Canadian citizenship test 2026: format, questions and pass mark

Published October 15, 2026 · 5 min read

The Canadian citizenship test in 2026 has 20 questions, and you have 45 minutes to answer them. You pass with 15 correct answers. Every question draws on the official study guide, Discover Canada, so knowing how the test is built tells you exactly what to study.

This article walks through the format, the ways you might take the test, what it covers and how to practise. igotcitizenship is an independent study app and is not affiliated with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For the rules themselves, IRCC's own pages are the final word, and we link to them throughout.

The test at a glance

Source: IRCC's page on studying for the citizenship test and its page on how the test works.

That works out to a little over two minutes per question, so pace matters less than accuracy. The pass mark is the harder part: you can miss five questions, but not six.

How you take the test

The test is not a single format for everyone. Your invitation decides how you take it.

• Online. The invitation gives you dates, and you write the online test inside that period.
• At a test centre. The invitation may instead send you to write in person.
• By Microsoft Teams. Or it may set a Microsoft Teams appointment.

IRCC's page on the test invitation explains these options. The official guide also notes that the test is usually written but may take the form of an interview with a citizenship official.

Two more points are worth knowing before you start:

• Language is assessed separately. The test checks your knowledge of Canada and of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Your English or French ability is assessed on its own.
• Not everyone writes it. The guide states that applicants aged 18 to 54 must show knowledge of Canada, and that applicants 55 and over do not write the test. Age ranges like this are set by regulation and have changed before, so confirm the current rule on IRCC's eligibility page.

What the test covers

Every question comes from Discover Canada. You can read it free on canada.ca, download it as a PDF, or listen to the audio edition. IRCC states that it is the only official study guide, and that preparing with anything else is at your own risk. Treat any app, ours included, as a companion to the guide rather than a replacement.

To make the guide easier to study, igotcitizenship groups its sections into six topics:

One honest caveat: IRCC does not publish how many questions come from each topic. Our practice exams use a fixed spread (four questions each from rights and from government, three each from the other four topics), but that is our own distribution, not an official one. Study every section, not just the ones you expect to come up most.

What the questions ask about

Across the six topics, expect questions on facts such as:

• the rights the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects, and the responsibilities of a citizen
• the three parts of Parliament, the three levels of government, and who may vote in a federal election
• milestones like Confederation in 1867 and the provinces that joined later
• the provinces, territories and their capitals
• national symbols such as the flag, the anthem and the national sports
• Canada's Indigenous peoples, official languages and diversity

Our cheat sheet of must-know facts covers a short selection from each topic.

Question types

IRCC's study page describes the test format, and it is worth reading before you sit the test. Our practice bank uses two styles: questions with one correct answer from a set of choices, and true-or-false statements. Both reward the same thing, which is reading the question carefully and knowing the fact cold.

A few habits help on any question:

• Read every option before choosing. Distractors are often close, such as a capital city that is the province's largest city but not its capital.
• Watch for words like not, only and first.
• If you are unsure, rule out the options you know are wrong first.

Watch for facts that have changed

Discover Canada carries a 2012 copyright line, and some of what it says has since changed. For example, the guide refers to the Queen, while the office is now held by King Charles III. Our article on what has changed since Discover Canada lists these differences, each with a government source.

How to practise

A good preparation routine has four parts:

1. Read the guide chapter by chapter. Use the official text, and pair it with plain study notes if that helps you remember.
2. Practise by topic. Work through questions one topic at a time so weak areas stand out.
3. Sit full timed exams. Twenty questions in 45 minutes, under the same pass mark, so test day feels familiar.
4. Review every mistake. A wrong answer you understand is worth more than a right answer you guessed.

Our guide on how to study for the citizenship test turns this into a 30-day plan. You can also take a free diagnostic to see where you stand today.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the Canadian citizenship test?

There are 20 questions, according to IRCC's study page.

What is the pass mark?

You need 15 correct answers out of 20 to pass.

How long do I have?

You have 45 minutes to answer all 20 questions.

Can I retake the test if I fail?

Yes. Your invitation gives you a 30-day window with up to three attempts. Read what happens if you fail the citizenship test for the full picture.

Do I need anything other than Discover Canada?

No. IRCC states that Discover Canada is the only official study guide. Practice questions help you check what you have learned, but the guide is the source.

Ready to see where you stand? Start the free diagnostic.

• citizenship test format
• pass mark
• Discover Canada