On Canada Day, a momentous occasion will take place as over a thousand individuals pledge their oath to become new Canadian citizens. The festivities will be marked by 1,130 citizenship ceremonies happening all across the country on Saturday, as revealed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada in their data shared with Global News.
It is worth noting that passing the citizenship test is an essential requirement for official Canadian citizenship, and recent statistics from IRCC indicate that the majority of test takers this year have been successful.
Between January and May 2023, an impressive total of 119,053 tests were completed, with a remarkable 92% passing rate. Similarly, last year demonstrated a similar outcome with 91% of participants successfully passing among the approximately 260,000 citizenship tests administered. Interestingly enough, recent polling suggests that Canadians themselves may not fare as well on the citizenship test.
A survey conducted by Leger found that only 23% of the polled Canadian adults would likely pass the citizenship test based on their responses to ten randomly selected questions. Furthermore, the average score achieved by these participants was merely 49%, which falls significantly short of the required passing threshold of 75%.
Canada Citizenship Test Program
Now let’s delve into what exactly entails this citizenship test. The examination can be taken in either English or French and comprises twenty questions covering various aspects of Canada’s history, geography, economy, government structure and laws, as well as national symbols. These questions are presented in multiple-choice format or require true or false responses.
To assist applicants in adequately preparing for this significant evaluation process, the government offers an official study guide accessible online or in hard copy form at no cost. In order to successfully pass the test and attain Canadian citizenship status, individuals must answer at least fifteen out of these twenty questions correctly.
For those who may face initial difficulty and do not achieve success during their first attempt at the citizenship test, they are granted subsequent opportunities for two more tries. However, should these additional attempts also prove unsuccessful, their application will be rejected, and they will be required to reapply for citizenship.
The population of Canada has recently surpassed the remarkable milestone of 40 million individuals, largely attributed to the significant influx of immigrants. In fact, last year witnessed a record-breaking number of newcomers welcomed into the country, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the entire Canadian population.
Looking ahead, the federal government has set an ambitious target to welcome approximately 1.45 million new immigrants over the course of the next three years. This includes an objective to reach 500,000 newcomers in 2025 alone.
Notably, recent data from IRCC highlights a rise in citizenship numbers as well. In 2022, an impressive total of 375,413 individuals became Canadian citizens, representing a remarkable 63% surge compared to the previous year’s figures. As of April 2023, this positive trend continues with an additional 100,161 individuals obtaining Canadian citizenship.
Amongst those who have successfully embraced Canadian citizenship recently, individuals born in India comprise the largest proportion of new citizens. They are followed by natives of the Philippines and Nigeria in terms of representation and contributions to the diverse fabric of Canadian society.
Conclusion
Indeed, Canada stands as a nation that proudly welcomes and embraces individuals from various backgrounds and cultures into its fold – perpetuating its reputation as a land filled with opportunity and a home for countless dreams come true.