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Who we are questions
There are 36 who we are practice questions here, each with its correct answer and an explanation, written from Discover Canada. The real Canadian Citizenship Test is 20 questions in 45 minutes and you need 15 correct to pass. Reading is free and needs no account.
You will learn more by taking a timed test than by reading answers.
1.Who were the founding peoples of Canada?
- ABritish, German and Ukrainian
- BAboriginal, French and American
- CFrench, British and Irish
- DAboriginal, French and British
Canada's three founding peoples are Aboriginal, French and British. (Canada’s three founding peoples)
2.What is said to be unique about Canada in North America?
- AIt is the only parliamentary democracy
- BIt is the only bilingual country
- CIt is the only constitutional monarchy
- DIt is the only federal state
Canada is the only constitutional monarchy in North America. (Canada’s three founding peoples)
3.Which phrase from Canada’s original constitutional document describes its institutions?
- AOrdered Liberty and Fair Play
- BPeace, Order and Good Government
- CLife, Liberty and Property
- DFrom Sea to Sea
Peace, Order and Good Government is a key phrase in Canada's original constitutional document of 1867, the British North America Act. (Canada’s three founding peoples)
4.What was Canada’s original constitutional document of 1867 called?
- AThe British North America Act
- BThe Quebec Act
- CThe Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- DThe Constitutional Act
Peace, Order and Good Government is a key phrase in Canada's original constitutional document of 1867, the British North America Act. (Canada’s three founding peoples)
5.What constitutional tradition has Canada inherited?
- AThe oldest continuous constitutional tradition in the world
- BA constitution modelled on the United States
- CA constitution drawn up entirely in 1982
- DThe newest written constitution in the Commonwealth
Canada has inherited the oldest continuous constitutional tradition in the world. (Canada’s three founding peoples)
6.Where are the ancestors of Aboriginal peoples believed to have migrated from?
- AEurope
- BPolynesia
- CAfrica
- DAsia
The ancestors of Aboriginal peoples are believed to have migrated from Asia many thousands of years ago. (Aboriginal peoples)
7.Which 1763 document first guaranteed Aboriginal territorial rights?
- AThe British North America Act
- BThe Quebec Act
- CThe Royal Proclamation
- DThe Constitutional Act
Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III. (Aboriginal peoples)
8.Which king issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763?
- AKing Charles II
- BKing George III
- CKing Francis I
- DKing George V
Territorial rights were first guaranteed through the Royal Proclamation of 1763 by King George III. (Aboriginal peoples)
9.What did the Royal Proclamation of 1763 establish the basis for?
- ANegotiating treaties with the newcomers
- BAbolishing slavery in the colonies
- CCreating the province of Quebec
- DElecting a representative assembly
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 established the basis for negotiating treaties with the newcomers. (Aboriginal peoples)
10.What was the purpose of the residential schools?
- ATo train Aboriginal children as interpreters and guides
- BTo teach Aboriginal languages and cultural traditions
- CTo educate and assimilate Aboriginal children into mainstream Canadian culture
- DTo prepare Aboriginal children for entry to university
From the 1800s until the 1980s the federal government placed many Aboriginal children in residential schools to assimilate them. (Aboriginal peoples)
11.In which year did Ottawa formally apologise to former residential school students?
- A2008
- B1988
- C2012
- D1998
In 2008 Ottawa formally apologized to the former students of residential schools. (Aboriginal peoples)
12.Where are Aboriginal and treaty rights set out?
- AIn the Royal Proclamation alone
- BIn the Official Languages Act
- CIn the Canadian Constitution
- DIn provincial legislation only
Aboriginal and treaty rights are in the Canadian Constitution. (Aboriginal peoples)
13.What does the word Inuit mean?
- AThe people
- BOur land
- CThe north
- DThe hunters
Inuit means the people in the Inuktitut language. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
14.In which language does the word Inuit mean “the people”?
- AInuktitut
- BCree
- CMichif
- DOjibwe
Inuit means the people in the Inuktitut language. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
15.Who are the Métis?
- AThe descendants of French colonists in Acadia
- BAboriginal people who live in the Arctic
- CFirst Nations people living off-reserve
- DA distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry
The Métis are a distinct people of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
16.Where do the majority of Métis live?
- AIn Quebec
- BIn the Prairie provinces
- CIn the Arctic territories
- DIn the Atlantic provinces
The majority of Métis live in the Prairie provinces. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
17.What is the Métis dialect called?
- AChinook
- BMichif
- CJoual
- DInuktitut
The Métis speak their own dialect, Michif. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
18.Which term refers to Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis?
- AAnglophone
- BHabitant
- CAcadian
- DIndian
Indian refers to all Aboriginal people who are not Inuit or Métis. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
19.When did the term First Nations begin to be used?
- AIn the 1970s
- BIn 1999
- CIn the 1940s
- DIn the 1870s
In the 1970s the term First Nations began to be used. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
20.About how many communities is First Nations reserve land divided into?
- AAbout 60
- BAbout 600
- CAbout 100
- DAbout 6,000
About half of First Nations people live on reserve land in about 600 communities, and the other half live off-reserve mainly in urban centres. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
21.What share of Aboriginal people are First Nations?
- AAbout 50%
- BAbout 30%
- CAbout 4%
- DAbout 65%
About 65% of Aboriginal people are First Nations, 30% are Métis and 4% are Inuit. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
22.What share of Aboriginal people are Inuit?
- AAbout 65%
- BAbout 30%
- CAbout 4%
- DAbout 15%
About 65% of Aboriginal people are First Nations, 30% are Métis and 4% are Inuit. (First Nations, Inuit and Métis)
23.What are Canada’s two official languages?
- AEnglish and French
- BEnglish and Inuktitut
- CFrench and Michif
- DEnglish and Spanish
English and French are the official languages of Canada. (English, French and the Acadians)
24.Which is the only officially bilingual province?
- AManitoba
- BOntario
- CQuebec
- DNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. (English, French and the Acadians)
25.Roughly how many Anglophones are there in Canada?
- A7 million
- B1 million
- C18 million
- D34 million
There are 18 million Anglophones, people who speak English as a first language. (English, French and the Acadians)
26.Roughly how many Francophones are there in Canada?
- AEighteen million
- BOne million
- CSeven million
- DThirty-four million
There are seven million Francophones, people who speak French as their first language. (English, French and the Acadians)
27.Who are the Acadians?
- AFrench settlers who founded Québec City under Champlain
- BLoyalists who fled north during the American Revolution
- CFrancophones living in Manitoba and northern Ontario
- DDescendants of French colonists who settled the Maritimes from 1604
The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604. (English, French and the Acadians)
28.What is the deportation of the Acadians known as?
- AThe Underground Railroad
- BThe Quiet Revolution
- CThe Great Migration
- DThe Great Upheaval
The deportation of the Acadians is known as the Great Upheaval. (English, French and the Acadians)
29.In which years were more than two-thirds of the Acadians deported?
- A1604 to 1610
- B1812 to 1814
- C1837 to 1838
- D1755 to 1763
Between 1755 and 1763 more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland. (English, French and the Acadians)
30.What is the federal government required by law to provide in both official languages?
- APrivate-sector employment contracts
- BMunicipal by-laws
- CProvincial school curricula
- DServices throughout Canada
The federal government is required by law to provide services throughout Canada in English and French. (English, French and the Acadians)
31.What did the House of Commons recognise in 2006?
- AThat Quebec may leave Canada by referendum
- BThat Quebec is a sovereign state
- CThat the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada
- DThat French is Quebec’s only official language
The House of Commons recognized in 2006 that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
32.How many French settlers are most Quebecers descended from?
- A85,000
- B850
- C8,500
- D40,000
Most Quebecers are descendants of 8,500 French settlers from the 1600s and 1700s. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
33.Since the 1970s, where have most immigrants to Canada come from?
- AAsian countries
- BSouth American countries
- CAfrican countries
- DEuropean countries
Since the 1970s most immigrants have come from Asian countries. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
34.What is the largest religious affiliation in Canada?
- ACatholic
- BJewish
- CMuslim
- DAnglican
The great majority of Canadians identify as Christians, and the largest religious affiliation is Catholic. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
35.What protection do gay and lesbian Canadians have under the law?
- AProtection in employment matters but not elsewhere
- BFull protection and equal treatment, including access to civil marriage
- CNo protection specific to them under Canadian law
- DProtection that varies from province to province
Gay and lesbian Canadians enjoy the full protection of and equal treatment under the law, including access to civil marriage. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
36.Why is Canada often called a land of immigrants?
- AImmigration to Canada is unrestricted by law
- BMost Canadians alive today were born outside Canada
- CThe country has almost no native-born population
- DMillions of newcomers have helped build the country over the past 200 years
Canada is often referred to as a land of immigrants because millions of newcomers have arrived over the past 200 years. (Quebec, diversity and religion)
Common questions
- How many questions are in the Canadian Citizenship Test?
- The real test is 20 multiple-choice questions with 45 minutes to answer them, and you need 15 correct to pass. This page lists 36 practice questions drawn from the same official material, which is far more than any single sitting will ask you.
- Are these the real Canadian Citizenship Test questions?
- No, and nobody has them. No government publishes its live exam questions. These are written from Discover Canada, the official study guide the real questions are drawn from, so the facts being tested are the same even though the wording is ours.
- Do I need an account to read the questions and answers?
- No. Every question, its correct answer and its explanation is on this page with no signup and no payment. An account only matters if you want your progress saved across devices.
- How should I use the question bank?
- Reading answers is the weakest form of revision. Sit a timed test first to find out which chapters you are losing marks on, then come back here and read only those. Recognition feels like knowledge and is not the same thing.