What Happens If You Fail the Canadian Citizenship Test?
Current IRCC retake rules: up to 3 attempts within 30 days, what happens at a hearing, and how to prepare after a failed citizenship test.
Jim Bearer
Coordinator, Pass Canadian Citizenship
Jim Bearer moved from the UK to Canada in 2001 and became a Canadian citizen in 2019. He is a specialist in economics and history who builds educational apps, and he wrote and maintains the Pass Canadian Citizenship question bank.
If you fail the Canadian citizenship test once, you may still have another attempt within your invitation period. IRCC gives you up to 3 chances within a 30-day test period. If you fail all 3 attempts, IRCC invites you to a hearing with a citizenship official. Retakes are not unlimited.
Last checked against IRCC instructions: 11 September 2026
I would start by checking the dates in your invitation and how many attempts you have used. Do not plan around a general promise of another test in a few weeks. Follow your invitation and the current IRCC results and retake instructions.
How many attempts do you get?
Within your 30-day test period, you have up to 3 chances to pass, whether the test is online, on Microsoft Teams or in person. A failed first attempt does not by itself mean you must submit a new citizenship application.
The three-attempt limit is not a promise that you can keep booking new tests indefinitely. Check your invitation before another attempt. If the deadline or instructions are unclear, contact the office using the details in your invitation.
What happens after three failed attempts?
IRCC will invite you to a hearing with a citizenship official. The hearing lasts 30 to 90 minutes and helps IRCC assess whether you are eligible for citizenship.
Depending on the hearing, an officer may ask about your knowledge of Canada, your residence in Canada or your English or French language skills. An oral knowledge test has 20 questions, and you must answer 15 correctly. For a language assessment, the officer can ask up to 9 questions, and you must pass 6.
IRCC sends a letter with the hearing result. If you pass, wait for your citizenship ceremony invitation. If you fail the hearing, IRCC refuses your application. You must reapply and pay the fees again if you still want to become a citizen. These steps come from IRCC's hearing guidance, not a guarantee about any individual application.
Is a low score the same as an invalidated result?
No. The score shown immediately after an online test is temporary, not the official result. An officer reviews it before it becomes official. IRCC says that review can take a few days or a few weeks.
IRCC may invalidate a result if it suspects cheating or if a technical issue prevents it from confirming your identity or score. That is different from answering too few questions correctly. Follow the office's instructions rather than assuming you should start another attempt.
Our online test setup guide explains preparation for the webcam and device checks. Our guide to results and the oath explains what happens after submission.
How I would prepare for another attempt
Read the sections you found difficult in IRCC's official study guide, Discover Canada. IRCC bases all test questions on that guide. Practise explaining an answer in your own words instead of remembering its position in a list.
The test has 20 multiple-choice or true-or-false questions, lasts 45 minutes and is available in English or French. You need at least 15 correct answers, or 75 per cent, to pass. Use the free practice test to identify what to review, then work through a study plan that fits the time left in your invitation.
A practice score is feedback, not a prediction or a reason to miss your deadline. For the difference between the required score and a population statistic, read our pass mark and pass-rate guide.
Review before your next attempt
Use practice to find the topics you need to study again.
This is test-preparation information, not legal or immigration advice. IRCC's instructions and your invitation govern your case.
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