Who Has to Take the Canadian Citizenship Test?
Do you have to take the Canadian citizenship test? It depends on your age. Here is who needs to take it, who is exempt, and what the test requires.
Not everyone applying for Canadian citizenship has to take the test. Whether you do comes down mainly to your age. Here is who is required to take it, who is exempt, and what the test itself involves.
Who has to take the test
If you are between 18 and 54 years old when you sign your citizenship application, you are required to take the citizenship test as part of the process. This is the large majority of adult applicants.
The test checks what you know about Canada: your rights and responsibilities as a citizen, plus Canada's history, geography, economy, government, laws, and symbols.
Who is exempt
If you are under 18 or 55 and older at the time you sign your application, you generally do not have to take the test. Age is the main factor. Other requirements for citizenship, like physical presence in Canada, still apply regardless of whether you take the test.
If you are close to the 54 or 55 boundary, it is worth checking your exact situation on Canada.ca, since the requirement is based on your age when you sign the application.
What the test requires of you
If you do need to take it, here is what is involved: 20 questions, drawn from the official Discover Canada guide, with a 45-minute time limit and a pass mark of 15 out of 20. You can take it in English or French, and you get up to three attempts.
Note that the test does not assess your language skills directly, there are no separate English or French language questions on it. Language ability is evaluated separately in the citizenship process for applicants aged 18 to 54.
If you have to take it, start here
If you are in the 18 to 54 range, the test is required, so the practical question becomes how to prepare efficiently. The fastest path is to study the guide by section and test yourself as you go. Start studying chapter by chapter, it is free, with no account needed.
When you have covered the material, take a full mock exam to confirm you would pass. If you are consistently above 15/20, you are ready.