What Is the Passing Score on the Canadian Citizenship Test?
You need 15 out of 20 (75%) to pass the Canadian citizenship test. Here is what the pass mark means, what happens if you miss it, and how to make sure you clear it.
Short answer: you need to answer at least 15 of the 20 questions correctly to pass the Canadian citizenship test. That is a score of 75%.
It is a clear, fixed bar, but there are a few things worth knowing about how it works and how to make sure you are comfortably above it on test day.
The pass mark in plain terms
The test has 20 questions. The passing score is 15 correct. That means you can get up to 5 questions wrong and still pass. There is no partial credit and no penalty for wrong answers, so you should always answer every question, even if you are unsure. A guess has a chance of being right; a blank never does.
You get three chances
If you do not reach 15 the first time, it is not over. IRCC gives you up to three opportunities to pass. Typically that means a second attempt at the test, and if needed, an interview with a citizenship official. Knowing this takes the pressure off, but the goal is still to pass on the first try, and that comes down to preparation.
How to make sure you clear 15/20
The smartest way to know you will pass is to repeatedly score above the bar in realistic practice before test day. If you can consistently hit 16, 17, or higher on full-length mock exams, the real 15/20 threshold feels comfortable rather than nerve-wracking.
Take a free timed mock exam, it is scored out of 20, exactly like the real test. Do several. When you are clearing 15 every time, you are ready.
If you are not hitting 15 yet
Do not just keep retaking the full exam, that tells you the score but not the cause. Instead, identify which topics you keep missing (usually history or government) and drill those sections chapter by chapter. Then return to the mock exam. Targeted practice on weak areas moves your score faster than repeating the whole test.