Canadian Citizenship Test: Guides & Answers

You need to answer at least 15 of the 20 questions correctly to pass the Canadian citizenship test. That is a passing score of 75%.

The Canadian citizenship test has 20 multiple-choice questions. You need to answer 15 of them correctly, a score of 75%, to pass.

The Canadian citizenship test is considered fairly easy if you study. Most people who prepare with practice questions pass on their first try, because every question comes from a single study guide.

You are given 45 minutes to complete the 20-question Canadian citizenship test. Most people finish comfortably within that time.

Study the official Discover Canada guide. The test covers Canadian history, the system of government and elections, geography, rights and responsibilities, and national symbols.

If you are between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your Canadian citizenship application, you must take the citizenship test. People who are under 18 or 55 and older are not required to take it.

If you do not pass, you still have more chances. You are given up to 3 attempts to pass the test within 30 days of your test start date.

Yes. IRCC provides accommodations for the citizenship test, the oath ceremony, and language hearings when you need one for accessibility or another reason: for example, a medical, psychological, or cognitive condition, not being able to take the test online, or needing a sign language interpreter at the ceremony.

A waiver fully exempts you from a citizenship requirement. IRCC approves test and language waivers on compassionate grounds, and waives the oath only when a mental disability prevents an applicant from understanding what taking it means. Many people need no waiver at all: applicants under 18 or 55 and older are already exempt from the test and language requirements.

You can apply for Canadian citizenship once you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years right before you sign your application. Most permanent residents reach that after about 3 years in Canada.

The 1,095-day rule is the physical presence requirement for Canadian citizenship: you must have actually been in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years immediately before signing your application.

Yes, partially. Each day you were physically in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident counts as half a day toward the 1,095-day requirement, up to a maximum credit of 365 days.

As of mid-2026, IRCC reports a typical processing time of about 8 months from submitting a complete citizenship application to the oath ceremony. Individual timelines vary, and each stage arrives as its own notice.

For most applicants, the oath ceremony happens within a few months of passing the citizenship test. IRCC first finalizes the decision on your application, then sends an invitation with your ceremony date, usually a few weeks in advance.