Key facts to know for the test
These are the testable points from this chapter, tagged by how often they appear on the citizenship test:
Voting eligibility: Must be a Canadian citizen AND at least 18 years old on election day AND on the voters' listhigh frequency
Voting is done by secret ballot - no one can watch you vote or ask how you votedhigh frequency
Fixed election dates: Elections occur on the third Monday in October every four yearshigh frequency
Canada has 338 electoral districts (ridings) across the country, updated in the 2015 redistributionhigh frequency
One Member of Parliament (MP) is elected per riding using a first-past-the-post systemhigh frequency
The party with the most seats forms the government; its leader becomes Prime Ministerhigh frequency
Majority government: The governing party wins more than half of the 338 seats (170+)high frequency
Minority government: The governing party wins the most seats but fewer than half (less than 170)high frequency
Any Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old can run as a candidate in federal electionsmedium frequency
Elections Canada: The independent, non-partisan agency that administers federal electionsmedium frequency
Voter information card: Tells you when and where to vote; you must bring ID to the polling stationmedium frequency
How to vote: Receive ballot, mark an X next to your chosen candidate, fold the ballot, deposit in ballot boxmedium frequency
Voting is both a right (protected by the Charter) and a responsibility of citizenshiphigh frequency
The Prime Minister can ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election at any timemedium frequency
By-elections are held to fill vacancies between general elections when an MP resigns or dieslow frequency
How to study this chapter
- Read the chapter in the official Discover Canada guide.
- Review the key facts above — prioritize the high-frequency ones.
- Test yourself with chapter practice questions until you consistently score 80%+.
- Add tricky facts to flashcards and re-review before test day.
The real test has 20 questions from all chapters combined; you need 15 correct to pass. Chapter weightings above reflect the distribution in our 514-question bank, modelled on the official guide's emphasis.
Start practicing free → Try 10 free questions
← Ch. 6: How Canadians Govern Themselves | Ch. 8: The Justice System →