Welcome: the test, the guide, and how to study

Priya is thirty-four. She came from India, and she works in a pharmacy in Brampton. On her lunch break, she opens the free study guide for the citizenship test. A coworker looks over and says, oh, that test is very hard. Lots of people fail. Priya closes the guide. Her stomach feels tight. Is it really that hard? And where should she start?

So here's the question. What is the citizenship test, and how do you get ready for it? Let's find out together.

First, hello. I'm Vinnie. I'm not a real person. I was made with artificial intelligence, by a computer. Remember, this is a free, independent course. It is not a government course. It is not made or endorsed by the Government of Canada, or by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Endorsed means approved. We wrote our own practice questions for this course. They are not real test questions. This is general information. For your own case, check canada.ca.

Now, who takes the test? The immigration department's website says this. If you are eighteen to fifty-four years old on the day you sign your application, you must take the test. Your age on that day decides it. Your age on test day does not. People fifty-five and older don't take it. Children under eighteen don't take it either.

Now the numbers. The test has twenty questions. Each one is multiple choice or true-or-false. To pass, you need at least fifteen correct answers out of twenty. You have forty-five minutes. Once the timer starts, you can't stop it. You can take the test in English or in French. And you have up to three chances to pass, within your thirty-day test period.

What is on the test? The department says all the questions are based on the official study guide, Discover Canada. It is the only official guide. It covers rights and responsibilities, history, geography, the economy, government, laws and symbols. And here is good news. The test has no questions to check your English or French. It checks what you know about Canada.

The guide is free. You can read it online or print it. There is a large-print version, an e-book, an audio version, and a paper copy you can order. The guide also has a page of study questions. This course follows the guide, chapter by chapter. But please study the guide too. The department says other material is used at your own risk.

Let's make it stick. Say four numbers with me. Twenty, fifteen, forty-five, three. Twenty questions sit in a room. Fifteen of them must be your friends. You have forty-five minutes to meet them. And you can knock on the door three times. Say it once more, slowly. Twenty, fifteen, forty-five, three.

Let's change one fact. What if Priya fails her first try? She still has more chances in her thirty-day test period. If she fails all three times, the department will invite her to a hearing with a citizenship official. A hearing is a meeting where an official asks her questions. So one bad day is not the end.

The mistake people make is listening to scary stories, like the one from Priya's coworker. Another mistake is trying to read the whole guide in one weekend. The guide is long, and it has many hard words. A little every day works better. That's my own study advice, not a government rule.

Here's the one thing to remember. Twenty questions, fifteen to pass, forty-five minutes, and three chances. Every question comes from the guide, Discover Canada.

This week, find the free guide on canada.ca. Read one chapter, and listen to the audio of that same chapter. Here is more advice of my own. When you practise, aim well above fifteen. Next time, can you apply? We'll count your days, your taxes and your language proof.