CIC first introduced the writ­ten citizenship knowledge test in 1994. Before then, the knowl­edge requirement was assessed through an interview with the citi­zenship judge. In 2001, the gov­ernment introduced mandatory questions that must be answered correctly in order to pass that test in addition to the overall pass mark. The result of the written knowledge test is also considered when assessing an applicant’s language ability in either of Cana­da’s official languages.

Based on a number of factors, CIC decides if the knowledge test will be done orally or in writing and notifies applicants who pass the test and meet all the other requirements for citizen­ship are invited to a citizenship ceremony where they take the oath of citizenship and receive a certificate of Canadian citizen­ship.
Current Status
As of March 15, 2010, all of the citizenship test questions (oral and written) are based on infor­mation provided in the new study guide, Discover Canada.

• The written citizenship test continues to consist of 20 multi­ple choice questions. Applicants still have 30 minutes to write the test.
• The pass mark is now 75% (15 out of 20 questions) for the written test.
• The requirement to pass certain mandatory questions re­mains.
• New conceptual type ques­tions have been added alongside fact based questions.

If applicants do not pass the written test, they will be sent a Notice inviting them to appear for a hearing (oral interview) with a citizenship judge. At the inter- view, the judge will ask the test questions orally.

Retesting Policy
During the implementation phase of the new test, there will be a test monitoring period. Cer­tain adjustments may be required to ensure that the test evaluates the knowledge and language abilities of citizenship applicants accurately.

In order to minimize the num­ber of hearing during the transi­tion period while the new test is being perfected, clients who fail the written test during the re­testing period and who are not flagged for other issues (e.g. lan­guage, residence criminality, etc.) will be scheduled to write the test a second time before being re­ferred for a hearing with a citizen­ship judge.

These interim retesting mea­sures will be in place for six months (March 15 to September 15) and are subject to change at the discretion of the Department.

Clients who have already writ­ten but failed the old test based on A Look At Canada and who where not scheduled for their hearing before March 15, will be scheduled to take new written test based on Discover Canada before being scheduled for a hearing with a citizenship judge. Clients will be scheduled for this second test once, and if they do not at­tend to write the test based on Discover Canada, they will be scheduled for a hearing with a citizenship judge.

How to Prepare for the Citi­zenship Test
In order to prepare for the test applicants should:

• start studying for the test as soon as they receive a copy of the study guide or earlier by access­ing it online;
• take a look at the sample study guide questions on the CIC website;
• ask a friend or family mem­ber to help them practice answer­ing questions about Canada; call a local school or school board, a college, a community centre or a local organization that pro­vides services to immigrants and ask for information on citizenship classes;
• take English or French lan­guage classes, which the Gov­ernment of Canada offers free of charge.

For more information, please see the frequently asked ques­tions about the new study guide and the citizenship test at www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fag/citizenship/indes.asp#guide

Excerpts from CIC News
A Notary Public in the City of Burnaby and a member of the Canadian Society of Immigra­tion Consultants, Editha Corrales Nelson’s preferred areas of prac­tice are Will Preparation, Powers of Attorney, Wills Preparation, International Legal Documents, Affidavits, Letters of Invitation, Statutory Declarations, and other notarial services. For an appointment, please call: 604- 777-2757.

The following should not be construed as providing legal advice and information in this column is intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to spe­cific circumstances without further consultation. For more informa­tion on the subject, contact Editha Corrales Nelson at 604-777-2757.