Tests in Canada

Provincial driving tests, federal citizenship test

There’s no national driver’s test in Canada. Each of the 13 provinces and territories issues its own licence and runs its own written and road tests, and once you have one you can drive anywhere in the country. The body behind it changes a lot. Ontario sends new drivers to DriveTest centres for the G1, BC uses ICBC, Alberta’s Class 7 knowledge test is given at registry agent offices, Saskatchewan has SGI, Manitoba has MPI and Quebec has the SAAQ.

Citizenship is the opposite: one test for the whole country, set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As of October 2026, most applicants aged 18 to 54 take it online, in English or French, and it’s based on the free study guide Discover Canada. The test checks what you know about Canada, not your language. You prove your English or French separately, at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB or NCLC) level 4 in speaking and listening.

English and French tests for immigration

If you apply to immigrate through Express Entry, IRCC only takes results from a short list of approved tests. As of October 2026, those are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. The version matters: IELTS Academic isn’t on the Express Entry list, and neither is IELTS One Skill Retake.

Colleges and universities set their own language rules, and many ask for IELTS Academic instead. So check what the school or the immigration program wants before you book, because a score on the wrong version won’t count.

Professional licensing: national exam, provincial regulator

Most regulated jobs in Canada use one exam across the country but a licence from the province. Registered nurses in Ontario apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario and write the NCLEX-RN in person at a Pearson test centre. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians sit exams from the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC), but PEBC says plainly that passing doesn’t guarantee a licence. Each province’s regulator adds its own requirements.

Skilled trades work in a similar way. The Red Seal exam is national and written by tradespeople from across Canada, yet it’s the provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities that run it and issue your certification. If you’re moving between provinces, ask the regulator where you plan to work before you book anything.

Questions people ask

FAQ