What score do I need to pass the Canadian citizenship test?

You need to answer at least 15 out of 20 questions correctly, which works out to 75%.

When will I find out my result?

If you write the test in person or over Microsoft Teams, you'll get your official result on the spot. If you write it online, you'll see an unofficial result immediately after submitting, but the official result has to be reviewed by an IRCC officer first, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

What happens if I fail all three attempts?

IRCC will invite you to a hearing, where a citizenship officer asks you questions in person to assess your knowledge of Canada, your residency, and your language ability. If you pass the hearing, you'll wait for an invitation to the citizenship ceremony. If you don't pass, your application will be refused and you'll need to reapply and pay the fees again.

Test Prep Guide

Canadian Citizenship Test Passing Score Explained

How many questions do you actually need to get right? How is the score calculated, and when will you find out your result? And what happens if you don't pass? This article walks through the whole scoring and results process based on official IRCC guidance.

Last updated: August 4, 2026 Reading time: about 7 minutes Source: IRCC's official "Test results and next steps" page

Key Facts at a Glance

The short version, in one table

Passing score

15/20 (75%)

Total questions

20 questions

Time allowed

45 minutes

Attempts allowed

Up to 3 within 30 days

Fail all 3 attempts

You'll be invited to a hearing

1. What's the passing score?

The Canadian citizenship test has 20 multiple-choice or true/false questions, and you need to answer at least 15 (75%) correctly to pass. This applies to every applicant between 18 and 54 who's required to write the knowledge test, no matter whether you take it online, at a test centre in person, or over Microsoft Teams — the standard is the same across the board.

Put another way: out of 20 questions, you can afford to get up to 5 wrong. Miss a 6th one, and you're below the cutoff. It's a good idea to aim for 18 or higher on your practice tests, so you've got a comfortable buffer on the actual exam instead of scraping by right at 15.

2. When will you know your result? Unofficial vs. official

How and when you get your result depends on how you write the test, and this trips a lot of people up.

Online test:

As soon as you submit, the system shows you an unofficial result and score right away — but this is only a preliminary result, not your final official one. IRCC won't send a confirmation email, and you won't be able to log back in later to see it, so make sure you print the results page or use the on-page email button to send it to yourself while you're still on that screen. An IRCC officer will then review your online test and confirm your official result, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

In-person test centre / Microsoft Teams test:

You'll get your official result right on the spot when the test finishes — there's no "unofficial result" step in between, and no waiting for an officer to review it.

Either way, IRCC won't proactively email you your result — you'll need to check your application status by logging into your account regularly.

3. There are only three possible official results

1. Pass

You answered at least 15 out of 20 questions correctly (75%).

2. Fail

You weren't able to reach the passing score in any of your attempts within the 30-day window set out in your test invitation.

3. Invalidated

If IRCC finds or suspects cheating, or if there's a technical issue that makes it impossible to confirm your identity or score, your test result may be declared invalid.

As long as your test hasn't been fully reviewed yet, has been cancelled and rescheduled, or was invalidated, your application status will keep showing as "In progress." It only updates to "Completed" once you receive a pass or fail result.

4. What happens after you pass?

Passing the test doesn't necessarily mean you'll go straight to the ceremony — there may be an interview step in between.

You may be invited to an interview:

Applicants aged 18 and up (including those 55 and older), as well as minor applicants aged 14–17 who aren't applying alongside a parent, may be invited to an interview. The interview is used to confirm your identity, verify that the copies of your documents match the originals, and confirm that you meet the requirements for citizenship. An interview doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a final decision on the spot.

You'll then receive an invitation to the citizenship ceremony:

Once you've passed the test (and the interview, if you had one), IRCC will invite you to a citizenship ceremony to officially complete the process.

If you're invited to an interview, bring the original documents you submitted with your application, along with any passports or travel documents you've used in the past 5 years.

5. What if you don't pass? Your 3 attempts and the hearing process

You get up to 3 attempts to pass within the 30-day window set out in your test invitation — and it doesn't matter whether those attempts are online, over Teams, or in person, they all count toward the same 30 days and 3 tries.

If you don't pass after all 3 attempts, IRCC will invite you to a hearing, where a citizenship officer evaluates you in person. A hearing can include:

An oral knowledge test

Similar to the written test — still 20 questions, and you need 15 correct to pass. The difference is the officer asks the questions out loud and you answer verbally.

A residency review

The officer may ask questions about how long you've lived in Canada and where, to confirm you meet the residency requirement.

A language assessment

The officer will ask up to 9 questions to assess your English or French ability, and you'll need to answer at least 6 correctly to pass.

A hearing usually runs 30 to 90 minutes. You'll be notified of the result by letter afterward: if you pass, you'll wait for your citizenship ceremony invitation; if you don't, your application will be refused, and you'll need to submit a new application and pay the fees again.

6. Does it work differently for family or group applications?

If you applied as part of a family or group, IRCC usually processes those applications together as a batch. If one person doesn't pass the test, it could, in theory, affect the timeline for the whole group. In some cases, IRCC can split an individual application out of the group so that applicants who've already passed can move ahead to the ceremony. If you want to find out whether your application can be split off, you can reach out to IRCC using the email address listed under the "Rescheduling" section of your test invitation letter.

Study Tips

Don't just aim to scrape by — build in a safety margin

✓Set your target higher — if you're consistently scoring 18+ on practice tests, you've got a much better shot at staying above the passing line even if nerves cost you a point or two on test day.
✓Save your result if you test online — the unofficial result only shows once, so print it or email it to yourself right away.
✓Not passing isn't the same as being refused — you still have chances to retake it within 30 days, and it only goes to a hearing if you fail all 3 attempts.
✓Check your account status regularly — IRCC won't email you your result, so you'll need to log in and check your application status yourself.

See how close you are to passing with a practice test

Now that you know how the scoring works, the best way to find out where you stand is to take a full 20-question, 45-minute practice test and see what score you'd get.

Start a Free Practice Test →

Last reviewed: August 4, 2026　·　Source: IRCC's official "Test results and next steps" page (page last updated March 31, 2026)　·　Reviewed by: our editorial team (see our Editorial Policy)