How can you fail the test?

[angelbrat]

I am very curious, I keep seeing posts saying they failed the citizenship test. How is that possible?

I understand that you are given the revision booklet approx. 8 months before the test date. How can you not possibly be able to not pass, with that kind of revision time.

I must be missing something, I am applying for my citizenship in May and very interested in knowing what I am missing about the test, just so I am prepared.

[scylla]

I believe there are two core issues that cause people to fail:

1) Not studying at all or not studying enough (i.e. lack of effort)
2) Not having a sufficient grasp of English or French

I have several friend and colleagues who took the test recently. They all thought the test was relatively easy (if you bothered to study).

[scylla]

Oh - and for the record - I'm sure you'll have no trouble passing with flying colours. 

[Leon]

I recommend this practice test: http://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/
Pick all questions and go through it until you know them all by heart.  The questions on the test are very similar.  You can not go wrong if you do this.

[angelbrat]

Oh - and for the record - I'm sure you'll have no trouble passing with flying colours. 

Thanks.....I was hoping that would be the answer. I take applying for my Citizenship, very seriously. I honestly believe I would be doing my adopted Country a severe injustice, to not be this serious.

Canada allowed me to make her my home, I can only repay her by trying to be the best citizen I can and if this means knowing every dam bloody Canadian prime minister for the last 100000000 years, so be it.

Starts revising.......

[Leon]

On some of the questions the wording is pretty confusing.  I'd like to say that my English is decent but I still had to read a couple of the questions 2 or 3 times over to make sure I was understanding them correctly.  I would understand how somebody who does not have a good grasp of English or French might get enough wrong to fail.  However, when you live in Canada and want to be a citizen, learning the native language is also a requirement.

[AllisonVSC]

Leon,

I think you have to get 15 out of 20 questions correct to pass. Is that right?
Also, Didn't you mention in another post that there was some subset of questions that you must get ALL of those correct to pass?

Thanks, Allison

[Leon]

According to Wikipedia, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Citizenship_Test they changed the test in 2010.  The old test had a failure rate of 4% and the new one had a failure rate of 30% initially but they made it easier and now it is 20%.  There are 20 questions and you have to get 15 right.

The test I took was actually the old test and back then you only had to get 12 out of 20 right although there were 5 questions on the last page you had to get all of but I suppose I shouldn't complain as I got the easy test

[AllisonVSC]

Thanks for clarifying.

[toby]

If I recall correctly, some of the questions ask for historical knowledge, like "who was the second Prime Minister after Confederation?"

I guess that would be nice to know, but has nothing to do with being a good citizen. I'd prefer to see questions to do with ethics, and values.  Wrong answers would keep inappropriate people from becoming citizens.  Of course, I would have to draft the exam; no one else would do it properly.  :-)