This quiz has 20 practice questions on three chapters of the study guide: modern Canada, Canada’s economy, and Canada’s regions. Region questions are often about lists, such as which provinces belong to a region or which city is a capital. Modern Canada questions are often about what changed after the Second World War. Both kinds reward clear, simple memory work, so a quiz is a good way to find the gaps.
Please note: we wrote these practice questions ourselves, using facts from the official study guide, Discover Canada. They are not questions from the real test. The real test checks the same facts, but the wording and the options will be different. So learn the fact behind each question, not the exact words.
Before you start
- Cover each answer and choose your own answer first. Write it down.
- There are 7 questions on modern Canada, 3 on the economy and 10 on the regions. 18 are multiple choice with four options, and 2 are true or false.
- In list questions, check every item in the option. One wrong province makes the whole option wrong.
- The real test has 20 questions on all parts of the guide. You need 15 correct answers to pass.
Chapter 4: Modern Canada
These questions cover Canada after 1945: new industries, the social safety net, Quebec and Canada’s place in the world. Study the Modern Canada chapter primer, then read Canada since 1945 and Canada in the world.
1. In 1947, where was oil discovered, starting Canada’s modern energy industry?
- A. Alberta
- B. Saskatchewan
- C. Newfoundland and Labrador
- D. Ontario
Answer: A. Alberta The 1947 oil discovery in Alberta began Canada’s modern energy industry. Other provinces also produce energy today, but Alberta is the one linked to this turning point.
2. Unemployment insurance, introduced by the federal government in 1940, is now called what?
- A. Old Age Security
- B. Canada Pension Plan
- C. Health Insurance
- D. Employment Insurance
Answer: D. Employment Insurance The federal unemployment insurance program of 1940 is today called Employment Insurance. Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan are separate programs for older Canadians.
3. Who provides publicly funded education in Canada?
- A. The federal government
- B. The provinces and territories
- C. The United Nations
- D. Private employers
Answer: B. The provinces and territories Publicly funded education is provided by the provinces and territories. Education is not run by the federal government.
4. Today, every Canadian citizen aged 18 or older may vote.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: A. True After a long history of some groups being left out, every citizen 18 or older now has the right to vote.
5. After the Second World War, Canada helped form which Western military alliance?
- A. The Commonwealth
- B. La Francophonie
- C. NATO
- D. The League of Nations
Answer: C. NATO During the Cold War, Canada joined other Western democracies to form NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance. The Commonwealth and La Francophonie are not military alliances.
6. The Quiet Revolution brought rapid change to which province?
- A. Ontario
- B. New Brunswick
- C. Manitoba
- D. Quebec
Answer: D. Quebec The Quiet Revolution was a period of rapid change in Quebec in the 1960s. During this time many Quebecers also began to call for separation from Canada.
7. What was the purpose of Terry Fox’s 1980 “Marathon of Hope”?
- A. To raise money for spinal cord research
- B. To celebrate Canada’s 100th birthday
- C. To raise money for cancer research
- D. To promote the Olympic Games
Answer: C. To raise money for cancer research Terry Fox, who lost a leg to cancer, ran his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. Spinal cord research was Rick Hansen’s cause.
Chapter 9: Canada’s Economy
These questions cover the three main types of industry. Learn one or two example jobs for each type. Study the Canada’s Economy chapter primer and read Canada’s economy and trade.
8. How many main types of industry does Discover Canada describe?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five
Answer: B. Three The guide groups Canada’s economy into three main types of industry: service, manufacturing and natural resources.
9. Nurses and teachers work in which type of industry?
- A. Manufacturing industries
- B. Natural resource industries
- C. Import industries
- D. Service industries
Answer: D. Service industries Health care and education are service industries: they provide services to people rather than making goods or taking resources from the land or sea.
10. Forestry, such as cutting timber, belongs to which type of industry?
- A. Service industries
- B. Manufacturing industries
- C. Natural resource industries
- D. Import industries
Answer: C. Natural resource industries Forestry takes resources directly from nature, so it is a natural resource industry, along with fishing, agriculture, mining and energy.
Chapter 10: Canada’s Regions
These questions cover Canada’s size, its five regions, provinces and capitals, and the North. Study the Canada’s Regions chapter primer and our table of provinces, territories and capitals.
11. How does Canada rank in size among the countries of the world?
- A. Second largest
- B. Largest
- C. Third largest
- D. Fifth largest
Answer: A. Second largest Canada is the second-largest country on Earth, covering about 10 million square kilometres. Many people guess “largest,” but one country is bigger.
12. Canada shares its southern border with the United States.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: A. True The Canada–United States boundary runs along Canada’s southern edge, and both countries work to keep it safe and efficient.
13. Into how many regions is Canada usually divided?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Six
Answer: C. Five Canada has five regions: the Atlantic provinces, Central Canada, the Prairie provinces, the West Coast and the Northern Territories. Do not confuse this with the three territories.
14. Which provinces make up the Atlantic region?
- A. Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
- B. Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
- C. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island only
- D. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
Answer: D. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick The four Atlantic provinces are Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Quebec belongs to Central Canada, not the Atlantic region.
15. Which provinces are the Prairie provinces?
- A. British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan
- B. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
- C. Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan
- D. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Yukon
Answer: B. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta The Prairie provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, known for energy resources and very fertile farmland. British Columbia is the West Coast region, and Yukon is a territory.
16. What are Canada’s three territories?
- A. Yukon, Labrador and Nunavut
- B. Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Manitoba
- C. Yukon, Nunavut and Alberta
- D. Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Answer: D. Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut The three territories are Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Labrador is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, not a territory.
17. Which is Canada’s smallest province?
- A. Prince Edward Island
- B. Nova Scotia
- C. New Brunswick
- D. Newfoundland and Labrador
Answer: A. Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is the smallest province. It is famous for its beaches, red soil and farming.
18. What is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador?
- A. Saint John
- B. St. John’s
- C. Charlottetown
- D. Halifax
Answer: B. St. John’s The capital is St. John’s. Do not confuse it with Saint John, a port city in New Brunswick — the names sound almost the same.
19. Which province was once called the “breadbasket of the world” and the “wheat province”?
- A. Manitoba
- B. Alberta
- C. Ontario
- D. Saskatchewan
Answer: D. Saskatchewan Saskatchewan earned these nicknames. It has about 40% of Canada’s arable land and is the country’s largest producer of grains and oilseeds.
20. Why is Canada’s North called the “Land of the Midnight Sun”?
- A. The sun never rises in summer
- B. In summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours
- C. The northern lights shine every midnight
- D. The sun sets at midnight all year round
Answer: B. In summer, daylight can last up to 24 hours In midsummer the sun can stay up for 24 hours. In winter it is the opposite: the sun disappears and it stays dark for about three months.
How did you do?
| Your score | What to do next |
|---|---|
| 18–20 | Very good. Take a full practice test to check the other chapters too. |
| 15–17 | A pass, but only just. If you lost points on regions, draw a simple map from east to west and label each province and capital. |
| Below 15 | Not a pass yet. Review the three chapter primers and the capitals table, then try again in a few days. |
Watch for names that look alike. Saint John is a city in New Brunswick, but St. John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic region and the Maritimes are also not the same list. When you miss a list question, write the full correct list once from memory.
Keep practising: try our rights, identity and symbols quiz next, or the government, elections and justice quiz. Then take Practice Test 1, a full set of 20 questions like the real test.
Esta guía es un resumen en lenguaje sencillo, no asesoramiento legal. Las reglas y tarifas pueden cambiar — siempre confirme en el sitio web oficial de IRCC antes de solicitar o pagar.