Name all the federal political parties in the House of Commons and their leaders
Quick answer: Conservative (Andrew Scheer - interim leader), NDP (Don Davies - interim leader), Liberal (Mark Carney), Bloc Quebecois (Blanchet), Green Party (May). In our practice tests 82% of 100 answers were correct, and the most common mistake is choosing “Conservative (Poilievre), Green (May), Liberal (Trudeau), Bloc Quebecois (Duceppe)”.
Why is this the correct answer?
The federal political parties and their leaders change over time. It is important for citizenship test takers to know the current party leaders at the time of their test.
Study Tip
The question asks for the names of federal parties in the House of Commons and their current leaders. Focus on identifying the parties and their leaders listed in the options.
Try it yourself
Can you answer these 3 citizenship test questions?
1. Who have major responsibilities on First Nations reserves?
2. After a federal election, which party forms the new government?
3. Which party is the Official Opposition at the federal level?
The real test has 20 questions in 45 minutes. You need 15 correct to pass.
Take the full citizenship practice testWhat should you know about this topic?
Canada has a multi-party system. Political parties are groups of people who share ideas about how government should work and who nominate candidates to run in elections. The main federal parties that have held seats in the House of Commons in recent years include the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party. Each party chooses its own leader.
After an election, the party with the most elected Members of Parliament usually forms the government, and its leader becomes Prime Minister. The party with the second-most seats becomes the Official Opposition. Smaller parties also sit in the House and can question the government and vote on bills. Some parties are only recognized officially if they win a minimum number of seats, but any party can run candidates.
Party leaders change often, through leadership races, resignations or election results. Sometimes a party names an interim leader until a new permanent leader is chosen. That is why this question changes over time, and you should check the current leaders before your test. Elections Canada and the Parliament of Canada website list the parties and their leaders. This topic connects with questions about forming government, the Official Opposition and how federal elections work.
Why are the other answers wrong?
- NDP (Mulcair), Green (May), Liberal (Rae), Bloc Quebecois (Paillé): This is an older list from the early 2010s, when Bob Rae was interim Liberal leader and Thomas Mulcair led the NDP.
- Liberal (Ignatieff), Conservative (Ambrose), NDP (Turmel), Green (May): This mixes leaders from different years; Michael Ignatieff led the Liberals before Rona Ambrose and Nycole Turmel served as interim leaders.
- Conservative (Poilievre), Green (May), Liberal (Trudeau), Bloc Quebecois (Duceppe): This mixes leaders from different periods; Gilles Duceppe led the Bloc many years ago and the list leaves out the NDP.
What is the most common mistake?
Many study guides list old party leaders. Leaders change often, so always check current information on the Parliament of Canada website before your test.
How can you remember the answer?
Remember the five party "brands" by colour: red Liberal, blue Conservative, orange NDP, light blue Bloc, green Green, then look up who leads each today.
Original data
How many people get this question right?
82% of 100 practice answers from about 74 people were correct. The most common wrong answer is "Conservative (Poilievre), Green (May), Liberal (Trudeau), Bloc Quebecois (Duceppe)", chosen 12% of the time. The data covers practice tests on BecomeACitizen.ca from March 31, 2026 to September 30, 2026.
How hard is this question compared with others?
It is the 81st easiest of the 167 questions we have enough data to rank. The average for the How Canadians Govern Themselves chapter is 77% correct, and the average across all questions is 75%. You need 75% to pass the real test.
These are practice questions written from the official Discover Canada guide. IRCC does not publish the real test questions. See the full ranking in the 20 most-missed citizenship test questions or browse more How Canadians Govern Themselves questions.
Practice This Chapter
Test yourself with questions from How Canadians Govern Themselves. Timed mock tests, instant scoring, and detailed explanations.
Which part of Discover Canada is this question from?
This question is from the How Canadians Govern Themselves section of the Canadian citizenship test. The test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions drawn from the official Discover Canada study guide. You need to score at least 75% (15 out of 20 correct) to pass.
This chapter has 47 questions in our database. Studying chapter by chapter is one of the most effective ways to prepare, as it helps you build deep understanding of each topic before moving to the next.
How should you study for the citizenship test?
Start by reading the complete how-to-pass guide, then work through each chapter in the study mode. When you feel ready, take a full exam simulation with the real 45-minute time limit.