The Canadian government has clarified the process for applicants who fail the citizenship test on all three permitted attempts within their 30-day test window. Contrary to expectations, failing three times does not automatically result in application refusal. Instead, applicants are summoned to a formal hearing with a citizenship official, which can last between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the officer's assessment needs.
What Happens at the Hearing
During the hearing, the citizenship officer evaluates the applicant in three key areas. The first is a knowledge test delivered orally, covering topics similar to the standard written test. This section consists of 20 questions, and applicants must answer at least 15 correctly to pass. The second area involves questions about the applicant's residency in Canada, confirming they meet the physical presence requirement. The third is a language assessment in English or French, where the officer may ask up to nine questions, requiring a minimum of six correct answers to pass.
After the hearing, the government sends a written outcome letter to the applicant. If the applicant passes, they proceed to the citizenship ceremony, the final step before becoming a Canadian citizen. If they fail, their citizenship application is refused, and they must start the entire process from scratch, including submitting a new application and paying all required fees again.
Official Guidance and 2026 Applicability
This guidance applies to applicants going through the citizenship process in 2026. The Canadian government has also published details on the minimum score needed for the citizenship test: 20 questions in multiple-choice or true-or-false format, with a passing score of 15 out of 20, which is 75%.
In related news, Canada has previously outlined questions that will not appear on the citizenship test, and other countries like New Zealand and Finland have introduced similar citizenship test requirements for foreigners.
This article was sourced from Legit.ng, with reporting by Victor Duru, a Reuters-trained journalist.
