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Canadian citizenship practice test 50

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 railway lawyer, Montrealer and close ally of Macdonald was the key architect of Confederation from Quebec?

    1. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
    2. Sir George-Etienne Cartier
    3. Sir Leonard Tilley
    4. Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
    Show answer

    Answer: Sir George-Etienne Cartier. Sir George-Etienne Cartier, a railway lawyer, Montrealer, close ally of Macdonald and patriotic Canadien, was the key architect of Confederation from Quebec; he led Quebec into Confederation and helped negotiate the entry of the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and British Columbia into Canada.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  2. Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day is observed on November 20. According to Discover Canada, on which banknote does Laurier's portrait appear?

    1. The $10 bill
    2. The $20 bill
    3. The $5 bill
    4. The $100 bill
    Show answer

    Answer: The $5 bill. Discover Canada notes that Laurier, the first French-Canadian prime minister since Confederation, has his portrait on the $5 bill. Banknote designs change over time, so this reflects the notes in circulation when the guide was written.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  3. What are the laws passed by municipal councils, which affect only the local community, called?

    1. By-laws
    2. Statutes
    3. Ordinances
    4. Charters
    Show answer

    Answer: By-laws. Municipal governments usually have a council that passes laws called "by-laws" that affect only the local community; the council usually includes a mayor (or a reeve) and councillors or aldermen.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  4. Which statement best describes the citizenship responsibility of helping others in the community?

    1. It is required by law before applying for a passport
    2. Volunteering without pay is a valued way to fulfil this responsibility and to gain useful skills
    3. It applies only to new citizens during their first year in Canada
    4. It means paying extra taxes to support charities
    Show answer

    Answer: Volunteering without pay is a valued way to fulfil this responsibility and to gain useful skills. Millions of Canadians volunteer freely to help others without pay — an excellent way to fulfil the responsibility of helping others in the community, gain useful skills and develop friendships.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  5. The Yukon Territory joined Canada in 1898, during the Gold Rush.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. Yukon Territory became part of Canada in 1898, at the time of the Gold Rush that drew thousands of miners to the region.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  6. Yukon holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada. What was it?

    1. -45 degrees Celsius
    2. -53 degrees Celsius
    3. -63 degrees Celsius
    4. -73 degrees Celsius
    Show answer

    Answer: -63 degrees Celsius. Yukon holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada: -63 degrees Celsius.

    Study this in Canada’s regions.

  7. Canadian citizens of what minimum age may run as candidates in a federal election?

    1. 16 years old
    2. 18 years old
    3. 21 years old
    4. 25 years old
    Show answer

    Answer: 18 years old. Canadian citizens who are 18 years old or older may run in a federal election; the people who run for office are called candidates, and there can be many candidates in an electoral district.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  8. Who founded Quebec City in 1608?

    1. Jacques Cartier
    2. Count Frontenac
    3. John Cabot
    4. Samuel de Champlain
    Show answer

    Answer: Samuel de Champlain. In 1608 Samuel de Champlain built a fortress at what is now Quebec City. Cartier explored the region decades earlier, and Frontenac later defended Quebec against the English in 1690.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  9. In Canada, you may ask the police for help only when a crime is actually taking place.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. You can ask the police for help in all kinds of situations: if there has been an accident, if someone has stolen something from you, if you are a victim of assault, if you see a crime taking place, or if someone you know has gone missing.

    Study this in The justice system.

  10. Who donated hockey's championship Stanley Cup in 1892?

    1. Lord Durham
    2. Lord Elgin
    3. Lord Stanley, the Governor General
    4. Lord Strathcona
    Show answer

    Answer: Lord Stanley, the Governor General. The National Hockey League plays for the championship Stanley Cup, donated by Lord Stanley, the Governor General, in 1892; the Clarkson Cup, established in 2005 by Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General, is awarded for women's hockey.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  11. In the federal government, who prepares the budget and proposes most new laws?

    1. The Governor General
    2. The Senate
    3. The Supreme Court of Canada
    4. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers
    Show answer

    Answer: The Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers are called the Cabinet; they make important decisions about how the country is governed, prepare the budget and propose most new laws, and their decisions can be questioned by all members of the House of Commons.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

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

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

    Answer: Manitoba. In 1916, Manitoba became the first province to grant voting rights to women. Quebec did not grant women the vote until 1940.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  13. The role of the opposition parties in Parliament is to peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: True. The parties not in power are the opposition parties, and their role is to peacefully oppose or try to improve government proposals.

    Study this in Federal elections.

  14. Which 1969 law established the equality of English and French in the Parliament and Government of Canada?

    1. The Constitutional Act
    2. The Official Languages Act
    3. The Quebec Act
    4. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act
    Show answer

    Answer: The Official Languages Act. The Official Languages Act of 1969 guarantees the equality of English and French in the Parliament and Government of Canada, where they are the two official languages.

    Study this in Rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  15. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, how many Canadian troops stormed and captured Juno Beach from the German army?

    1. 15,000
    2. 5,000
    3. 50,000
    4. 100,000
    Show answer

    Answer: 15,000. On June 6, 1944, known as D-Day, 15,000 Canadian troops stormed and captured Juno Beach from the German army, and the Canadian Army went on to liberate the Netherlands in 1944-45.

    Study this in Canada’s history.

  16. According to Discover Canada, what is the role of the courts?

    1. To enforce the laws
    2. To make the laws
    3. To pass by-laws
    4. To settle disputes
    Show answer

    Answer: To settle disputes. The courts settle disputes and the police enforce the laws, which are made by elected representatives.

    Study this in The justice system.

  17. Which animal, an emblem of the Hudson's Bay Company, appears on the Canadian five-cent coin?

    1. The moose
    2. The caribou
    3. The common loon
    4. The beaver
    Show answer

    Answer: The beaver. The beaver was adopted centuries ago as a symbol of the Hudson's Bay Company and can be seen on the five-cent coin, as well as on the coats of arms of Saskatchewan and Alberta and of cities such as Montreal and Toronto.

    Study this in Canadian symbols.

  18. The Governor General is elected directly by Canadian citizens every five years.

    1. True
    2. False
    Show answer

    Answer: False. The Governor General is not elected but is appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually for five years.

    Study this in How Canadians govern themselves.

  19. Saskatchewan, once known as the "breadbasket of the world," boasts the world's richest deposits of which two minerals?

    1. Uranium and potash
    2. Oil and natural gas
    3. Iron ore and nickel
    4. Gold and diamonds
    Show answer

    Answer: Uranium and potash. Saskatchewan has 40% of the arable land in Canada and is the country's largest producer of grains and oilseeds; it boasts the world's richest deposits of uranium and potash, used in fertilizer, and also produces oil and natural gas.

    Study this in Canada’s economy.

  20. Which of the following is both a right and a responsibility of Canadian citizens?

    1. Paying taxes
    2. Serving in the military
    3. Voting in elections
    4. Learning both official languages
    Show answer

    Answer: Voting in elections. Voting is both a right and a responsibility: citizens have the right to vote, and the responsibility to vote in federal, provincial or territorial and local elections.

    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.