RPAL Test Questions and Answers (CRFSC Exam, 2026)

These RPAL test questions and answers cover the material the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) adds on top of the PAL course: what makes a firearm restricted, restricted storage and display, the Authorization to Transport, registration, and handgun actions. Each question comes with the answer and a short explanation, so you can check your reasoning and not just your score. If you want a timed 50-question run instead, go to the RPAL practice test.

Canada Licence Prep is an independent study aid. We are not affiliated with the RCMP, any Chief Firearms Officer or any course provider. Facts below were checked against federal law and RCMP pages in October 2026.

What the CRFSC written test asks about

The RCMP lists the official CRFSC topics on its safety courses page. In practice, the restricted test repeats the safety basics you learned for the PAL and then goes deeper in four areas:

Area	What the questions focus on
Classes	Which handguns and rifles are restricted, and which are prohibited
Storage, display, transport	The extra conditions that apply to restricted firearms
Registration and transfers	Registration certificates, CFO approval, where you may keep a restricted firearm, the ATT
Handguns	Revolver and pistol parts, trigger systems, safeties, unloading order, grip and range rules

A few format points, because people search for them alongside the questions:

• Pass mark: 80% on the written test and 80% on the practical, according to provincial delivery agents. The RCMP does not print this on its own site.
• Number of questions: not published nationally. Instructors set the paper. Our mocks use 50 questions in 60 minutes with 40 correct to pass.
• Who can take it: adults 18 and over. You also need to pass the CFSC for a licence with restricted privileges.

The questions below are written in the same style as the real test: some multiple choice, some true or false, some short scenarios.

Restricted and prohibited classes

Question 1

Which handgun is prohibited, not restricted?

• A. A revolver with a 152 mm barrel
• B. A semi-automatic pistol with a barrel of 105 mm or less
• C. A single-shot pistol chambered in .22 LR with a 150 mm barrel
• D. Any handgun with a manual safety

Answer: B. Under the Criminal Code, a handgun with a barrel 105 mm or shorter is prohibited, as is one chambered for .25 or .32 calibre (prescribed international competition pistols are the exception). The other handguns listed are restricted.

Question 2

A semi-automatic centre-fire rifle that is not prohibited has a 450 mm barrel. What class is it?

Answer: Restricted. A non-prohibited semi-automatic centre-fire firearm with a barrel shorter than 470 mm is restricted. Questions often swap 470 mm with 660 mm, so keep them apart.

Question 3

True or false: a firearm that can still be fired when folded or telescoped to less than 660 mm overall is restricted.

Answer: True. That is the 660 mm rule. The 470 mm figure is barrel length; the 660 mm figure is overall length when shortened.

Exam tip: Write "105 / 470 / 660" on a card and say what each number measures. Most class questions turn on one of those three figures.

The full picture, including how the 2020 reclassifications fit in, is in our guide to firearm classes in Canada.

Storage and display at home

Question 4

You have no purpose-built vault. What must you do to store a restricted pistol legally at home?

• A. Unload it and apply a trigger lock
• B. Unload it, and store it in a locked container
• C. Unload it, apply a secure locking device, and store it in a locked container or room that cannot readily be broken into
• D. Remove the magazine and keep it out of sight

Answer: C. Restricted storage needs both a locking device and a locked container or room, unless you use a vault, safe or room built or modified for restricted firearms. A non-restricted firearm needs only one of the options, which is exactly the difference the test likes to probe. The rule is in section 6 of the Storage, Display, Transportation and Handling of Firearms by Individuals Regulations.

Question 5

What does the law require to display a restricted handgun in your home?

Answer: Unloaded, a secure locking device fitted, securely attached to a non-portable structure so it can't readily be removed, and no ammunition displayed with it or readily accessible to it.

Question 6

True or false: a restricted rifle in a locked gun safe can share that safe with loose ammunition for it.

Answer: False, as worded. Ammunition must not be readily accessible to the firearm unless the ammunition is itself in a securely locked container or receptacle. In test questions, "loose" or "on the shelf next to it" signals the wrong answer.

Our firearm storage rules guide has the side-by-side table for every class.

Transport and the Authorization to Transport

Question 7

Which set of conditions applies when you drive a restricted firearm to an approved range?

• A. Unloaded and out of sight
• B. Unloaded, a locking device, inside a locked opaque container, with an ATT
• C. Unloaded and in a soft case on the back seat
• D. Unloaded, with the bolt removed

Answer: B. Section 11 of the regulations sets out the first three conditions, and the Firearms Act requires the authorization. "Opaque" is the word candidates forget.

Question 8

You stop for lunch and leave the car. Where must the locked container with your restricted firearm be?

Answer: In the locked trunk or a similar lockable compartment. If the vehicle has no trunk, the container must be out of sight inside the locked vehicle.

Question 9

When an RPAL is renewed, what happens with transport to ranges?

Answer: The renewed licence automatically authorizes the holder to take restricted firearms within their province to and from all approved shooting clubs and ranges. Other trips, such as moving house or taking the firearm for repair, still need a separate ATT from the Chief Firearms Officer.

Question 10

You are driving a handgun to the range. Which documents should you carry?

Answer: Your firearms licence, the firearm's registration certificate, and the ATT (or the licence conditions that contain it).

Key fact: Transport questions are where most marks are lost on the restricted test. Every condition has to be present. If an answer choice drops one of them, it is wrong.

More detail, including which trips qualify for an ATT, is in transporting firearms in Canada.

Registration, transfers and where you may keep it

Question 11

Who must approve every transfer of a restricted firearm?

• A. The seller's local police service
• B. The Chief Firearms Officer
• C. The range officer at your club
• D. No one, if both people hold an RPAL

Answer: B. A CFO approves each transfer, and only for a lawful purpose such as target practice or competition at an approved club, a lawful occupation, or a collection (for restricted long guns).

Question 12

True or false: when you sell a restricted rifle, your registration certificate goes to the buyer with it.

Answer: False. The certificate expires when you stop owning the firearm. The new owner needs a certificate issued in their own name.

Question 13

Two spouses share a restricted rifle. How many people can be named on its registration certificate?

Answer: One. A registration certificate is issued to a single person.

Question 14

Priya wants to keep her restricted rifle at her cottage for the summer, not at the home recorded in the registry. What does the law require?

Answer: Authorization from a Chief Firearms Officer for that place. Restricted firearms may be possessed at the dwelling-house recorded in the Canadian Firearms Registry or at another place a CFO authorizes, under section 17 of the Firearms Act. Taking it there also needs an ATT.

Question 15

Since 21 October 2022, can an individual buy a handgun from another licensed individual in Canada?

Answer: Generally no. Individuals can no longer acquire handguns by transfer, with narrow exceptions. People who already owned handguns may keep and use them lawfully. The course still tests the rules for handguns because existing owners, some sport and work exceptions, and other restricted firearms are still covered. Our PAL vs RPAL guide explains what the freeze means for new RPAL holders.

Check yourself mid-way

If you scored 12 or more out of 15 so far, your restricted rules are in decent shape. If storage and transport cost you more than two marks, that is normal, and it's the area to fix first.

A quick way to find out where you really stand is the free RPAL diagnostic: 20 questions in 15 minutes, drawn from both the shared core and the restricted topics, with an explanation for every answer. It takes less time than reading the rest of this page, and it tells you whether your gaps are in the new material or in the basics you think you already know.

Handgun actions and safe handling

Question 16

What is the correct first step when unloading a semi-automatic pistol, after pointing it in a safe direction with your finger off the trigger?

• A. Pull the slide back
• B. Remove the magazine
• C. Engage the safety and look in the chamber
• D. Dry-fire it at a safe backstop

Answer: B. Magazine out first. If you work the slide first, the pistol can chamber a fresh cartridge from the magazine. Then lock the slide open and PROVE: observe the chamber, verify the magazine well, examine the bore.

Question 17

What does a single-action trigger do?

Answer: It only releases a hammer that is already cocked. A double-action-only trigger cocks and releases the hammer on every pull. A DA/SA pistol fires the first shot double action and then single action for follow-up shots.

Question 18

A pistol has a magazine disconnect. Is it safe once the magazine is out?

Answer: No. A magazine disconnect stops the pistol firing without a magazine in place, but a cartridge may still be in the chamber. Never treat a pistol as unloaded until you have checked the chamber yourself.

Question 19

Why should you not cross your thumbs behind the cylinder when gripping a revolver with two hands?

Answer: Hot gas escapes through the gap between the cylinder and the barrel and can injure a thumb placed there, and a crossed thumb can get in the hammer's way. On a semi-automatic, keep both thumbs low and forward, clear of the slide.

Question 20

On the range, a shooter in the next lane has no target up. Can you fire at their unused target to check your zero?

Answer: No. Cross-range shooting is not allowed. Fire only at your own target.

Exam tip: The practical test checks the same unloading order as question 16, with dummy rounds. Say each step quietly to yourself as you study the written material, and it will come back on test day.

The free CRFSC exam guide lists the official topics and the classic questions. The handgun actions and firing note and the restricted rules note go through each rule in more depth (both are included in Pro).

How to use these questions properly

Reading a list of answers feels productive, but it doesn't build exam recall. Use the questions this way:

1. Cover the answer and commit first. Say or write your answer before you look. If you guessed, count it as wrong.
2. Read the explanation even when you were right. The test changes one word ("locked", "opaque", "attended") to catch people who got there by luck.
3. Group your mistakes by topic. Two wrong transport answers matter more than one wrong history question, because transport carries more weight on the paper.
4. Then switch to timed, mixed questions. The real test does not tell you the topic before each question. A timed mock shows whether you can recall the rule without the heading to prompt you.

For a printable worksheet with an answer key, use the free RPAL questions printout and save it as a PDF. If you are taking the PAL and RPAL courses together, our PAL test questions and answers page covers the non-restricted side.

What the RPAL test looks like next to the PAL test

	CFSC (PAL)	CRFSC (RPAL)
Minimum age to take it	12	18
Pass mark (delivery agents)	80% written, 80% practical	80% written, 80% practical
Extra written content	None	Restricted classes, registration, ATT, handgun actions, restricted storage and display
Practical	Long-gun actions with dummy ammunition	Revolvers and semi-automatic pistols with dummy ammunition
Licence fee until 30 March 2027	$70.38	$93.84 (or $46.92 to upgrade an existing PAL)

Fees are from the RCMP service fees page, as of October 2026. First-time applicants wait at least 28 days before a licence can be issued.

Ready for the real thing? Your next steps

1. Take the free RPAL diagnostic and note your two weakest topics.
2. Sit the free full RPAL mock exam 1: 50 questions, 60 minutes, 40 to pass.
3. With Pro, drill restricted firearms topic practice, then storage and transport. On the free tier, take the 25-question quick practice a few times and review every miss.
4. Aim for 90% or more on several different mocks before course day.

What Pro adds

The free tier gives you the diagnostic, full mock 1 and a 25-question quick practice for the RPAL and every other test we cover. If that is enough, use it and don't pay.

If you want more, Pro adds mocks 2 to 10, practice by topic and all the study notes for all 9 tests, including the PAL. The CRFSC bank has 1,863 questions, each with an explanation of why the wrong options are wrong. Pro costs CA$7.99 a week, CA$12.99 a month or CA$24.99 for three months, and you can cancel anytime. There is no pass guarantee: the mocks show you where you stand, and the studying is still up to you. See pricing for the details.