Free chapter 1

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship: Citizenship Test Practice Questions

27 free practice questions on this chapter of the study guide. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer” to check it and read the explanation.

Read this chapter in Discover Canada

Independent practice. Not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada. The official study guide, Discover Canada, is free on canada.ca. Read it first; this page does not replace it.

1. Which document, signed in England in 1215, began Canada's long tradition of ordered liberty?
  1. The Royal Proclamation
  2. Magna Carta
  3. The Act of Union
  4. The Treaty of Utrecht
Show answer

Answer: B. Magna Carta

Magna Carta, the Great Charter of Freedoms, is the start of the tradition of ordered liberty that protects Canadians.

2. According to the guide, which legal tradition gave Canada the right of habeas corpus?
  1. English common law
  2. The civil code of France
  3. Aboriginal customary law
  4. The Royal Proclamation of 1763
Show answer

Answer: A. English common law

Habeas corpus lets a person challenge unlawful detention by the state, and it comes from English common law.

3. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was added to the Constitution in 1867.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: B. False

The Charter was entrenched when the Constitution was amended in 1982. The 1867 act is the British North America Act.

4. Which Charter right covers travelling in and out of Canada freely and getting a passport?
  1. Official language rights
  2. Multiculturalism
  3. Aboriginal peoples' rights
  4. Mobility rights
Show answer

Answer: D. Mobility rights

Mobility rights also let citizens live and work wherever they choose in Canada.

5. How do the Charter's guarantees affect existing Aboriginal and treaty rights?
  1. They replace those rights
  2. They apply to those rights only in the territories
  3. They must not weaken those rights
  4. They end those rights once a treaty is signed
Show answer

Answer: C. They must not weaken those rights

The Charter protects Aboriginal peoples' treaty and other rights instead of overriding them.

6. Parliament and the federal government treat English and French as equals.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

This is the Charter's official language right.

7. Which of these is a source of Canadian law named in the guide?
  1. The United States Constitution
  2. The civil code of France
  3. The Charter of the United Nations
  4. Russian civil law
Show answer

Answer: B. The civil code of France

Canadian law also draws on English common law, acts of Parliament and the provincial legislatures, and an unwritten British constitution.

8. Which Charter value is called a fundamental part of Canadian heritage and identity?
  1. Multiculturalism
  2. Mobility rights
  3. Habeas corpus
  4. Freedom of the press
Show answer

Answer: A. Multiculturalism

Canadians respect pluralism and try to live together in harmony.

9. Canadian law treats women and men as equals.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

Equality of women and men is a basic principle of Canadian law.

10. Which of these is a gender-based abuse that Canadian law punishes severely?
  1. Practising a religion
  2. Speaking a minority language
  3. Celebrating cultural festivals
  4. Forced marriage
Show answer

Answer: D. Forced marriage

Forced marriage is one of the gender-based abuses that Canadian law punishes.

11. How does Canadian law treat people guilty of gender-based violence such as spousal abuse?
  1. They are excused if the act is traditional in their culture
  2. They are dealt with by community councils only
  3. They are severely punished under criminal law
  4. They face a small fine only
Show answer

Answer: C. They are severely punished under criminal law

Cultural tradition is no excuse for these crimes.

12. Which responsibility reflects the idea that everyone, groups included, must follow the law?
  1. Voting in elections
  2. Obeying the law
  3. Serving on a jury
  4. Helping others in the community
Show answer

Answer: B. Obeying the law

The rule of law means individuals and governments are bound by laws, not by arbitrary acts.

13. Serving on a jury, when called, is optional for citizens.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: B. False

Citizens called to jury duty are legally required to serve.

14. Why does the guide say jury service matters?
  1. The justice system depends on impartial juries of citizens
  2. Jurors are paid well for their time
  3. Only jurors may vote in elections
  4. It replaces the need for judges
Show answer

Answer: A. The justice system depends on impartial juries of citizens

Fair trials rely on ordinary citizens serving as impartial jurors.

15. In which elections does the guide say citizens should vote?
  1. Federal elections only
  2. Federal and provincial elections only
  3. Local elections only
  4. Federal, provincial or territorial, and local
Show answer

Answer: D. Federal, provincial or territorial, and local

The right to vote carries a responsibility to use it at every level.

16. Volunteering is described as a way to gain useful skills and make friends and contacts.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

Volunteers give time freely to help others, and gain skills along the way.

17. Which responsibility involves avoiding waste and pollution to protect future generations' heritage?
  1. Obeying the law
  2. Taking responsibility for oneself
  3. Protecting our heritage and environment
  4. Serving on a jury
Show answer

Answer: C. Protecting our heritage and environment

Every citizen has a part in protecting natural, cultural and architectural heritage.

18. Military service is compulsory for Canadian citizens.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: B. False

Canada has no compulsory military service, though serving is called a noble way to contribute.

19. Which program does the guide name as a way for young people to learn discipline and responsibility?
  1. The Coast Guard
  2. The cadets
  3. The Senate pages program
  4. The Canada Games
Show answer

Answer: B. The cadets

Cadets also pick up skills through their activities.

20. Which three branches make up the regular Canadian Forces?
  1. Navy, army and air force
  2. Army, police and coast guard
  3. Navy, militia and cadets
  4. Army, air force and fire service
Show answer

Answer: A. Navy, army and air force

Part-time reserves are separate from the regular forces.

21. Serving in the Coast Guard or in a police or fire service is one way to help protect your community.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

These community services follow the example of earlier Canadians who made sacrifices.

22. In the current oath, to whom does a new citizen promise to be faithful and bear true allegiance?
  1. The Prime Minister of the day
  2. The Constitution of Canada
  3. The flag of Canada
  4. The King, Charles the Third, and his heirs and successors
Show answer

Answer: D. The King, Charles the Third, and his heirs and successors

The guide, written in 2012, named Queen Elizabeth II; the oath now names the King.

23. Which rights does the current oath say the Constitution recognizes and affirms?
  1. Rights of the English and French founding peoples
  2. Rights of all newcomers
  3. Treaty and Aboriginal rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis
  4. Rights of the Acadians and Quebecers
Show answer

Answer: C. Treaty and Aboriginal rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis

These words were added to the oath in 2021; the 2012 guide did not have them.

24. In the oath, a new citizen promises to faithfully observe Canada's laws, including the Constitution.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

They also promise to fulfil their duties as Canadian citizens.

25. According to the guide, what do Canadians pledge loyalty to in the oath?
  1. A constitution
  2. A person who represents all Canadians
  3. A flag
  4. A country
Show answer

Answer: B. A person who represents all Canadians

The Sovereign personifies Canada, so loyalty goes to one person rather than a document, banner or country.

26. In the oath, new citizens promise to fulfil their duties as Canadian citizens.
  1. True
  2. False
Show answer

Answer: A. True

This promise closes the oath.

27. Which opening words let a person affirm the oath instead of swearing it?
  1. I swear (or affirm)
  2. I promise (or declare)
  3. I vow (or pledge)
  4. I state (or attest)
Show answer

Answer: A. I swear (or affirm)

The oath opens with a choice so people may affirm instead of swearing.

More practice by chapter

Take the timed 20-question practice test

The study app

Study every chapter, in English or French.

Canada Citizenship Test Coach icon

Study · iPhone & iPad

Canada Citizenship Test Coach

Study for the Canadian citizenship test one chapter at a time, then take timed mock tests with the real test’s pass mark.

  • All 11 chapters of the guide, plus your province or territory
  • Study and listen in English or French
  • Timed mock tests of 20 questions in 45 minutes, with every answer explained

Free to start. The first three chapters and two mock tests are free; one purchase unlocks everything, with no subscription.

Coming soon to the App Store Privacy policy
Captioned App Store image: Read or Listen, study in English or French, above the Rights chapter in English and French

Inside the app

Practise, then see where you stand.

A quiz after each section and a readiness view for every chapter.

01

Section quizzes

Learn from every answer

A quiz after each section, with a short explanation for every answer.

Captioned App Store image: Learn From Every Answer, explanations for right and wrong answers, above a quiz question with the wrong choice in red and the right answer in green
02

Readiness by chapter

Know what to review

See which parts of the guide you already know, chapter by chapter.

Captioned App Store image: No Ads. No Subscription. Start free, no account needed, above the Home screen showing progress by chapter

Support & enquiries

We’re here to help.

For app support or general enquiries, send us a note.

Also see the US citizenship practice test.