Citizenship and Immigration Canada
www.cic.gc.ca
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The citizenship test
- Who has to take the citizenship test
- About the test
- Getting ready for the test
- Your test date
- After the test
Who has to take the citizenship test
You must take the citizenship test if you
- are between the ages of 18 and 54, and
- meet the basic requirements for citizenship.
You may also have to take the test if are apply to retain your citizenship.
For information on the eligibility requirements, see Becoming a citizen—who can apply in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
About the test
The test is usually written, but you may be asked to come to an interview with a citizenship judge.
The test evaluates two things:
- your knowledge of Canada and
- your language abilities.
1. Your knowledge of Canada
You will be asked questions on subjects such as:
- the rights and responsibilities of a citizen
- Canadian social and cultural history (for example, which three Aboriginal groups are recognized in the Constitution)
- Canadian politics (for example, the names of the leaders of the major political parties) and
- Canadian physical and political geography (for example, how many provinces there are and the names of their capital cities).
2. Your language abilities
The test and your interaction with Citizenship and Immigration Canada staff will show if you can speak either English or French well enough to communicate with people.
You must be able to understand simple spoken statements and questions. You must also be able to communicate simple information.
Getting ready for the test
The questions in the citizenship test are based on the information in our free booklet A Look at Canada. We will send you a copy of it once we have received your application for citizenship.
Start studying for the test as soon as you receive your copy of A Look at Canada. You can also read it on this website, from the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Your test date
We will send you a notice giving you the time and date for your test.
Your test may be written or oral. We decide whether your test will be written or oral based on a number of factors. For example, if you have trouble reading and writing in English or French, you will have an oral test.
Oral tests are done through an interview with a citizenship judge.
When you come for the test—written or oral—bring the following documents with you:
- the original documents you submitted with your application (personal identification, immigration documents, etc.—for a complete list, see Becoming a citizen—How to apply under the Related Links section at the bottom of this page) and
- any passport or travel documents relevant to the four years before your application.
After the test
If you pass the test and the citizenship judge determines that you meet all the other requirements for citizenship, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony. During that ceremony, you will take the oath of citizenship and receive a certificate of Canadian citizenship.
If you applied for retention of citizenship and you pass the test and the citizenship judge determines that you meet all the other requirements to retain your citizenship, we will mail you a certificate of retention and a certificate of citizenship.
If you do not pass the written test, we will send you a notice telling you to appear for a short interview (15–30 minutes) with a citizenship judge. At that interview, the judge will ask you the test questions orally so you can show that you meet the language and knowledge requirements.
