5. During the economic boom before the First World War, which two groups each sent about one million immigrants to Canada?

    1. The British and the Americans
    2. The French and the Germans
    3. The Chinese and the Japanese
    4. The Italians and the Greeks
    Show answer

    Answer: The British and the Americans. During the boom years of the 1890s and early 1900s, one million British and one million American immigrants came to Canada as the country grew and industrialized.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  6. Which provinces make up the Prairie region of Canada?

    1. Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba
    2. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
    3. Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon
    4. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario
    Show answer

    Answer: Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Prairie provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, a region rich in energy resources and some of the most fertile farmland in the world.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  7. If the party in power holds fewer than half of the seats in the House of Commons, what is this situation called?

    1. A coalition government
    2. A royal government
    3. A minority government
    4. A unity government
    Show answer

    Answer: A minority government. When the governing party holds fewer than half of the seats in the House of Commons, it is called a minority government.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  8. Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces of Canada in 1905.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Alberta and Saskatchewan both joined Confederation in 1905, as settlement of the West expanded.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  9. What is the highest court in Canada?

    1. The Federal Court of Canada
    2. The Supreme Court of Canada
    3. The provincial courts of appeal
    4. The Tax Court of Canada
    Show answer

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

    Study this in The justice system.

  10. Which province is Canada's largest producer of oil and gas?

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

    Answer: Alberta. Alberta is Canada's largest producer of oil and gas, and its oil sands are a major source of energy.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  11. Which of the following is required in order to vote in a federal election?

    1. Being a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on voting day
    2. Owning property in Canada
    3. Being born in Canada
    4. Having a valid driver's licence
    Show answer

    Answer: Being a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on voting day. 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.

  12. What was the head tax?

    1. A tax charged on railway tickets
    2. A race-based entry fee charged to Chinese immigrants entering Canada
    3. A fee paid by settlers to register Prairie farmland
    4. A duty charged on goods imported from Britain
    Show answer

    Answer: A race-based entry fee charged to Chinese immigrants entering Canada. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, the federal government imposed the head tax, a race-based entry fee, on Chinese immigrants.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  13. In the federal government, Cabinet ministers are chosen by the Senate.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. False. The Prime Minister selects the Cabinet ministers, most of them from among the members of the House of Commons.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  14. On which Canadian coin does the beaver appear?

    1. The one-cent coin
    2. The ten-cent coin
    3. The fifty-cent coin
    4. The five-cent coin
    Show answer

    Answer: The five-cent coin. The beaver, adopted centuries ago as a symbol of the Hudson's Bay Company, appears on the five-cent coin.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  15. Which of the following is a responsibility of Canadian citizenship?

    1. Voting in elections
    2. Serving in the Canadian Forces
    3. Sending your children to a French-language school
    4. Working for the federal government
    Show answer

    Answer: Voting in elections. Voting in elections is a citizenship responsibility. Military service is not compulsory in Canada, though serving in the forces is a noble way to contribute.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  16. Which two provinces have their own provincial police forces?

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

    Answer: Ontario and Quebec. Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial police forces. In the other provinces and the territories, the RCMP also serves as the provincial or territorial police.

    Study this in The justice system.

  17. What is the role of the opposition parties in Parliament?

    1. To appoint senators
    2. To administer the courts
    3. To peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals
    4. To select the Governor General
    Show answer

    Answer: To peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals. The opposition parties peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals, an essential part of parliamentary democracy.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  18. Canadian citizens are required by law to serve in the armed forces.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. This is false. There is no compulsory military service in Canada; serving in the regular forces or reserves is a voluntary choice.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  19. What is Canada's national anthem?

    1. God Save the King
    2. The Maple Leaf Forever
    3. In Flanders Fields
    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 of Canada.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  20. Which four provinces first formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867?

    1. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia
    2. Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Ontario
    3. Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec
    4. Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
    Show answer

    Answer: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. At Confederation on July 1, 1867, the Dominion of Canada was formed by Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

    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.