Is the PAL test hard? For most people who take the course seriously and practise for a few days, no. But it is not a formality either. The Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) has two tests, and you need 80% on each. The written test is full of questions where one word changes the answer, and the practical test can be lost with one careless movement. Candidates who fail usually did not find the material too difficult; they underestimated how precise it needs to be.
This page covers what makes the test feel hard, what we know (and do not know) about pass rates, the hardest topics, the mistakes we see most in practice results, and a 7-day plan. When you are ready to test yourself, use the free PAL practice test.
Canada Licence Prep is an independent study aid. We are not affiliated with the RCMP or any course provider.
Is the PAL exam hard? What makes it feel that way
The pass mark is high
Delivery agents require 80% on the written test and 80% on the practical. On a 50-question paper, the format most course providers report, that means 40 correct answers. Many other licence tests in Canada pass you at 62% to 75%. At 80%, a few weak topics are enough to fail.
The questions test exact wording
Most of the course is common sense. The storage, display and transport rules are not. They come word for word from the federal storage regulations, SOR/98-209, and questions often hinge on words like "locked", "opaque", "unattended" or "readily accessible". If you learned the general idea but not the exact condition, two options will look right.
Two tests, marked separately
Some people walk out of the written test confident and then lose the practical because nerves made them forget to PROVE a firearm or let the muzzle drift. A strong written score does not save a weak practical. Our PAL test format guide explains how each one is marked.
Course days are long
A full CFSC course is at least 8 instructional hours in Ontario, and around 8 to 11 hours in other provinces, with the tests at the end. Fatigue is real. People who have already reviewed the material before the course find the end-of-day tests much easier.
PAL test pass rate: what is actually known
There is no official PAL test pass rate. The RCMP does not publish one, and we have not found one from any provincial Chief Firearms Officer or delivery agent. Figures quoted on forums are personal impressions or instructor estimates, and they vary widely.
What is published is the standard you have to meet: 80% on each test, given by an instructor designated under the Firearms Act. That is more useful than a pass rate anyway, because it tells you what you control. If you can score 90% or more on several different timed mocks, the written test is unlikely to be a problem for you, whatever the average is.
Key fact: Be wary of any site that quotes a precise PAL pass rate. No official figure exists. Ask your instructor how their recent classes have done if you want a local picture.
The hardest topics on the PAL test
Based on the CFSC topics and the way they are tested, these are the areas where candidates lose the most marks.
1. Storage, display and transport
This topic has the most questions and the most precise rules. The traps:
- "Or" versus "and." A non-restricted firearm must be unloaded and secured by one of three options: a secure locking device, the bolt removed, or a locked container or room that cannot readily be broken into. Many candidates think you need a lock and a safe. That is closer to the restricted rule.
- Ammunition storage. Ammunition may be stored with a firearm only if the ammunition is in a securely locked container.
- Unattended vehicles. A non-restricted firearm left in an unattended vehicle goes in the locked trunk. With no trunk, it must be out of sight inside the locked vehicle. "Unattended" means nobody 18 or older and no licence holder is supervising it.
- The definition of unloaded. Nothing in the chamber and nothing in a magazine attached to or inserted into the firearm.
Our firearm storage rules page has the full tables. Drill the topic with storage, display and transport questions.
2. Legal responsibilities
These questions reward memorised numbers and procedures:
- PAL valid for 5 years.
- At least 28 days before a first licence can be issued.
- Change of address reported to the CFO within 30 days.
- Before a non-restricted transfer, the seller gets a reference number from the Registrar.
- Pointing a firearm at someone, loaded or not, is an offence.
- Lost, stolen or found firearms must be reported to a peace officer, firearms officer or CFO.
Read the RCMP page on applying for a firearms licence for the official process, and drill legal responsibilities.
3. Firearm actions and unloading order
People who have never handled a firearm struggle with action names and with order. The rule to remember: remove the magazine first, then clear the chamber, then PROVE. If you work the action with a loaded magazine attached, you feed a new cartridge into the chamber. Also know that a semi-automatic fires one shot per trigger pull, and an automatic fires continuously and is prohibited.
4. Ammunition details
Gauge works backwards (12 gauge is larger than 20 gauge). Ammunition must match the data stamp. After a misfire, wait at least 60 seconds with the muzzle pointed safely. These are easy marks once learned and easy losses if not.
5. The practical test
Not a written topic, but the part many people find hardest. The examiner watches muzzle direction and trigger finger from the moment you touch a firearm. Our PAL practical test guide covers what to expect.
Common mistakes on the PAL written test
These are the patterns that cost marks most often.
- Choosing the answer that sounds most cautious instead of the one the law requires. The safest-sounding option is often right on handling questions, but on storage questions the right answer is the legal minimum. Know the difference.
- Missing "not", "first" or "best". Read the last line of the question twice.
- Trusting someone else's check. Any option that relies on a friend saying a firearm is unloaded, or on a mechanical safety, is wrong. ACTS says assume it is loaded and PROVE it yourself.
- Confusing non-restricted and restricted rules. Restricted transport needs a locking device, a locked opaque container and an Authorization to Transport. Non-restricted transport just needs the firearm unloaded, with extra rules when the vehicle is unattended.
- Treating "down" as always safe. The safest direction depends on the floor, the surface and who is below or beyond.
- Guessing the numbers. If you have not memorised 28 days, 30 days, 5 years and 60 seconds, you will lose easy marks.
- Changing correct answers. Change an answer only if you find a specific reason, not a feeling.
Common mistakes on the PAL practical test
- Letting the muzzle drift across the examiner or another candidate while turning, passing or setting the firearm down.
- Finger inside the trigger guard while handling, even briefly.
- Skipping a PROVE step, usually verifying the feeding path or examining the bore.
- Unloading in the wrong order, working the action before removing the magazine.
- Passing a closed action. Pass and accept firearms only with the action open and unloaded.
- Rushing. Speed earns nothing. A slow, deliberate routine is what the examiner wants to see.
Our ACTS and PROVE explained page and the free ACTS and PROVE note lay out the routine you should repeat every time.
Can you fail the PAL test, and what happens next
Yes, people fail, and it is not the end of the road. Retest rules are set by each province's delivery agent. A common arrangement is one retest; if you fail the retest, you repeat the course. In Ontario, FSESO allows retests within 30 days. Ask about the policy before your course so you are not surprised.
If you fail the written test, your results will usually point to one or two topics. Drill those topics and sit full mocks until your scores are consistently high before the retest. If you fail the practical, ask the examiner what went wrong and practise that exact step, with an unloaded training firearm under supervision if your provider offers it.
Who finds the PAL test harder
- People with no handling experience. Action names and unloading order are new. Spend extra time on actions and ask to handle every type during the course.
- People with a long gap since the course. If you studied weeks ago, the details fade. Review the storage tables and the legal numbers in the days before the test.
- People studying in a second language. The course and tests are available in English and French. Our mobile app has French explanations, which some candidates find helpful for technical terms.
- People with test anxiety. Timed mocks help most here. Sitting three or four full papers under time makes the real one feel routine.
Is the RPAL test harder than the PAL?
For most people, a little. The Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) adds handgun actions, restricted storage and display, registration, transfers and the Authorization to Transport. The restricted rules have more conditions. For example, restricted storage needs a locking device and a locked container (or a purpose-built vault), and display at home needs the firearm securely attached to a non-portable structure. The pass mark is the same 80%. Try the RPAL practice test to see how you do.
A 7-day PAL study plan
This plan assumes 30 to 60 minutes a day and that you have attended, or are about to attend, the course.
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline | Take the free diagnostic. Write down your two weakest topics. Read the free CFSC exam guide |
| 2 | ACTS and PROVE, handling | Read the ACTS and PROVE note. Drill basic safety and handling and carry until you score above 85% |
| 3 | Storage, display, transport | Read the storage, display and transport note. Write the non-restricted table from memory. Drill the topic |
| 4 | Legal responsibilities | Memorise the numbers: 5 years, 28 days, 30 days, reference number. Drill the topic |
| 5 | Actions and ammunition | Learn the five actions, unloading order, gauge versus calibre and the 60-second rule. Drill both topics |
| 6 | Full mock | Sit free mock 1 under a 60-minute timer. Review every wrong answer against the notes |
| 7 | Fix and confirm | Drill the topics you missed on day 6. Sit a second, fresh mock. Aim for 90% or more |
If you are below 85% on day 7, add a few more days of drills and mocks before the test. If you are at 90% or more on several different mocks, you are ready for the written test. Spend any remaining time rehearsing the PROVE routine for the practical.
Exam tip: Do not leave storage and transport for the last day. It is the biggest topic and the one most worth spreading over several sessions.
Tips for the day of the test
- Sleep well the night before. A long course day is harder on no sleep.
- Eat before you start and bring water.
- On the written test, answer the questions you know first, flag the rest and come back.
- On the practical, say each PROVE step to yourself as you do it. Slow is fine.
- If you are unsure what the examiner wants, ask. Asking is better than guessing with a firearm in your hands.
Your study plan
- Take the free 20-question diagnostic today and note your weakest topics.
- Follow the 7-day plan above, starting with ACTS and PROVE and storage.
- Sit free mock 1 on day 6 and review every mistake.
- Use the PAL test questions and answers page to understand the tricky question types.
- Keep sitting fresh mocks until you score 90% or more three times in a row, then focus on the practical.
10 free PAL (CFSC) practice questions with answers
Try each one, then open the answer. For a timed experience use the free mock exam.
1. What do the 'shell stops' (shell latches) in a pump shotgun do?
- A. Hold the barrel firmly onto the receiver
- B. Stop the fore-end from sliding at all
- C. Hold shells in the tube until one is fed
- D. Stop the shot pattern from spreading
Show answer
C. Hold shells in the tube until one is fed
Shell stops keep shells in the tube until the action releases one onto the carrier. Pressing them is also one way to unload the magazine (CFSC Handbook, Module 6).
2. When deciding eligibility, which past court order involving an intimate partner must a CFO take into account?
- A. A parking ban at a condominium
- B. A family court order on child support
- C. A firearms ban after violence to a partner
- D. A civil judgment for unpaid rent
Show answer
C. A firearms ban after violence to a partner
Firearms Act s.5(2)(e) directs the CFO to consider whether, in respect of an offence involving violence against an intimate or former intimate partner, the person was previously prohibited by a prohibition order from possessing firearms and other weapons.
3. A cartridge is described as '6.5 mm'. What does the number refer to?
- A. The barrel length in inches
- B. The case length in centimetres
- C. The rough bullet diameter in millimetres
- D. The number of cartridges per box
Show answer
C. The rough bullet diameter in millimetres
Metric calibres give the approximate bullet or bore diameter in millimetres. Case length, capacity and barrel length are other measurements.
4. When firing a shotgun, where should your body weight be?
- A. On the back leg
- B. On the leading leg
- C. Evenly on the heels
- D. On the toes of the back foot
Show answer
B. On the leading leg
When firing a shotgun, shift your body weight to the leading leg, with the leading hand on the fore-stock pointing naturally at the target.
5. For a right-handed shooter in the standing position, how is the body placed?
- A. About 45° to the right of the target
- B. Square to the target
- C. Back to the target
- D. About 90° to the left of the target
Show answer
A. About 45° to the right of the target
In the standing position, a right-handed shooter turns about 45° to the right of the target with the feet about shoulder-width apart.
6. You are hunting alone and come to a barbed-wire fence. What is the safest way to cross?
- A. Unload, slide it under the fence, cross away from the muzzle
- B. Climb over holding the loaded rifle
- C. Lean the loaded rifle on the fence and climb
- D. Cross with the safety on and finger outside the guard
Show answer
A. Unload, slide it under the fence, cross away from the muzzle
Unload the firearm and PROVE it, place it on the far side or slide it under the fence with the muzzle pointed away from where you will cross, cross at a different spot, then pick it up by the stock and check the bore before reloading.
7. You sell your non-restricted rifle to a licensed buyer who lives in another province. What is required?
- A. A registration certificate
- B. The buyer's licence and a valid reference number
- C. Nothing extra; out-of-province sales are unregulated
- D. A permit from both provinces
Show answer
B. The buyer's licence and a valid reference number
Firearms Act s.23 applies to any non-restricted transfer in Canada: the buyer must hold a licence to acquire it and you must obtain a valid reference number from the Registrar. Licences are valid throughout Canada (s.63). Shipping must follow SOR/98-209.
8. When may you load one barrel of a double-barrelled percussion shotgun?
- A. Only with both hammers cocked
- B. Only after the other barrel's cap is off
- C. Only after firing both barrels
- D. Any time, if the muzzle is up
Show answer
B. Only after the other barrel's cap is off
Do not load one barrel of a double-barrelled muzzleloading shotgun unless the percussion cap on the other barrel's nipple has been removed.
9. Why should you never shoot at flat, hard surfaces or at water?
- A. The noise is much louder
- B. It damages the barrel's rifling
- C. Bullets can ricochet unpredictably
- D. It is only a problem with shotguns
Show answer
C. Bullets can ricochet unpredictably
Projectiles striking water, rock or other flat, hard surfaces can glance off (ricochet) at unpredictable angles and carry dangerous energy a long way. The CFSC teaches choosing targets with a safe backstop that will stop projectiles.
10. What is the 'hammer' on a firearm?
- A. The part that strikes the firing pin or primer
- B. The sling attachment at the butt
- C. The part used to clean the bore
- D. The part that holds the magazine
Show answer
A. The part that strikes the firing pin or primer
The hammer is a spring-powered part that, when released by the trigger, strikes the firing pin (or directly the primer in some designs) to fire the cartridge. It may be exposed or internal.
Frequently asked questions
+What is the pass rate for the PAL test?
No official pass rate is published by the RCMP or by provincial Chief Firearms Officers. Any figure you see online is an instructor's estimate or a guess. What is published is the standard: 80% on the written test and 80% on the practical.
+Can you fail the PAL test?
Yes. Candidates fail the written test, the practical test or both, usually because of storage and transport questions or a muzzle-control error on the practical. Retest rules vary by province; a common rule is one retest before you must repeat the course.
+Is the PAL test harder than the driving test?
They test different things. The PAL written test has a higher pass mark than many licence tests, at 80%, and some questions turn on precise legal wording. The practical is short but strict about muzzle direction and trigger discipline.
+How long should I study for the PAL test?
Most people who attended the full course need about a week of 30 to 60 minutes a day. If you have never handled a firearm or English is not your first language, allow two weeks and use the French materials if they help.
+What do most people fail on the PAL test?
On the written test, storage, display and transport rules are the most common source of lost marks, followed by legal details such as waiting periods and transfer steps. On the practical, the most common problem is a muzzle sweep or a finger on the trigger.
+Is the RPAL test harder than the PAL test?
Slightly, for most people. The restricted storage, display and transport rules have more conditions, and handgun actions are less familiar. The pass mark is the same 80%, and much of the safety content overlaps with the CFSC.
+Is the PAL test multiple choice?
Course providers report a mix of multiple-choice and true/false questions, usually about 50. The practical test is hands-on, with training firearms and dummy ammunition.
+Can I bring notes into the PAL test?
No. The written test is closed book. Your instructor will tell you what you may bring, which is normally photo ID and a pen.
Study offline on your phone too
The Canada Licence Prep app has the same questions with audio, French explanations and an ACTS & PROVE coach.
Keep reading
- Free PAL Practice Test (CFSC)Free 50-question CFSC mock exam for the PAL test: 80% pass mark, timed like the real thing, scored instantly with explanations. Start with a diagnostic.
- How Many Questions Are on the PAL Test?The CFSC written test is reported at about 50 questions with an 80% pass mark, plus a practical test. Format, timing, fees and what each part covers.
- PAL Test Questions and Answers50 CFSC exam questions with answers, grouped by topic: ACTS & PROVE, actions, ammunition, storage, transport and the law. Free printable PDF version.
- PAL Practical Test: What to ExpectWhat the CFSC practical exam checks: safe muzzle direction, PROVE on each action type, loading, unloading and ammunition ID. Step-by-step checklist.
- Firearm Storage Rules in CanadaPlain-English firearm storage rules from SOR/98-209 for every class, plus display, vehicles, locks and ammo. Includes 'Is it legal?' scenarios.
- ACTS and PROVE ExplainedWhat ACTS and PROVE stand for, how to apply them to every action on the CFSC practical, the errors that cost marks, and a printable summary.