How the Online Citizenship Test Works

Most people take the citizenship test online, from home, on their own computer. That makes the test itself easier to reach and the setup easier to get wrong. Almost everything that goes wrong on the day is technical rather than about knowledge. Here is what IRCC says you need, from its page on taking the online test, checked on 23 September 2026.

Before you start

The test is 45 minutes long. Once the timer starts, it cannot be stopped or paused, and when the 45 minutes are up your answers are submitted automatically, finished or not. You get a warning when five minutes are left.

Have one piece of identification ready:

• your permanent resident card, even if it has expired, or
• a valid piece of ID with your photo and signature, such as a driver's licence or health card

The device and browser

IRCC is specific here, and it is worth checking a day early rather than an hour before.

• Use a desktop computer, laptop or tablet with a webcam
• Use the Chrome or Safari browser
• Do not use a mobile phone, Chrome on an iPad, or a Microsoft Surface Pro
• Do not use a virtual private network (VPN)

Where to take it

Choose a place with good lighting, because the system has to see you clearly through your webcam. A public library or a public computer is allowed, and you do not need to be in Canada.

How starting works

1. Sign in only after you have received your invitation, using your application number and your unique client identifier (UCI)
2. Accept the privacy notice and the terms and conditions
3. Select "Email me the test link". The link goes to the email address on your application, or to your representative's
4. Use the link within 15 minutes, or it expires and you sign in again for a new one. If you requested several, use the latest
5. Re-enter your application number and UCI, then take photos of your ID and of yourself
6. Select "Start the test". The 45-minute countdown begins

During the test

While you take it, IRCC's system takes random photos through your webcam and compares them with your ID photo and your application photos.

• Take the test alone, in the same place you took your photos
• Keep your face fully visible, and keep anything with personal information, such as a diploma, out of the background
• Close every other tab, window and program, and turn off your VPN
• Do not use another device, look at study materials, or press your browser's back button

If IRCC finds technical problems or signs of cheating, the result may be invalidated, and you would be asked to take the test again.

When you finish

Your score appears on screen as soon as you submit. It is unofficial until an officer reviews it, which can take a few days or a few weeks. IRCC does not send a confirmation email and you cannot sign back in to see it, so print the results page or email it to yourself before you close it.

The part that decides the result

None of the setup changes what you know. The 20 questions come from Discover Canada, and you need 15 right. Our free practice questions are grouped by chapter, and the study guide reduces each chapter to the facts the test asks about.