After meeting all the eligibility criteria required to become a Canadian citizen, the citizenship test is the only thing standing between you and the oath of citizenship. Even if you’ve been a permanent resident for more than 5 years, if you don’t pass the Canadian citizenship test, you won’t become a Canadian citizen. It is that simple. If you’re an applicant who has been invited to the test, you can’t help but ask the question; could you pass the Canadian citizenship test? The mind, being a constant nagger, probably goes into overdrive thinking about the worst possible outcome every time you ask that question. Don’t worry; most applicants pass their citizenship test on their first try and even if you fail, you’re still given 2 chances to retry. Regardless, tests just don’t pass themselves and you have to prepare yourself adequately. The real question is; how?
Study the Discover Canada Guide Book
The ‘Discover Canada‘ guidebook is the official study guide recommended by the IRCC. Hence, the ‘Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship‘ should be your primary source of information since all the contents covered in the citizenship test are recollected from the study guide. The study guide is free and you can download the e-book and audio version or request it to be sent to your mail. As soon as you receive the invitation letter, start studying the guidebook on a daily routine until you can easily recall all the important details covered in the book. Pay closer attention to the images and captions on the side of pages and mark the dates of important events.
Practice Using Online Tests
After you’ve studied all the chapters in the guidebook, you can take a few online tests to gauge your knowledge on Canada. There are various websites that offer online practice tests to applicants who are waiting to sit for the citizenship test. The online tests will also familiarize you with how most of the questions are construed. However, the online tests don’t really imitate the citizenship test word for word but they will give you an idea of what to expect. Additionally, the ‘Discover Canada’ guidebook includes a few study questions at the end of the chapters. The more questions you answer correctly on the practice test, the higher your chances of passing the Canadian citizenship test.
Attend Review Classes
Visit your local library and find out if they offer a course on how to pass the citizenship test. Most immigrant centers in Canada also offer review classes or discussion groups in regards to the citizenship test. If there are parts of the study guide you didn’t understand, a review class would give you a chance to ask those questions.
Improve Your English Skills
Although this seems obvious since you can’t be invited to sit for the citizenship test unless you provide proof that you can speak or write in English but the majority of applicants fail due to their poor comprehension of English. This is usually common especially for those who learnt English after moving into Canada. Keep in mind that some of the questions in the test may be constructed in a convoluted manner making it hard to understand if you have poor skills in English. Moreover, most of the questions will not only test your knowledge of Canada but your ability to grasp broad English denotations. Hence, if you recently learned English during your stay in Canada, it would advisable to apply for the citizenship test once you’re confident with your English skills.
In order to pass the test, you will need to correctly answer not less than 15 of the 20 questions randomly generated. However, if you’ve prepared yourself thoroughly, the citizenship test is fairly easy. In fact, there are applicants who even attain 100 percent of the score. Just don’t walk into the exam room over-confident with an idea that all you need to pass the test is to keep up with national news. To avoid any distractions, take a day off from your job during the day of the test. Although the test usually takes 30 minutes to complete, the whole process can take longer since every applicant will need to go through an interview with a citizenship officer.
Even if you were unfortunate to fail the citizenship on your first try, you can contact the IRCC within 30 days to schedule a 2nd test. The IRCC will still give you another chance to take an oral interview if you fail the 2nd test. However, if you’re unable to make to the citizenship test, you must write to the IRCC within 30 days giving them a valid reason and requesting for a reschedule. Failure to contact the IRCC office within the stipulated time may cause your citizenship application to be cancelled.
