# How Canadians Govern Themselves: practice questions

> 10 free practice questions on How Canadians Govern Themselves, based on Discover Canada, each with its answer and an explanation. No signup.

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- Last verified: 2026-10-22
- Based on: Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship (IRCC), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/discover-canada/read-online.html
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Test what you know about how Canadians govern themselves: the three levels of government, Parliament, the Sovereign and the Governor General, the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and how a bill becomes law. These practice questions are based on Discover Canada, the official study guide for the Canadian citizenship test.

## The 10 questions

### 1. What are the three parts of Parliament?

A. Prime Minister, Cabinet, MPs
B. The Sovereign, the Senate, and the House of Commons
C. Federal, provincial, municipal
D. Executive, legislative, judicial

Answer: B. The Sovereign, the Senate, and the House of Commons

Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the Senate, and the House of Commons.

### 2. Who represents the Sovereign in each province?

A. Premier
B. Lieutenant Governor
C. Governor General
D. Senator

Answer: B. Lieutenant Governor

A Lieutenant Governor represents the Sovereign in each province.

### 3. Which level of government is responsible for education and health care?

A. Federal
B. Provincial / territorial
C. Municipal
D. Shared equally by all levels

Answer: B. Provincial / territorial

Education and health care are provincial/territorial responsibilities.

### 4. What is the final step before a federal bill becomes law?

A. First reading
B. Committee stage
C. Royal Assent
D. Third reading in the Commons

Answer: C. Royal Assent

After passing both the House of Commons and the Senate, a bill receives Royal Assent from the Sovereign's representative.

### 5. Which of the following is a federal responsibility?

A. Education
B. Snow removal
C. Currency
D. Highways

Answer: C. Currency

Currency is a federal responsibility, along with national defence, citizenship, and criminal law.

### 6. Until what age do Senators serve?

A. 65
B. 70
C. 75
D. For life

Answer: C. 75

Senators are appointed and serve until age 75.

### 7. During which stage is a bill studied in detail and amendments may be proposed?

A. First reading
B. Second reading
C. Committee stage
D. Royal Assent

Answer: C. Committee stage

At the committee stage, a bill is studied in detail and amendments may be proposed before the report stage and third reading.

### 8. Which of the following is NOT a step in a federal bill becoming law?

A. First reading
B. Committee stage
C. A national referendum
D. Royal Assent

Answer: C. A national referendum

The steps are: first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, third reading, Senate review, and Royal Assent. There is no national referendum step.

### 9. What role do Cabinet ministers play?

A. They serve as judges in the Supreme Court
B. They run the federal government departments
C. They represent the Sovereign in the provinces
D. They are elected members of the Senate

Answer: B. They run the federal government departments

Cabinet ministers are chosen by the Prime Minister and are responsible for running the federal government departments.

### 10. A bill must pass through both the House of Commons and which other body before receiving Royal Assent?

A. The Cabinet
B. The Senate
C. The Supreme Court
D. The provincial legislatures

Answer: B. The Senate

A federal bill must pass through both the House of Commons and the Senate before receiving Royal Assent from the Sovereign's representative.

## More practice

- [A free summary of this chapter](https://canadatest.ca/blog/discover-canada-chapter-by-chapter-summary#chapter-6-how-canadians-govern-themselves) in the Discover Canada chapter-by-chapter summary
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