Canada has now resumed citizenship testing online. After tests were cancelled over eight months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country now intends to conduct tests on a brand-new platform. 

Over the next few months, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be offering online citizenship tests to those whose tests were initially cancelled because of the pandemic, and those on the waiting list. These applicants will be the first to try out the new platform. 

IRCC announced that those invited to take the tests will be contacted via email. Applicants need not contact the department to see if they are on the list of early test-takers. Should the applicant receive an invitation but prefer to take the test in person, they also have the option to do so. 

Applicants invited via email will be asked to confirm their identities through personal information by taking a photo of themselves and their ID documents prior to taking the test. 

Upon signing up, they will then have 21 days to complete the test at a time that is best for them. During the test, they will be monitored via a webcam that will constantly take pictures of them throughout the duration of the exam. This is the same system used to monitor bar exams and law school admission tests.

The test format remains the same despite the different platform; test-takers must answer 20 questions in a 30-minute time duration.

Should the online testing system prove reliable, it will be made available to more applicants in 2021. 

According to a previous media release, the IRCC has long been working on a way to modernize the citizenship testing system, with online testing was one of the proposed initiatives. The pandemic only increased the need for a new system, with a waiting list of 85,000 people unable to take the test due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

If you’re considering a post-pandemic future in Canada and want to know more about the different pathways to immigrate, register to one of our private online discussions. Register to an orientation for free here.

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