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Canadian citizenship practice test 47

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. In 1840, Upper and Lower Canada were united as what?

    1. British North America
    2. The Dominion of Canada
    3. The Province of Canada
    4. The United Empire
    Show answer

    Answer: The Province of Canada. In 1840, Upper and Lower Canada were united as the Province of Canada; reformers such as Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine and Robert Baldwin, in parallel with Joseph Howe in Nova Scotia, then worked toward responsible government.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  2. Canadians enjoy an 800-year old tradition of ordered liberty that dates back to the signing of which document in England in 1215?

    1. The British North America Act
    2. Magna Carta, the Great Charter of Freedoms
    3. The Habeas Corpus Act
    4. The Constitutional Act of 1791
    Show answer

    Answer: Magna Carta, the Great Charter of Freedoms. Canadian rights secure an 800-year old tradition of ordered liberty, which dates back to the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 in England, also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  3. British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871 after Ottawa promised to build a railway to the Pacific coast.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. British Columbia entered Confederation in 1871 on the promise of a railway to the West Coast, a promise fulfilled with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  4. Canada is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy and what else?

    1. A presidential republic
    2. A direct democracy
    3. A unitary state
    4. A constitutional monarchy
    Show answer

    Answer: A constitutional monarchy. Canada is described as three things: a federal state, a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with the Sovereign as head of state.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  5. On Remembrance Day, Canadians honour the sacrifices of over a million brave men and women who have served in war, and how many who have given their lives?

    1. 60,000
    2. 10,000
    3. 110,000
    4. 500,000
    Show answer

    Answer: 110,000. Canadians wear the red poppy and observe a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour the sacrifices of over a million brave men and women who have served, and the 110,000 who have given their lives.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  6. Which of the five Great Lakes lies entirely within the United States?

    1. Lake Michigan
    2. Lake Erie
    3. Lake Ontario
    4. Lake Huron
    Show answer

    Answer: Lake Michigan. Of the five Great Lakes, only Lake Michigan lies entirely within the United States; Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario are shared between Canada and the United States.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  7. Which of the following is listed in Discover Canada as one of the sources of Canadian law?

    1. The American Bill of Rights
    2. Roman imperial law
    3. The civil code of France
    4. The Napoleonic military code
    Show answer

    Answer: The civil code of France. Canadian law has several sources, including laws passed by Parliament and the provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France, and the unwritten constitution inherited from Great Britain.

    Study this in The justice system.

  8. In Canada, men and women are equal under the law, and crimes such as spousal abuse are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. The equality of women and men is a core Canadian value. Gender-based violence, including spousal abuse, is a serious crime punishable under Canada's criminal laws.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  9. Which Father of Confederation from New Brunswick suggested the term "Dominion of Canada" in 1864?

    1. Sir John A. Macdonald
    2. Sir George-Etienne Cartier
    3. Joseph Howe
    4. Sir Leonard Tilley
    Show answer

    Answer: Sir Leonard Tilley. Sir Leonard Tilley, an elected official and Father of Confederation from New Brunswick, suggested the term Dominion of Canada in 1864, inspired by Psalm 72 in the Bible.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  10. After a bill has been passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate, what final step makes it law?

    1. It receives royal assent, granted by the Governor General
    2. It is signed by the Prime Minister
    3. It is reviewed by the Supreme Court of Canada
    4. It is approved in a national referendum
    Show answer

    Answer: It receives royal assent, granted by the Governor General. A bill becomes law once it has passed both chambers of Parliament and received royal assent, which is granted by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  11. Which champion of democracy and French language rights became the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas in 1849?

    1. Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
    2. Robert Baldwin
    3. Lord Durham
    4. Lord Elgin
    Show answer

    Answer: Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine. Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, a champion of democracy and French language rights, became the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas in 1849, working in partnership with Robert Baldwin.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  12. What share of Canadian exports is destined for the United States?

    1. About one-quarter
    2. About half
    3. About two-thirds
    4. Over three-quarters
    Show answer

    Answer: Over three-quarters. Over three-quarters of Canadian exports are destined for the U.S.A., part of the biggest bilateral trading relationship in the world.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  13. The Bay of Fundy, between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, has the highest tides in the world.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. The Bay of Fundy, which lies between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is known for having the highest tides in the world.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  14. According to Discover Canada, the opening phrase of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms underlines the importance of what?

    1. Religious traditions to Canadian society, and the dignity and worth of the human person
    2. The supremacy of Parliament over the courts
    3. Canada's independence from Great Britain
    4. The equality of all provinces
    Show answer

    Answer: Religious traditions to Canadian society, and the dignity and worth of the human person. The Charter begins, "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law"; this phrase underlines the importance of religious traditions to Canadian society and the dignity and worth of the human person.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  15. Which three major political parties does Discover Canada name as represented in the House of Commons?

    1. The Conservative Party, the Green Party and the Liberal Party
    2. The Bloc Quebecois, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party
    3. The Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party
    4. The Liberal Party, the Reform Party and the Progressive Party
    Show answer

    Answer: The Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. Discover Canada names three major political parties currently represented in the House of Commons: the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  16. Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, was formerly known by what name?

    1. Resolute
    2. Frobisher Bay
    3. Fort Garry
    4. Rankin Inlet
    Show answer

    Answer: Frobisher Bay. The capital of Nunavut is Iqaluit, formerly Frobisher Bay, named after the English explorer Martin Frobisher, who penetrated the uncharted Arctic in 1576.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  17. When investigating serious crimes, Canadian police are permitted to act above the law.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. The rule of law means no person or group is above the law — this applies equally to ordinary citizens, politicians and the police.

    Study this in The justice system.

  18. White and red have been the national colours of Canada since what year?

    1. 1867
    2. 1921
    3. 1892
    4. 1965
    Show answer

    Answer: 1921. Red and white, colours of France and England since the Middle Ages, have been the national colours of Canada since 1921; the maple leaf flag bearing them was first raised in 1965.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  19. Provincial legislatures are made up of the Lieutenant Governor and what other component?

    1. An appointed provincial senate
    2. The elected Assembly
    3. The Commissioner
    4. A council of mayors
    Show answer

    Answer: The elected Assembly. Provincial legislatures comprise the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly; every province has its own elected Legislative Assembly, like the House of Commons in Ottawa.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  20. Beyond the fundamental freedoms, which additional rights does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms set out?

    1. Property rights, labour rights, privacy rights and consumer rights
    2. Economic, social, cultural and environmental rights
    3. Hunting, fishing, mining and water rights
    4. Mobility rights, Aboriginal peoples' rights, official language and minority language educational rights, and multiculturalism
    Show answer

    Answer: Mobility rights, Aboriginal peoples' rights, official language and minority language educational rights, and multiculturalism. The Charter attempts to summarize fundamental freedoms while also setting out additional rights, the most important including mobility rights, Aboriginal peoples' rights, official language rights and minority language educational rights, and multiculturalism.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

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.