I decided to take the civics portion of a sample test. If this were a real test it would need to be passed with a 60% score or better. Whatsmore, the real test is verbal so no multiple choice like those offered in the sample.
Well, perhaps I'm just a good citizen or something but even if the following questions didn't have multiple choice options as answers, I would have aced it nevertheless. Is it just me, or are these questions just too easy?
Here they are. By the way, I got a perfect score of 100% correct. (Answers on the bottom of this post)
1. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
2. Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
3. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
4. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
5. What is the name of the national anthem?
6. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
7. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
8. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
9. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
10. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
11. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
12. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
13. What does the Constitution do?
14. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
15. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
16. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
17. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
18. What is freedom of religion?
19. We elect a President for how many years?
20. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
I think most of these questions are too easy because the events they point to are just too well known around the world, right? And the rest could easily be garnered by watching American movies or TV I'd guess.
Um, well, here's the test and the choices I made in blue for correct and red incorrect with the correct answers in green, (no prior studying):
1. What is the name of the Royal Anthem of Canada?
a. O Canada.
b. God Save the Queen (or King).
c. Bud the Spud.
d. The Star-Spangled Banner.
2. When did the British North America Act come into effect?
a. 1871.
b. 1898.
c. 1867.
d. 1905.
3. Which province has the most bilingual Canadians?
a. British Columbia.
b. Prince Edward Island.
c. Nova Scotia.
d. Quebec.
4. Which animal is an official symbol of Canada?
a. The moose.
b. The hawk.
c. The beaver.
d. The deer.
5. On what date did Nunavut become a territory?
a. July 1st, 1867
b. April 1st, 1999
c. June 24th, 1995
d. March 31st, 1949
6. Name two responsibilities of the federal government.
a. National defence and firefighting.
b. National defence and foreign policy.
c. Citizenship and highways.
d. Recycling and education.
7. What do you mark on a federal election ballot?
a. The candidate's name.
b. The number for the candidate.
c. An "X".
d. The voter's name.
8. What is the largest religious affiliation in Canada?
a. Roman Catholic.
b. Muslim.
c. Jewish.
d. Hindu.
9. Which Act granted, for the first time in Canada, legislative assemblies elected by the people?
a. The Constitutional Act of 1867.
b. The Constitutional Act of 1791.
c. The Constitutional Act of 1982.
d. The Constitutional Act of 2010.
10. Who was the first leader of a responsible government in the Canadas in 1849?
a. Sir John A. Macdonald.
b. Robert Baldwin.
c. Louis Riel.
d. Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine.
11. Who was Sir Sam Steele?
a. A great frontier hero, Mounted Policeman and soldier of the Queen.
b. A military leader of the Métis in the 19th century.
c. The first Prime Minister of Canada.
d. The Father of Manitoba.
12. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Canada's system of government?
a. A federal state.
b. Parliamentary democracy.
c. Constitutional Monarchy.
d. Dictatorship.
13. Who have major responsibilities on First Nations reserves?
a. Band chiefs and councillors.
b. Municipal governments.
c. Provincial and territorial governments.
d. Federal government.
14. What did the Canadian Pacific Railway symbolize?
a. Easy access to the West Coast.
b. What can be achieved by working together.
c. Unity.
d. Ribbons of steel.
15. What is the highest military honour a Canadian can receive?
a. Purple Cross.
b. Badge of Courage.
c. Order of Merit.
d. Victoria Cross.
16. What is the role of the courts in Canada?
a. To enforce the law.
b. To guide people in our society.
c. To settle disputes.
d. To express values and beliefs of Canadians.
17. What is the difference between the role of the Sovereign and that of the Prime Minister?
a. The Sovereign is Head of State, the Prime Minister oversees provincial policies.
b. The Sovereign is the guardian of Constitutional freedoms, the Prime Minister selects the Cabinet ministers and is responsible for operations and policy of government.
c. The Sovereign links Canada to 52 other nations and the Prime Minister is the guardian of Constitutional freedoms.
d. The Sovereign is the symbol of Canadian sovereignty and the Prime Minister is her aide.
18. What is the name of the leader of the Opposition in Ontario?
a. Jim Watson
b. Tim Hudak
c. Jim Wilson
d. Dalton McGuinty
Question about your region
19. What was the significance of June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy?
a. It led to the establishment of the Juno Awards.
b. It liberated North Africa from Nazi occupation.
c. Canadians made a significant contribution to the defeat of Nazism and Fascism in Europe during the Second World War.
d. It resulted in the forcible relocation of Canadians of Japanese origin.
20. Which province is the main producer of pulp and paper and hydro-electricity?
a. Quebec
b. Ontario
c. British Columbia
d. Manitoba
I read the first one wrong and thought it meant the National Anthem of Canada. #18 was a total lucky guess!
65% on the Canadian test. One needs a 75% or better to pass. So I would have failed. Still, not that bad, I figure, for someone who didn't prepare one bit, eh? (Get it? Eh? Ha ha!)
By contrast here are the super easy correct answers for the United States test:
1. because of the state's population
2. George Washington
3. Mexican-American War
4. John G. Roberts, Jr.
5. The Star-Spangled Banner
6. the President
7. the President
8. to declare war
9. Mississippi River
10. eighteen (18) and older
11. Cherokee (the other choices weren't even native tribes of any other nation)
12. slavery
13. all of these answers (the other 3 were protection of rights, setting up the government and such)
14. between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
15. freed slaves in most Southern states
16. give up loyalty to other countries
17. Atlantic Ocean
18. You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
19. four (4)
20. Thomas Jefferson