Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Think you could pass the citizenship test? Poll shows most Canadians would flunk

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Jun, 2023 10:07 AM
  • Think you could pass the citizenship test? Poll shows most Canadians would flunk

Canadians' hearts may be brimming with pride as Canada Day approaches, but a new poll suggests their minds aren't full of the knowledge needed to pass a citizenship test.

In a survey of 1,512 Canadian adults, Leger found that only 23 per cent would pass the citizenship test, based on their answers to 10 randomly selected questions.

People who wish to become Canadian need to answer 20 questions about citizens' rights and responsibilities, as well as Canada's history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols.

They need to score at least 75 per cent to pass, but the average score of the Canadians who were surveyed was only 49 per cent.

The questions focused on things like famous Canadians (Who is John Buchan?), history (Who established the first European settlements in Canada?) and national symbols (Whose portrait is on the Canadian $10 bill?).

The correct answers, for those struggling along with most survey respondents, are: a popular governor general, the French and Viola Desmond.

History questions seemed to trip up respondents the most: For example, only 24 per cent knew that the House of Commons recognized in 2006 that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.

Only 29 per cent knew the Constitutional Act granted legislative assemblies elected by the people, and only 41 per cent knew that English settlement began in 1610.

They fared slightly better when it came to national symbols and influential people: 49 per cent knew that Marjorie Turner-Bailey is an Olympian and descendant of black loyalists, and 42 per cent recognized Canada's motto, "From sea to sea."

Most Canadians were also in-the-know about the main groups of Indigenous Peoples in the country, with 79 per cent correctly identifying First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

People in Western Canada scored slightly better than their East Coast counterparts, with average scores in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia at 50 per cent.

Those in Atlantic Canada scored the lowest, with a 44 per cent on average.

When the results were broken down by political affiliations, People's Party of Canada supporters had the lowest average score at 47 per cent, while people who vote for the Bloc Québécois scored the highest, at 51 per cent.

There was one question most people seemed to have no problem answering: 81 per cent said they were proud to be Canadian.

The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver council announces Komagata Maru street name to address historic wrongs

Vancouver council announces Komagata Maru street name to address historic wrongs
Canada Place will get the second name to acknowledge historical discrimination against South Asian communities. The Komagata Maru docked near the current location of Canada Place in 1914 with 340 Sikh, 27 Muslim and 12 Hindu passengers on board, most of whom were denied entry into Canada despite having valid travel documents. 

Vancouver council announces Komagata Maru street name to address historic wrongs

Runaway Bus gets away and ends up on lawn of a house

Runaway Bus gets away and ends up on lawn of a house
Police in West Vancouver say a bus got away from a driver trying to fix a door problem in Horseshoe Bay today. Police say as the bus began to roll the driver fell out. The bus ended up on the front lawn of a house.

Runaway Bus gets away and ends up on lawn of a house

168 Street and Fraser Highway closed due to fatal crash: Surrey RCMP

168 Street and Fraser Highway closed due to fatal crash: Surrey RCMP
The intersection of 168 Street and Fraser Highway is closed in all directions and traffic is being rerouted. Fraser Highway is closed westbound at 176Street and 168 Street is closed northbound just south of Fraser Highway. 

168 Street and Fraser Highway closed due to fatal crash: Surrey RCMP

Auditor General largely praises B.C. COVID-19 tourism supports, cites 'minor' shortfalls

Auditor General largely praises B.C. COVID-19 tourism supports, cites 'minor' shortfalls
Michael Pickup says there were "minor inconsistencies" with the otherwise well designed and implemented destination development grant program that handed out more than $41 million in 2021 and 2022. Pickup says 12 of the 106 projects that received money were missing notes from reviewers detailing the rationale for their decision and while due diligence was done, it wasn't well defined.

Auditor General largely praises B.C. COVID-19 tourism supports, cites 'minor' shortfalls

B.C. government to provide additional $25 million for marine restoration projects

B.C. government to provide additional $25 million for marine restoration projects
Environment Minister George Heyman told a news conference Tuesday that debris from more than 4,600 kilometres of shoreline has been removed so far, while creating more than 1,700 jobs. He says the new funding will allow the initiatives to continue to protect the coast and the communities that live there.

B.C. government to provide additional $25 million for marine restoration projects

B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO

B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO
Atira says its new CEO Catherine Roome is an experienced leader in both the public and private sectors and will head the organization until a permanent replacement for Abbott is found. Atira board chair Elva Kim says recruiting Roome is part of its effort to "restore public confidence" in the housing provider after Abbott's departure earlier this month.   

B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO