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Canadian Government Practice Questions

Canadian Citizenship Test

Questions about the Canadian Government appear on the Canadian Citizenship test as well as the Canadian GED.

Practice Questions

1. What are three rights that Canadians have?

a. Freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and association
b. Freedom of religion, marriage, vote
c. Freedom of belief, peaceful assembly and vote
d. Freedom of association, religion and marriage

2. What are the three levels of government in Canada?

a. Local, Provincial and Federal
b. Federal, Municipal and Provincial
c. Local, National and County
d. None of the above

3. What type of government does Canada have?

a. Parliamentary Democracy
b. Democratic Parliament
c. House of Commons
d. Federalism

4. What is an important characteristic of cabinet ministers?

a. No confidence motions
b. The confidence of the cabinet
c. The confidence of the house
d. The confidence of the Prime Minister

5. What are the three branches of parliament?

a. The Sovereign (King or Queen)
b. The Senate
c. The House of Commons
d. All the three above

6. Who serves the role of the Prime Minister in each province or territory?

a. Governor General
b. The Premier
c. The Commissioner
d. The Sovereign

7. Who is a representative of the federal government in the three Northern territories?

a. The Prime Minister
b. The Sovereign
c. The Commissioner
d. The Premier

8. Who serves as the Sovereign’s representative in Canada?

a. The Commissioner
b. The Premier
c. The Prime Minister
d. Canada’s Governor General

9. When are the Federal elections held every four years?

a. The third Monday in October
b. The third Monday in November
c. The third Monday in August
d. The first Monday in October

10. How many electoral districts are there in Canada?

a. 388
b. 308
c. 310
d. 380

11. What is the minimum eligible age for a Canadian citizen to stand for election?

a. 16
b. 17
c. 21
d. 18

More Canadian Practice Questions

Canadian History (GED Format) – 7 questions
Canadian History  – 15 questions
Canadian Government – 11 questions

Answer Key

1. A
Canadians enjoy the following freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression,
including freedom of the press and other media
of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.

2. B
The three levels of government in Canada are Municipal, Provincial and Federal.

3. A
Canada’s government is known as a Parliamentary Democracy.

4. C
The so-called “confidence of the House” is an important requirement of cabinet ministers.

5. D
These three parts are the Sovereign (King or Queen), the Senate, and the House of Commons.

6. B
An individual known as the Premier serves the role as the Prime Minister in each province or territory.

7. C
In the three territories, the Commissioner is a representative of the federal government.

8. D
Canada’s Governor General serves as the Sovereign’s representative, for a term, usually limited to five years.

9. A
Federal elections in Canada are held every four years on the third Monday in October.

10. B
There are 308 electoral districts in Canada,

11. D
The minimum age for a Canadian citizen to stand for election is 18.

Common Canadian Government Questions on a Test

  1. What is the capital city of Canada?
    Ottawa.
  2. Who is the head of state in Canada?
    Queen Elizabeth II (represented by the Governor General).
  3. What are the two main political parties in Canada?
    The Liberal Party of Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada.
  4. How many provinces and territories does Canada in Canada?
    Ten provinces and three territories.
  5. What is the name of Canada’s constitution?
    The Constitution Act, 1867.
  6. What is the name of the law that governs Canadian elections?
    The Canada Elections Act.
  7. Who is responsible for appointing Supreme Court justices?
    The Prime Minister in consultation with the Minister of Justice.
  8. Who is the current Prime Minister of Canada?
    The current Prime Minister is Justin Trudeau.
  9. What is the document that outlines Canadian’s rights and freedoms?
    The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Common Mis-Conceptions about Canadian Government

  1. Canada is a monarchy and is ruled by the British monarch.
    Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government, but it is not ruled by the British monarch. The British monarch is the symbolic head of state, represented in Canada by the Governor General.
  2. The Prime Minister of Canada is elected directly by the people.
    The Prime Minister is not elected directly. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons and is appointed by the Governor General.
  3. Canada is a bilingual country and only French and English are spoken.
    French and English are the two official languages, there are many other languages, including Indigenous and immigrant languages.
  4. The Canadian government has a system of checks and balances like the US government.
    The Canadian government does not have a formal system of checks and balances. Instead, it has a parliamentary system in which the executive branch is accountable to the legislative branch, and the legislative branch is elected.
  5. The Canadian government is controlled by the Queen.
    The Queen does not have direct control. The Queen’s role is mostly symbolic and ceremonial. The government is run by elected officials, with the Prime Minister serving as the head of the government.
  6. The Canadian flag has always been the same.
    The current flag was adopted in 1965 replacing the Red Ensign.
  7. Canada’s Parliament is located in Toronto.
    The Parliament of Canada is located in Ottawa, which is the capital of Canada. Toronto is the largest city and capital of Ontario.
Written by,

Date Published: Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014
Date Modified: Friday, June 23rd, 2023

    5 Comments

  1. February 26, 2015
    Reply

    The practice questions for canadian government
    are good, thanks make them accessible . But only 11 questions, it would be nice if more practice questions are availabale. The link to canadian History practice is died. By the way, I am using a tablet not a desktop maybe this is the reason why I didnot get through.

    Last question: how many questions are there in citizenship test? 60 or 20?

    Thanks,

    Mike

    • Complete Test Prep
      February 27, 2015
      Reply

      Thanks! There are 60 multiple choice questions on the Canadian Citizenship test

  2. Rida
    January 27, 2017
    Reply

    I love this but I think you should think of age range . Some questions are too hard for 9 year old some are too easy for 13 year olds . So maybe make different questions for different grades.

  3. Brooklyn
    October 23, 2017
    Reply

    I’m in grade 10 and this practice test is perfect for my civics class and is perfect questions if you are having a test on Canadian Government!

  4. Ellen
    September 5, 2022
    Reply

    thank you for making this available very good practice

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