The Oath of Citizenship
Official source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/discover-canada/read-online/oath-citizenship.html
1.What will you promise when you take the Oath of Citizenship?
- Pledge loyalty to the Sovereign, observe the laws of Canada, and fulfil the duties of a Canadian citizen
- Pledge allegiance to the Canadian flag and the national anthem
- Promise to obey the Prime Minister and the government of the day
- Carry out responsibilities to your province or territory before those to Canada
Answer: Pledge loyalty to the Sovereign, observe the laws of Canada, and fulfil the duties of a Canadian citizen
Why: The Oath contains three promises: allegiance to the Sovereign, faithful observance of Canada's laws including the Constitution, and the fulfilment of a citizen's duties.
2.To whom do we profess our loyalty in Canada?
- A person who represents all Canadians
- The Canadian flag
- The Canadian Constitution
- Geopolitical entities
Answer: A person who represents all Canadians
Why: Loyalty is professed to a person — the Sovereign — who represents all Canadians, rather than to a document, a flag or a country. In a constitutional monarchy those things are encompassed by the Sovereign.
3.Whom does the Oath of Citizenship name as the Sovereign?
- His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada
- The Governor General of Canada
- The Prime Minister of Canada
- The Speaker of the House of Commons
Answer: His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada
Why: Since the accession of King Charles III the Oath is sworn to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada. Printed copies of Discover Canada still name Queen Elizabeth the Second and are out of date on this point.
4.Besides the reigning Sovereign, to whom else does the Oath of Citizenship pledge allegiance?
- The Sovereign's Heirs and Successors
- The Governor General and the Lieutenant Governors
- The Parliament of Canada
- The Supreme Court of Canada
Answer: The Sovereign's Heirs and Successors
Why: To the Sovereign's Heirs and Successors. The allegiance is to the Crown as a continuing institution, so it does not lapse when one reign ends.
5.What title does the Oath of Citizenship give the Sovereign in relation to Canada?
- King of Canada
- King of the Commonwealth
- Head of the Canadian State Church
- Emperor of the Dominions
Answer: King of Canada
Why: King of Canada. The Sovereign holds the Canadian Crown separately from the crowns of other Commonwealth realms, which is why the Oath names Canada specifically.
6.According to the Oath, what will new citizens faithfully observe?
- The laws of Canada, including the Constitution
- The laws of their province only
- The customs and traditions of Canada
- The rulings of the Supreme Court alone
Answer: The laws of Canada, including the Constitution
Why: The laws of Canada, including the Constitution. The Constitution is named explicitly rather than left implied.
7.Whose rights does the Oath of Citizenship say the Constitution recognizes and affirms?
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples
- Anglophones and Francophones
- Recent immigrants and refugees
- The provinces and the territories
Answer: First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples
Why: The Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. This clause was added to the Oath in 2021.
8.Which two kinds of Aboriginal rights does the Oath say the Constitution recognizes and affirms?
- Aboriginal rights and treaty rights
- Language rights and mobility rights
- Property rights and voting rights
- Hunting rights and fishing rights only
Answer: Aboriginal rights and treaty rights
Why: Aboriginal rights and treaty rights. The two are distinct: Aboriginal rights arise from prior occupation and use, treaty rights from agreements made with the Crown.
9.How does the Oath of Citizenship end?
- A promise to fulfil the duties of a Canadian citizen
- A promise to defend Canada in time of war
- A promise to learn both official languages
- A promise to vote in every federal election
Answer: A promise to fulfil the duties of a Canadian citizen
Why: With the promise to fulfil one's duties as a Canadian citizen. Rights and duties are joined in the Oath itself.
10.Why does the Oath of Citizenship begin "I swear (or affirm)"?
- So it can be taken either as a religious oath or as a solemn affirmation
- So it can be taken in either English or French
- Because applicants under 18 use a shorter wording
- Because dual citizens swear a different oath
Answer: So it can be taken either as a religious oath or as a solemn affirmation
Why: The wording lets the Oath be taken either as a religious oath or as a solemn affirmation, so no one has to make a religious declaration to become a citizen.
11.Which of the following is NOT what Canadians profess loyalty to?
- A banner such as a flag
- A person who represents all Canadians
- The Sovereign
- The King of Canada
Answer: A banner such as a flag
Why: Loyalty is not professed to a document such as a constitution, a banner such as a flag, or a geopolitical entity such as a country. It is professed to the Sovereign, who encompasses all three.
12.In Canada's constitutional monarchy, who encompasses the constitution, the flag and the country?
- The Sovereign
- The Prime Minister
- Parliament
- The Chief Justice
Answer: The Sovereign
Why: The Sovereign, King or Queen. That is why loyalty to one person stands for loyalty to all of them.
13.How does Discover Canada describe the relationship between Canada and the Sovereign?
- Canada is personified by the Sovereign, and the Sovereign by Canada
- The Sovereign governs Canada directly
- Canada is a possession of the Sovereign
- The Sovereign is chosen by Canadians
Answer: Canada is personified by the Sovereign, and the Sovereign by Canada
Why: Canada is personified by the Sovereign just as the Sovereign is personified by Canada — a mutual relationship, not a one-way one.
14.Which three terms together describe Canada's system of government?
- Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, federal state
- Republic, presidential democracy, federal state
- Absolute monarchy, parliamentary democracy, unitary state
- Constitutional monarchy, direct democracy, confederation of republics
Answer: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, federal state
Why: Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a federal state. All three are true at once and each describes a different aspect of how the country is governed.
15.What does it mean that Canada is a constitutional monarchy?
- Canada has a Sovereign as head of state whose role is defined by the constitution
- Canadians elect their monarch every five years
- The Sovereign writes Canada's laws
- Canada has no written constitution
Answer: Canada has a Sovereign as head of state whose role is defined by the constitution
Why: Canada has a Sovereign as head of state, and the Sovereign's role is defined and limited by the constitution rather than exercised personally and without limit.
16.What shared commitment does Discover Canada say binds Canadians together?
- The rule of law and the institutions of parliamentary government
- A single official language
- A common ethnic origin
- An established national religion
Answer: The rule of law and the institutions of parliamentary government
Why: Canadians are bound together by a shared commitment to the rule of law and to the institutions of parliamentary government — not by a single language, religion or ethnic origin.
17.For roughly how long does Discover Canada say settlers and immigrants have been contributing to Canada's diversity and richness?
- 400 years
- 100 years
- 200 years
- 1,000 years
Answer: 400 years
Why: The guide says 400 years, dating the contribution of settlers and immigrants from the beginnings of permanent European settlement in the early 1600s.
18.What kind of society does Discover Canada say generations of newcomers were welcomed to help build?
- A free, law-abiding and prosperous society
- A neutral, unarmed and self-sufficient society
- A rural, agricultural and traditional society
- A bilingual, republican and secular society
Answer: A free, law-abiding and prosperous society
Why: A free, law-abiding and prosperous society. All three words matter: freedom, respect for law, and prosperity.
19.What does Discover Canada say Canadians have done to defend their way of life?
- They have made sacrifices
- They have avoided all foreign conflicts
- They have relied on allies to defend them
- They have kept their borders closed
Answer: They have made sacrifices
Why: They have made sacrifices. The guide pairs pride in Canadian identity with the sacrifices made to defend it.
20.On what does Discover Canada say the country is built?
- A proud history and a strong identity
- Abundant natural resources alone
- Its geographic size
- Membership in international organizations
Answer: A proud history and a strong identity
Why: A proud history and a strong identity. The guide presents diversity as an addition to that foundation rather than a replacement for it.
21.Which applicants must have adequate knowledge of English or French to become Canadian citizens?
- Those between the ages of 18 and 54
- All applicants, at any age
- Only those aged 55 and over
- Only those under the age of 18
Answer: Those between the ages of 18 and 54
Why: The language requirement applies to immigrants between the ages of 18 and 54. Knowledge of one official language is enough; both are never required.
22.How many official languages must an applicant aged 18 to 54 know adequately?
- One — either English or French
- Both English and French
- English only
- French only
Answer: One — either English or French
Why: One. The requirement is adequate knowledge of English or French, not both.
23.Besides voting procedures, which subjects must citizenship applicants learn about?
- History, symbols, democratic institutions, geography, and rights and responsibilities
- Provincial tax law and municipal by-laws
- Canadian literature and popular music
- Commonwealth history and international treaties
Answer: History, symbols, democratic institutions, geography, and rights and responsibilities
Why: Canada's history, symbols, democratic institutions, geography, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
24.Alongside their rights, what two things must Canadian citizens do?
- Obey Canada's laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others
- Serve in the military and pay a citizenship levy
- Learn both official languages and vote in every election
- Renounce any other citizenship and register annually
Answer: Obey Canada's laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others
Why: Rights come with responsibilities: citizens must obey Canada's laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others.
25.How does Discover Canada describe what applicants join by becoming citizens?
- A great tradition built by generations of pioneers
- A newly created national community
- A federation of independent provinces
- An association of Commonwealth subjects
Answer: A great tradition built by generations of pioneers
Why: A great tradition built by generations of pioneers before them. New citizens are presented as continuing a story rather than starting one.
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