Mistake 1: only reading, never practising
Reading Discover Canada from cover to cover feels like studying, but reading and recalling are different skills. The test asks you to recall facts quickly, and the only way to train that is with practice questions.
Read the guide once for understanding, then spend most of your time answering questions. If you can only do one, do the questions.
Mistake 2: memorizing the answer key instead of the facts
If you practise on a tool that always shows the same wording and the same options in the same order, it is easy to memorize the shape of the answer instead of the actual fact. Then a slightly reworded question on the real test throws you off.
Practise with questions that vary the wording and shuffle the options, so you learn the concept rather than the position of the correct box. That is how the real understanding transfers to test day.
Mistake 3: ignoring government and elections
Government is the topic people find driest, so it is the topic they skip. It is also one of the most heavily represented on the test. Skipping it is how a confident candidate ends up just under the line.
Give the government and elections material extra time. Learn who does what: the Sovereign, the Governor General, the Prime Minister, Parliament, and how voting works. A few of those questions are almost guaranteed.
Mistake 4: technical problems on test day
The test is online now, so a bad setup can cost you before you answer a single question. People show up on a phone, on the wrong browser, or with a camera that does not work, and lose time to panic.
Check your setup in advance: a computer or tablet, a working webcam, a stable connection, and the Chrome or Safari browser. Do a dry run so nothing is a surprise.
Mistake 5: leaving questions blank
There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank is strictly worse than a guess. Some people run low on confidence and leave hard questions empty, throwing away easy chances at marks.
Answer every single question. If you are unsure, eliminate the options you know are wrong and pick the best of what remains. With 45 minutes for 20 questions, you have time to come back to the tough ones.
Mistake 6: cramming the night before
A last-minute cram raises stress and does little for recall. Facts stick through repetition over several days, not one long panicked evening.
Spread your study across a week or two of short sessions. The night before, do light review only, confirm your test setup, and rest. You will recall more when you are calm.