Canadian citizenship test practice questions and answers 2026
Here are 20 Canadian citizenship test practice questions and answers for 2026, spread across the six topics the test draws on. Each answer names the Discover Canada chapter it comes from, so you can go straight to the part of the guide that explains it. The real test has 20 questions too, and you need 15 correct to pass.
These questions are illustrative. We wrote them fresh for this article from the official study guide. They are not questions from the real test, which IRCC does not publish, and they are not copied from our app's question bank. igotcitizenship is an independent study app and is not affiliated with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
How to use these questions
IRCC says the test has 20 questions, either multiple choice or true or false, and that every question is based on the study guide (IRCC, study for the test). So the questions below use both styles.
- Cover the answer and pick your choice first.
- Count your score out of 20. Fifteen or more is the pass mark on the real test.
- For every question you miss, read the chapter named in the answer.
Rights and responsibilities
1. Which document, added to the Constitution in 1982, protects rights such as mobility rights and official language rights?
- A) Magna Carta
- B) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- C) the Quebec Act
- D) the British North America Act
Answer: B. The Constitution was amended in 1982 to entrench the Charter. Chapter: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.
2. True or false: when you are called to serve on a jury, you are legally required to serve.
Answer: True. The guide lists jury service as a responsibility of citizenship. Chapter: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.
3. What does habeas corpus protect?
- A) the right to vote
- B) the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state
- C) freedom of the press
- D) the right to a passport
Answer: B. Habeas corpus comes from English common law. Chapter: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.
4. True or false: Canada has compulsory military service.
Answer: False. There is no compulsory military service in Canada, though serving is described as a noble way to contribute. Chapter: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.
Government and elections
5. What are the three parts of Parliament?
- A) the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Senate
- B) the Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons
- C) the Governor General, the Premiers and the courts
- D) the federal, provincial and municipal governments
Answer: B. Chapter: How Canadians Govern Themselves.
6. Who is Canada's head of state?
- A) the Prime Minister
- B) the Governor General
- C) the Sovereign, King Charles III
- D) the Chief Justice
Answer: C. The guide says "the Queen" because it predates the current reign. The Prime Minister is the head of government. Chapter: How Canadians Govern Themselves. See what has changed since Discover Canada.
7. Who may vote in a federal election?
- A) any resident of Canada
- B) Canadian citizens at least 18 years old on voting day who are on the voters' list
- C) permanent residents and citizens over 21
- D) anyone who pays taxes in Canada
Answer: B. Chapter: Federal Elections.
8. True or false: senators are elected by the people.
Answer: False. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve until age 75. Chapter: How Canadians Govern Themselves.
History
9. On what date was the Dominion of Canada officially born?
- A) July 1, 1867
- B) July 1, 1982
- C) November 11, 1918
- D) April 17, 1867
Answer: A. July 1 was called Dominion Day until 1982 and is now Canada Day. Chapter: Canada's History.
10. Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?
- A) Sir Wilfrid Laurier
- B) Sir George-Étienne Cartier
- C) Sir John A. Macdonald
- D) Sir Robert Borden
Answer: C. Chapter: Canada's History.
11. Which province was the last to join Canada, in 1949?
- A) Prince Edward Island
- B) Newfoundland and Labrador
- C) Alberta
- D) British Columbia
Answer: B. Nunavut followed in 1999, but it is a territory, not a province. Chapter: Canada's History.
Regions and economy
12. What is the capital of Nunavut?
- A) Yellowknife
- B) Whitehorse
- C) Iqaluit
- D) Regina
Answer: C. Chapter: Canada's Regions. Our list of provinces and capitals of Canada has all thirteen.
13. How many distinct regions does Discover Canada describe?
- A) three
- B) four
- C) five
- D) ten
Answer: C. The Atlantic region, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, the West Coast and the North. Chapter: Canada's Regions.
14. What are the three main types of industries in Canada's economy?
- A) service, manufacturing and natural resources
- B) banking, farming and fishing
- C) oil, gas and mining
- D) tourism, retail and transport
Answer: A. Chapter: Canada's Economy.
Symbols and identity
15. What is Canada's official summer sport?
- A) hockey
- B) Canadian football
- C) lacrosse
- D) soccer
Answer: C. Hockey is the national winter sport. Chapter: Canadian Symbols.
16. In what year was the current Canadian flag first raised?
- A) 1867
- B) 1921
- C) 1965
- D) 1982
Answer: C. Chapter: Canadian Symbols.
17. True or false: O Canada was proclaimed as the national anthem in 1980.
Answer: True. It was first sung in Québec City in 1880. Chapter: Canadian Symbols.
Who we are
18. Which three distinct groups make up the Aboriginal peoples of Canada?
- A) First Nations, Inuit and Métis
- B) Cree, Dene and Haida
- C) Acadians, Inuit and Métis
- D) First Nations, Acadians and Loyalists
Answer: A. Chapter: Who We Are.
19. What are Canada's two official languages?
- A) English and Inuktitut
- B) English and French
- C) French and Cree
- D) English and Michif
Answer: B. Chapter: Who We Are.
20. True or false: in 2008, the federal government formally apologized to former students of residential schools.
Answer: True. Chapter: Who We Are.
What your score means
If you scored 15 or more, you are working at the pass mark. Keep going, because the real test draws on the whole guide, not on these twenty facts. If you scored under 15, that is useful too: the chapters named beside your wrong answers are your study list for the week.
Short sets like this one are a quick check, not a full assessment. A better measure is a full timed exam with a fresh set of questions each time. You can start one from our free practice test, and our cheat sheet of must-know facts is a good next read.
Frequently asked questions
Are these the real test questions?
No. IRCC does not publish the questions on the real test. These are illustrative questions written from Discover Canada, the only official study guide (IRCC notice).
How many questions are on the real test?
Twenty, multiple choice or true or false, and you need 15 correct to pass (IRCC).
Where can I read the chapters named in the answers?
The whole guide is free on canada.ca, in print, PDF and audio.
How many practice questions should I do before the test?
There is no official number. Aim to sit several full timed exams and to understand every mistake. Our 30-day study plan shows how to fit that in.
Want a fresh set of 20 under a real timer? Start a free practice test.