What should I do if I missed my citizenship test?

Due to COVID-19, we cancelled

• all in-person citizenship tests
  • We’re now inviting some applicants to take the citizenship test online.
  • If you can’t or don’t want to do the online test, you may wait until in-person tests resume (date to be determined).
• most retests, interviews and hearings (including videoconference hearings)
  • Wait for us to contact you.
  • If you need to change your appointment, contact the office that sent the invitation.
    • The contact information is in the letter we sent.

The steps you should take if you did not attend your citizenship test depend on if we sent you:

• a first notice to write the test,
• a final notice to write the test, or
• a notice to re-write the test.

I was sent my first notice to write the test

If this was the first time you were asked to write the test, you can:

• contact us to let us know you missed the test, or
• wait to be automatically rescheduled for another date.

Contact us

You have 30 days from the test date to contact us and let us know why you missed the test. Write us a letter explaining why you missed the test. Send this letter to the IRCC office that scheduled your original appointment. You can send this letter by mail or online, using this Web form.

The local office handling your application will decide if you have a valid reason for missing the test.

If your reason is valid, we will send you another notice with a new test date. (We will consider this new notice as another first notice in case you miss this new date, but have a valid reason for not attending.)

If your reason is not valid, we will treat you the same as someone who missed the test and did not contact us. (See “Be rescheduled automatically” below.)

Be rescheduled automatically

We will automatically reschedule you for a new date to write the test if you did not attend the test and you:

• did not contact us to let us know, or
• did not have a valid reason for missing the test.

We will send you a new notice telling you the new test date. This will be your final notice to write the exam.

This new test date will usually be two weeks or more after the date of the test you missed.

I received a final notice to write the test, but I missed it

You must contact us within 30 days of the test date if you:

• missed your first test,
• received a final notice to write the test, and
• missed that test, too.

The notice inviting you to the new test date will tell you how to contact us.

The local office handling your application will decide if you have a valid reason for missing the test.

If your reason is valid, we will send you another final notice with a new test date.

We may close your application for citizenship if:

• you do not contact us within 30 days, or
• you do not have a valid reason for missing the test.

You will have to apply for citizenship again and pay the required fees.

You failed the test and were scheduled for a second test

You must contact us within 30 days of the test date if you:

• failed the citizenship test the first time you took it,
• were scheduled to re-write the test, and
• missed that date.

The notice inviting you to the re-write the test will tell you how to contact us.

The local office handling your application will decide if you have a valid reason for missing the test.

If your reason is valid, we will send you a new notice to re-write the test.

We may close your application for citizenship if:

• you do not contact us within 30 days, or
• you do not have a valid reason for missing the test.

You will have to apply for citizenship again and pay the required fees.