This quiz has 20 practice questions on Canadian history for the citizenship test. History is one of the longest chapters of the study guide, and it has many names and dates to remember. The questions here go in time order, from the First Peoples to the First World War. So as you answer them, you also walk through the story of Canada from start to finish.
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.
- 16 questions are multiple choice with four options, and 4 are true or false. A true or false statement is true only if every part of it is true.
- Watch the dates. Many wrong options are real dates, but from a different event. Learning the events in order helps you avoid this trap.
- The real test has 20 questions on all parts of the guide, not only history. You need 15 correct answers to pass.
Want a quick review first? Read the Canada’s History chapter primer.
Before 1763: First Peoples and New France
These questions start before European contact and end with the British victory at Quebec in 1759. For the whole story in one page, read our Canadian history overview.
1. Before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal groups never fought wars with each other.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False Warfare was common among Aboriginal groups, who competed with each other for land and resources.
2. Who were the first Europeans to reach Canada?
- A. The French
- B. The English
- C. The Spanish
- D. The Vikings
Answer: D. The Vikings Vikings from Iceland reached Labrador and Newfoundland about 1,000 years ago, centuries before Cabot (for England) or Cartier (for France) arrived.
3. In what year did John Cabot map Canada’s Atlantic coast?
- A. 1492
- B. 1497
- C. 1534
- D. 1604
Answer: B. 1497 John Cabot reached the Atlantic shore in 1497 and claimed it for England. 1534 is Jacques Cartier’s first voyage, and 1604 is the first French settlement.
4. The name “Canada” comes from the Iroquoian word “kanata”. What does “kanata” mean?
- A. Big land
- B. River
- C. Village
- D. Beaver
Answer: C. Village “Kanata” means village. Cartier heard the word from Iroquoian people, and the name Canada later appeared on maps.
5. Which French explorer founded Quebec City?
- A. Jacques Cartier
- B. Count Frontenac
- C. Samuel de Champlain
- D. John Cabot
Answer: C. Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608. A common mix-up is Jacques Cartier, who explored the St. Lawrence decades earlier.
6. The British victory at the Plains of Abraham marked the end of France’s empire in America.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: A. True After the 1759 defeat, France’s empire in America came to an end and the colony passed to British rule.
British North America (1763–1864)
This period covers new laws for the colonies, the Loyalists, the War of 1812 and the road to responsible government. Many questions here ask “who”, so review our list of people to know.
7. In what year did the British Parliament pass the Quebec Act?
- A. 1759
- B. 1763
- C. 1774
- D. 1791
Answer: C. 1774 The Quebec Act was passed in 1774 to better govern the French-speaking Catholic majority. It came 15 years after the 1759 battle and 17 years before the 1791 Constitutional Act.
8. Who were the United Empire Loyalists?
- A. French settlers who stayed in Quebec after 1759
- B. People loyal to the Crown who left the American colonies for British North America
- C. Fur traders who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company
- D. Rebels who fought the British in 1837
Answer: B. People loyal to the Crown who left the American colonies for British North America When the American colonies declared independence in 1776, many people who stayed loyal to the Crown moved north. These Loyalists settled mainly in Nova Scotia and Quebec.
9. The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the Province of Quebec into which two colonies?
- A. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
- B. Acadia and New France
- C. Upper Canada and Lower Canada
- D. Ontario and Manitoba
Answer: C. Upper Canada and Lower Canada The Act created Upper Canada (later Ontario) and Lower Canada (later Quebec), each with an assembly elected by the people.
10. Which was the first province in the British Empire to move toward abolishing slavery?
- A. Lower Canada
- B. Upper Canada
- C. Nova Scotia
- D. New Brunswick
Answer: B. Upper Canada In 1793 Upper Canada became the first province in the Empire to take steps to abolish slavery. Many learners pick Lower Canada by mistake.
11. Who walked about 30 km in 1813 to warn British forces of an American attack?
- A. Laura Secord
- B. Mary Ann Shadd Cary
- C. Agnes Macphail
- D. Emily Stowe
Answer: A. Laura Secord Laura Secord walked about 30 km (19 miles) to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, helping the British win at Beaver Dams.
12. Which colony was the first in British North America to achieve full responsible government?
- A. Upper Canada
- B. New Brunswick
- C. Prince Edward Island
- D. Nova Scotia
Answer: D. Nova Scotia Nova Scotia was first, in 1847–48. The Province of Canada followed in 1848–49 under Lord Elgin.
Confederation and the West (1864–1885)
These questions cover the birth of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, the first new province and the railway that joined the country. Dates matter a lot here, so check our key dates timeline.
13. What are the leaders who worked from 1864 to 1867 to create Canada called?
- A. The Fathers of Confederation
- B. The United Empire Loyalists
- C. The voyageurs
- D. The coureurs des bois
Answer: A. The Fathers of Confederation Representatives of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada, with British support, worked together to build the new country and are known as the Fathers of Confederation. Loyalists, voyageurs and coureurs des bois belong to earlier periods.
14. Alberta and Saskatchewan were among the four original provinces of Confederation.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False The four original provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905.
15. Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister?
- A. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
- B. Sir George-Étienne Cartier
- C. Sir John A. Macdonald
- D. Sir Robert Borden
Answer: C. Sir John A. Macdonald Sir John A. Macdonald, a Father of Confederation, became Canada’s first Prime Minister. Laurier was the first French-Canadian Prime Minister after Confederation, and Cartier was Macdonald’s partner from Quebec.
16. Which province was created as a result of the Red River uprising?
- A. Saskatchewan
- B. Alberta
- C. British Columbia
- D. Manitoba
Answer: D. Manitoba After the Red River uprising, Canada created the province of Manitoba in 1870. For this reason, many people see Louis Riel as the father of Manitoba.
17. What did the driving of the “last spike” in 1885 mark?
- A. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway
- B. The end of the First World War
- C. The founding of the RCMP
- D. Manitoba joining Canada
Answer: A. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway The last spike, driven in 1885, marked the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across the country. The railway helped unite Canada and open the West to settlement.
18. Along with European workers, labourers from which country helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway?
- A. Japan
- B. China
- C. India
- D. Australia
Answer: B. China The CPR was built by European and Chinese labourers. After it was finished, Chinese immigrants were made to pay a discriminatory head tax.
The First World War (1914–1918)
The last two questions are about Canada in the First World War. Do not mix up the two world wars. Read Canada at war and Remembrance Day for the main battles and dates.
19. In what year did the First World War begin?
- A. 1899
- B. 1910
- C. 1914
- D. 1939
Answer: C. 1914 The First World War began in 1914 after Germany invaded Belgium and France, and Canada joined Britain in the fight. The Second World War began in 1939.
20. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought during the Second World War.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer: B. False Vimy Ridge was a First World War battle, in 1917. A famous Canadian achievement of the Second World War was capturing Juno Beach on D-Day in 1944.
How did you do?
| Your score | What to do next |
|---|---|
| 18–20 | Very good. Your history is strong. Move on to other chapters, such as government and elections. |
| 15–17 | A pass, but only just. Look at which era you lost points in and study that part of the timeline again. |
| Below 15 | Not a pass yet. Read the history chapter primer, learn the key dates in order, and try this quiz again in a few days. |
When you check your mistakes, ask yourself one question: did I forget the fact, or did I mix it up with a nearby event? Mix-ups are very common in history, for example between Cabot and Cartier, or between the two world wars. Putting events on a timeline is the best cure.
Keep practising: try our government, elections and justice quiz next, or our 20 sample questions from all chapters. Then take Practice Test 1, a full set of 20 questions like the real test.
Это руководство — краткое изложение простым языком, а не юридическая консультация. Правила и сборы могут меняться: перед подачей заявления или оплатой всегда проверяйте информацию на официальном сайте IRCC.