The test is in English or French. How to learn the material in a language you read well, learn the official words, and get ready to read the questions.
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Pick one chapter you already understand and learn its key English or French words today.
Key takeaways
Updated: Oct 10, 2026The citizenship test is in English or French, and so is the official guide, Discover Canada.
Understanding a chapter in a language you read well is a good first step.
On test day, the questions and answer choices are in English or French.
Learn the official English or French word for each key idea, chapter by chapter.
Translations are learning aids. Check important terms against the official guide.
The Canadian citizenship test is in English or French. It is not offered in Punjabi, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Tagalog, Spanish or other spoken languages, and the official study guide, Discover Canada, is published in English and French. You can still learn the material in a language you read well. But on test day, the questions and answer choices are in English or French. [IRCC]
If you have a disability, or you are deaf, you can ask IRCC to change how you take the test. That is explained below, under "Interpreters and accommodations".
This page shows you how to get from one to the other: understand each chapter first, learn its key English or French words, and practise reading questions in your test language. The official rules were checked on October 10, 2026. For the full rules (20 questions, 45 minutes, 15 correct to pass), see Canadian Citizenship Test: Format, Pass Mark, and Rules.
Two different things. If you are 18 to 54, you must send IRCC proof that you can speak and listen in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level 4 or higher. That is a separate requirement. [IRCC]
The test itself "does not have questions to assess your language skills in English or French". It tests what you know about Canada, but it asks in English or French. [IRCC]
Discover Canada is full of ideas that may be new to you, such as how Parliament works or why Confederation happened. When many words on a page are new, the ideas are hard to follow. Research with second-language readers found that understanding rises steadily as you know more of the words in a text, with no single cut-off point. [Schmitt et al., 2011]
So it makes sense to meet the ideas first in a language you read well. Then, when you read about the same idea in English or French, you are learning new words for something you already understand, not both at once.
Expect reading in a less familiar language to take longer. In one study, people took more time to study texts in their second language than in their first. On a true-or-false test afterwards, their scores were about the same. [Dirix et al., 2020]
None of this research studied citizenship applicants, or tested studying in one language before practising in another, so treat it as a sensible guide, not a promise.
Even if you know a fact well in your own language, the test asks about it in English or French. You need to:
Here is a practice question of the kind you might see. CitizenPro wrote it; it is not an IRCC question.
Practice question: Who is the head of government in a province?
The answer is C, the Premier: the leader of a province's government. If you only learned this in another language, "Premier" and "Prime Minister" can look almost the same. The Prime Minister leads the federal government. The Lieutenant Governor represents the Sovereign (the Queen or King) in a province, and a mayor leads a city or town.
Some ideas also have more than one English name. Discover Canada says Canada is divided into "electoral districts, also known as ridings or constituencies". A question could use any of these words, so learn all three.
This is practical advice, not a tested method. Research has not established one best way to move from studying in a familiar language to practising in your test language, so adjust it to what works for you. For a full daily routine, see A Simple Practice Flow.
These are words from Discover Canada that are easy to confuse. The English and French words below are the ones the official guides use. Learn the words in the language you will take the test in.
The Crown
The Sovereign
Prime Minister
Premier
Member of Parliament
Electoral district
Senate
The three branches of government
Confederation
Responsible government
Canada's motto
Translated notes and lessons can make the ideas much easier to understand. But a translation can choose a different word than the official guide, or miss a difference that matters, like Premier and Prime Minister. Use translations to understand, then check important facts and terms against the official English or French guide.
Remember that you can't use study materials during the test. IRCC's rules for the online test say: "Don't use any other devices. Don't look at any study materials." A word list is useful while you study, but practise answering without it too. [IRCC]
About CitizenPro's translations. CitizenPro provides AI-assisted translations to help make citizenship study materials more accessible. These are learning aids, not official translations of Discover Canada. For important facts and terminology, refer to the official English or French guide.
Spoken-language interpreters. IRCC's instructions to its officers say applicants "are unable to take the citizenship test with non-official language interpretation". So you can't use an interpreter for Punjabi, Arabic or any other spoken language to help you with the test questions. [IRCC]
Sign-language interpreters. The same instructions allow American Sign Language (ASL) or Quebec Sign Language (LSQ) interpreters for deaf applicants in some situations. At a written test, a sign-language interpreter may interpret the instructions and then generally must leave the room. At an oral test or a hearing, the interpreter can stay and interpret the questions and answers. [IRCC]
Accommodations. An accommodation is a change to how you take the test. If you have a medical condition or disability, IRCC can, depending on your situation, offer a Braille, large-print or oral version of the test, or more time. You can ask in your application, or later through the email address in the Accommodation section of your test invitation or IRCC's web form. IRCC's accommodation page explains what to include. [IRCC]
These rules can change. Your test invitation and IRCC's website are the final word for your test.
CitizenPro is an independent study resource. Its practice questions are its own, not IRCC's.
CitizenPro is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada.
Next step
Choose one chapter, learn its key words in your test language, then answer a few questions in that language.
Next up:
How to Study Discover Canada Without CrammingHow to study Discover Canada for the citizenship test: get the free guide, read it effectively, follow a route through all 11 chapters, and review the hardest ones.
No. IRCC gives the citizenship test in English or French. It is not offered in Punjabi, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Tagalog or other spoken languages, and you can't use an interpreter for those languages during the test. If you are deaf, you can ask IRCC about sign-language interpretation.
IRCC publishes Discover Canada in English and French. We found no official version in any other language. Translated notes and lessons can help you understand, but they are not the official guide.
Not a spoken-language interpreter. IRCC's instructions to its officers say applicants can't use interpreters other than sign-language interpreters for the assessment part of the test. If you are deaf, or you need another change to how you take the test, for example because of a disability, you can ask IRCC for an accommodation.
Not on the citizenship test. Proof of English or French is a separate requirement for applicants aged 18 to 54, and an officer may note how you communicate at an interview. The test questions are still in English or French.
As soon as you understand a chapter. You don't need to wait until you have finished the whole guide.
Related reading
The Canadian citizenship test has 20 questions, lasts 45 minutes and needs 15 correct answers to pass. Who takes it, how the online test works, retakes and hearings.
How to study Discover Canada for the citizenship test: get the free guide, read it effectively, follow a route through all 11 chapters, and review the hardest ones.
A simple routine for the citizenship test: short quizzes, reviewing explanations and spaced practice, with 2-week and 4-week study plans and tips for test-day nerves.
