Citizenship test
 

I imagine that some of you have done this in the fairly recent past. I've just been informed that mine is next week. I was told some time ago that the written test is p**s easy. Is that true? How many questions are there and how long does it take?

I note from the paperwork that the ceremony takes place right after the test and guests are permitted. It doesn't look as if the chances of failing are very high.

I was surprised to get the letter yesterday. I applied last October and received an acknowledgement in March. I wasn't expecting to hear from them again this year.

Re: Citizenship test
 

Yes its piss easy, read the look at canada booklet they sent and remember the bits on voting.

There is a practice test on the richmond library site, and others around too. IIRC its about 20 questions, and took me less than 10 minutes, including triple checking the answers.

Its no biggie. The ceremony timing can vary, its usually a few weeks to a month or two later on.

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Cool. The book does seem to put a lot of emphasis on the voting stuff. Just as well, I tried out the sample questions on my family (both real Canadians). I got a lot of blank looks.

The singing the national anthem bit appeals to my sense of irony. A room full of immigrants singing about "our home and native land". Er, not quite.

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Fortunately they hand out a card at the ceremony with the words in both official languages. We were encouraged to try both! Good point though, Canada does feel like home now...but its never going to be my native land.

The voting stuff is important as they are the two questions you MUST get right. Really its your only chance to fail as the other questions can be answered by elimination the obviously wrong and taking a 50/50 chance on the remainders.

Probably worth finding out who the Governor and lieutenant generals and you MP are just in case.

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Not wanting to bang about this too much but I need your help again Ian, or anyone else who has done the test recently.

I have been working through the sample questions in the back of the book. Most are a doddle but one is giving me a hard time. Knowing my luck it will come up.

The question is: "Which group of aboriginal peoples make up more than half the population of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut?"

The answer is meant to be found elsewhere in the book. I haven't found it after several readings. My wife can't find it either. The only reference we have seen says that aboriginal peoples make up over half the population of the North (which also includes the Yukon).

Further research has led me to believe that the correct answer is the First Nations. Gut feeling tells me that the answer they're looking for is Inuit.

It is also possible that the word "aboriginal" shouldn't be in the question at all, because it's the answer.

Help!!!!!!!

Re: Citizenship test
 

Tried asking google: The Inuit, who make up 83% of Nunavut's 24,730 residents.

Re: Citizenship test
 

Ah....so you finally learned how to use the google search option then? ;)

Re: Citizenship test
 

Just in case its still driving you nuts
Page 15...

Inuit are Aboriginal people who live in
Canada’s North, which includes
Nunavut, the Northwest Territories,
Northern Quebec and Labrador.

Dont worry about it...the voting questions are the only ones you have to get right. And remember, its mostly multiple choice:)

Re: Citizenship test
 

I'm studying for an exam - I need something to keep my nuerons firing ... incidently, the richmond test exam is here:
http://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship/index.asp

Here's a free trial, don't know how good it is:
http://www.v-soul.com/vsoul/freesw.html?citizenship

Re: Citizenship test
 

No, I'm not going to say anything about you know.......! ;)

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Two wrong.....until I got bored....is it my imagination or are some of those questions repeated?

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Ta. But was driving me nuts is that page 15 doesn't answer the question.

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Thanks. I just did the test on the first link (20 questions). Took me less than a minute and I got them all right except for the last one and that doesn't bother me much. I don't need to know who MPs are in BC, so I just clicked anywhere.

I'm worrying about nothing, aren't I?

PS: I liked the suggestion that mowing your lawn was a citizen's duty.

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LOL....you did better than I did and I was born and raised in canada.....!

Good luck to you!

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Just did the whole test.

116 questions, of which six were about BC politics again, so we'll ignore them.

Did pretty well though. I didn't know that the Queen's representative in a Territory is a Commissioner. I also made a boo-boo on the three rights (two answers looked good to me).

My gut feeling regarding the Inuit was correct though. It might not be the right answer but it's the one they're looking for. Glad I brought this up.

Thanks chaps. :)

PS: What do we do until the next season of Canadian Idol starts? I miss it already.

Re: Citizenship test
 

Yeah, it would be Inuit. Generally, there are First Nations peoples and Inuit peoples and together they make up the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. The different categorization (FN vs Inuit) has to do with notions that First Nations peoples (basically most sub-arctic and below groups) had one sort of migration into the Americas and the Inuit had a different; they came at a different times, originating from different places in Asia and possibly other places, from different 'racial stocks' and that the cultural development of the two groups is very distinct from one another. All this info continues to be debated, re-theorized, argued, etc.

Good luck on the test. :)

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I'm still sure they're wrong. The numbers don't add up. The info they provide in the book gives the combined population of NV and NWT as 69,000. Stats Canada says that there were 45,070 self-identifying Inuit in Canada in 2001, of which 22,560 were in NV and 4,056 in NWT. That gives a grand total of 26,616, which is not more than half; it's less than 40%.

Re: Citizenship test
 

I had my test back in June. If you have read through the book and did the questions in the back you will have no problem. It is 20 multiple choice questions and VERY simple. There are three that you have to get right or you fail (on citizenship duties) and one section on government that you have to get 1 of 3 correct (I may be remembering the number wrong here).

When I went, it took the two guys administering the test an hour to check everyone in and go over their paperwork, ask them a few questions to assess their English speaking ability (be sure you know how many days you have been out of the country as that was the question they asked everyone), and to explain how to take the test. The test itself took less than 5 minutes for me to finish.

Be sure to bring you landing papers, PR card, drivers license or health card for a photo ID, and passport. There were a couple of people who forgot that and they couldn't take the test.

Took about 2 months after the test to get the call for the swearing in which likewise took much more time to check everyone in than do the actual deed.

Re: Citizenship test
 

You won't sing it at the test, just at the oath ceremony. They will have a question about it on the test though.

Re: Citizenship test
 

The free trial software is pretty good and had questions exactly from the test I took. If you can take all 100+ question on that test and get most right, you will pass easily.

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We had to say the Oath and sing the anthem in both French and English when we did it.

To say that we butchered the french part was an understatement.

We had to wait 2 months before we did the ceremony and they scheduled it on the same day that we moved house. Quite a busy day.

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Thanks for that. I know what to concentrate on now.

Do you remember if they had your application form with them? I didn't keep a copy of mine (stupidly) and I can't remember what I said about how many days I'd been out of the country before I applied. It wasn't many. I know I haven't left Canada since I applied.

I wonder how many "real" Canadians would pass the test. Not many, I suspect. I tried asking a few of the locals who our Lt. Governor is. They didn't even know there was one. Couldn't name the GG, either.

Here's one that isn't on the test. Where did Canadian soldiers first go to war?

Re: Citizenship test
 

Canada presumably, when they fought the first nations for the land :p

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I wonder how many "real" Canadians would pass the test. Not many, I suspect. I tried asking a few of the locals who our Lt. Governor is. They didn't even know there was one. Couldn't name the GG, either.

Im a "real" canadian and I'm ashamed to say that I got 6 wrong and they were all regarding politics in BC......!

You did better than I did with your score!

Good luck.....I'm sure you'll pass with flying colours! Here's some good luck karma for you!

Re: Citizenship test
 

Nope.

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By definition, in order to create "Canada" as a nation, and therefore "Canadians", those who fought to create the nation (well, take the land anyway) would become the first canadian soldiers. Thats the smartass answer anyway.

Technically I suppose they werent really making "canada", you have to wait till Confederation for that. If could give you the textbook anSA if I wanted though ;)

Re: Citizenship test
 

You're very liberal with the karma recently. I think most of my blue boxes come from just two of your outbursts.

Thanks, though. :)

Re: Citizenship test
 

Well, given that Canada wasn't really invented until confederation and that a "Canadian" military didn't exist until the Militia Act of 1868 brought together the four provincial militias, I think we can say that "Canadian" soldiers were not around before that.

I have to say that I was quite surprised when I found out the answer. I've been helping the Mrs with a course she has to pass in order to qualify in her new rank.

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LOL.......Outburst.....dont know quite how to take that! ;)

I always like to donate to a worthy cause!

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Yes, they had your whole case folder there actually. I also didn't remember how many days it was and for me it was quite a few since I am from the US and go back there a few times a year to visit or for business. He wasn't really interested in the exact number of day, more that you could speak English well and understand him. What took the most time for me was going over my name change between my landing papers and now since they used my maiden name on the marriage certificate and not the name I was using when I moved up here from my first marriage.

My husband is Canadian born and he didn't know many of the answers before he helped me study for the test. Most of the political ones he knew until you got to who is your local representative with the city kind of stuff or who is the leader of some of the political parties at the provential level. He did say a lot of the geographic stuff was new to him too.

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Thanks for that. Very reassuring. I'll make sure I have every scrap of information with me, just I case. I don't think I'm terribly worried about being tested for my competence in English (or French, really). I'm tempted, but probably won't do it, to mention that I have written speeches for four Canadian Ambassadors.

The only thing worrying me now is that I have a bad memory for names.

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Now that's a question all citizenship applicants should be able to answer :D
If not ...... God help us all!

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I can see the question now.

"Canadian Idol is the embodiment of Canada's values and culture because:

a) Contestants are judged by a representative cross-section of Canada's diverse population (Jewish man, white woman, fat black man, fat white man who could also be Jewish and perhaps a bit....)

b) Viewers are given the opportunity to freely express their views (viewers in Quebec will always vote en-masse for any Quebec competitor, no matter how bad)

c) CI works to promote and end to discrimination (by showcasing fat 17 year old girls in very tight clothing)

d) CI encourages viewers to help preserve the environment (by switching off the TV, thus reducing greenhouse gas)

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When you took Canadian citizenship, did you lose your US citizenship? My dentist is American, and while she's married to a Canadian and has PR, she told me she doesn't want to get Canadian citizenship as she'd lose her American citizenship - which was news to me.

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I don't think it's automatic, although they're clearly not very keen on the idea of dual citizenship.

http://www.amcits.com/dual.asp

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I believe that the citizenship test is a travesty and should be abolished. The government web site states that it is to ensure that citizenship applicants are fluent in English or French. By the time anyone applies for citizenship, language proficiency would have been tested in a much more stringent manner than some farsical multiple choice test on internal governmental structure. If it was at all important to be able to pass the test, then it would be required in the passport application process. (It is not.)
I have written the Prime Minister asking that the test be abolished.
(I was born in Ontario and I passed the online test easily.)

Re: Citizenship test
 

No you don't lose it unless you specifically file paperwork with the US government renouncing your citizenship. They don't encourage dual cit. but it is OK.

Re: Citizenship test
 

The US is normally ok with dual citizenship:
http://www.richw.org/dualcit/


Jeremy