Citizenship Test Online: Preparing for Your Canadian Citizenship Exam

The Canadian citizenship test is one of the most important steps towards the grant of Canadian citizenship. Immigrants who are working for Canadian citizenship will need to take this test if they want to live and work in Canada as full-fledged citizens.

Like any other test, citizenship tests require ample preparation and knowledge of the topic.

Planning to take the Canadian citizenship exam anytime soon? Read on to learn how you can prepare for this exam.

Checking Your Eligibility

Not everyone can take the Canadian citizenship test. There are minimum requirements for citizenship which are clearly outlined on the official website. These requirements include:

• length of physical stay in Canada (1095) days
• status of residence in Canada in the last 5 years
• special eligibility requirements

Applicant must be physically present in the country as a permanent resident for 1095 days within 5 years prior to applying for citizenship. The applicant’s status within those 5 years is also considered. Every day spent in Canada by someone with permanent residence is counted as a full day. For someone with temporary residence, every day is counted as half a day. To know about the specific category you fall under, you can check for the complete eligibility requirements at www.canada.ca.

Preparing for the Canadian Citizenship Written Exam

The good thing about preparing for the Canadian citizenship test is that there is one single resource for test materials that you can use to prepare. This is Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. This guide covers topics anyone who wishes to become a citizen needs to know. These topics include:

• history
• economy
• geography
• government
• Canadian laws and symbols

Mastery of this guide takes you one step closer to citizenship since most of the questions in the written exam are taken from this guide. There is no need to worry if you are not fluent in English or French since the exam is not designed to test for language proficiency. All you need to ensure is that you can give the right answers to the questions asked.

It is important to have a system when studying for the test especially if you only have a short window to prepare. You can do the following to maximize your preparation time so you can take the test with confidence.

Set aside fixed study hours during the day

The Canadian citizenship test is a vital part of your journey towards citizenship. This means that you need to commit a few hours each day or week to serious preparation. Even if you have a full-time job, you can still prepare well by committing 30 minutes to an hour of review each day after work or during your lunch break.

Start early so you can pace yourself

While you might feel the pressure building up as your examination day draws nearer, it is important to learn how to pace yourself. This means starting your preparations in advance, even before you receive the acknowledgment letter inviting you to take the exam. Start reading review materials about 3 months prior to the exam. The more opportunities you have to read and reread, the better your ability to recall vital information will be. Cramming for an important exam will do you more harm than good so start as early as you can.

Use it during your free time

The guide is designed to be flexible and easy to use. It comes in downloadable PDF/eBook and audio forms so you can listen to it on the go or save it on your device for easy reading. If you are not used to studying using digital devices you can also order a paper copy of the guide which can be useful if you study better by writing notes down.

Taking the Online Citizenship Test

In the past few years, online testing has become an ideal method of testing because it allowed for better access to the examination and faster processing. Due to recent pandemic restrictions, face-to-face examinations have been temporarily suspended and all exams are currently done online.

Online examinations are 30 minutes long and composed of 20 questions in either multiple choice or True/False form. Examinees need to get 15 out of the 20 questions right to pass the test. The exam can be taken in either English or French.

Preparation for the online test is more or less the same as preparation for the traditional examinations. You only need to make sure that you know what the process is for taking the test because online examinations will require you to go through a series of steps before you can take the test. For example, you will need to the test link, confirm your identity by taking a photo of your ID, and then taking a photo of yourself. These are security precautions to ensure that you and not someone else are taking the exam. 

If you are not too technologically savvy and you know that going through all these steps will take you some time, you can practice ahead of time. The official website at canada.ca provides an online tutorial for the test as well as information on what you should prepare prior to the test, such as your webcam, ID photos, among others.

Applicants are also prohibited from taking the exam on mobile devices such as their mobile phones, tablets, and iPads. Examinations must be taken using a desktop or a laptop in a well-lit area so that the examinee is visible through the webcam for the duration of the exam. This is an important thing to note since you will need to source a laptop or a desktop in case you currently don’t have one at home.

Conclusion

The examination for Canadian citizenship can bring you a step closer to your dream of becoming a Canadian citizen. The good thing about this test is that the Canadian government provides all the materials you need to take the exam with confidence. The only thing you need to do is give yourself ample time to prepare, commit to learning all you can about this country using the official guide, and familiarise yourself with the online examination procedures so your exam goes off without a hitch. By coming prepared, you raise your chances of acing the exam and you’ll be that much closer to becoming a Canadian citizen.