Free PAL Practice Test (Canada, 2026): 30 Questions, Instant Score

Travis Bader, Silvercore Outdoors

Take Silvercore's free PAL practice test before you write the real exam. 30 questions drawn from the same material the CFSC and CRFSC written tests cover, scored the moment you finish, so you find out where you actually stand.

Over more than 30 years of teaching the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, we have watched a pattern repeat. Someone reads the handbook once, feels ready, walks into the written test, and gets surprised. Not because the material is hard, but because reading something and being able to answer a question about it under test conditions are two different skills.

A practice test closes that gap. Reading the handbook tells you what the rules are. A practice test tells you whether you actually know them. This page gives you a free one.

Take the free practice test

The Silvercore free PAL practice test is 30 multiple-choice questions pulled from the same topics the real CFSC and CRFSC written exams cover: safe handling and the ACTS and PROVE procedures, ammunition, firearm actions, storage and transportation, and the legal responsibilities that come with a licence.

You register with your email and the test is yours. It takes about 15 minutes. When you finish, you get your score right away, so you know whether you are ready or whether you have studying left to do.

Start the free practice test →

What the real PAL exam actually tests

A lot of people show up to their course without a clear picture of what they are being tested on. Here is the short version.

The PAL, the Possession and Acquisition Licence, is the licence the RCMP issues for legal firearm ownership in Canada. To get one, you pass at least one safety course exam:

• CFSC, the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, covers non-restricted firearms (most rifles and shotguns). It is the course required for a standard PAL.
• CRFSC, the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course, covers restricted firearms, primarily handguns. It is the course you take if you want the restricted endorsement (the RPAL).

Both written tests are 50 multiple-choice questions. You need a minimum of 80% to pass, which means you can get up to 10 wrong and still pass. There is also a practical handling component, which no online test can replace. The practice test is for the written side.

The questions are not trivial. They cover specific legal definitions, ammunition identification, action types, the storage and transportation rules that differ between non-restricted and restricted firearms, and the safety procedures you will demonstrate physically as well as answer in writing.

Why a practice test beats re-reading the handbook

The student handbook is the official study material, and you should read it. But there is a difference between reading and testing, and it matters more than most people expect.

When you reread the handbook, your eye slides over the parts that feel familiar. You nod along and move on. A practice test will not let you do that. It stops you cold at the gap. You miss a question on hangfire procedure, and now you know exactly what to go look up.

A practice test also gets you used to the format. The real exam uses multiple choice with answers that are written to look plausible. Sitting with that format ahead of time changes how confident you feel on the day.

And it tells you when you are ready. If you can score in the high 80s on a realistic practice test, you are in good shape. If you cannot, you have just learned that before it cost you anything.

This free 30-question test is the starting point. It is a sample. If you want the full version with explanations on every question, there are two ways to get it, covered below.

How to use the free test well

A few suggestions to get the most out of it:

Take it early, before you have studied much. That first run is your baseline. It shows you where your real gaps are instead of where you assume they are.

Do not memorize the questions. The real exam draws from a much larger pool, so memorizing 30 questions will not help you. Understand why each answer is right. That is the part that carries over to the real test.

Take it like the real thing. Somewhere quiet, no phone, no handbook open. The real exam is closed-book, and practising that way is the only honest measure of where you stand.

When you are ready for more: two ways to go deeper

The free test is a real, useful test on its own. 30 questions, scored result, no catch. But it is a sample of a much larger set, and it does not include explanations.

For real preparation, the Silvercore PAL Exam Mastery course gives you 600 questions, 300 non-restricted and 300 restricted, with a clear explanation on every one. Not just the right answer, but why it is right and why the wrong answers are wrong, with the handbook material to review. The quiz randomizes each time you take it, so you can keep working it until the material is second nature.

Here is how the three options compare:

The free practice test is 30 questions with your score at the end, no explanations, no catch.

The PAL Exam Mastery course is the full version. 600 questions, 300 non-restricted and 300 restricted, with a clear explanation on every one and randomized retakes. It is $39, one time payment, one year access.

The Silvercore Club is $59 a year and includes the PAL Exam Mastery course free, along with $5M liability insurance, ATT eligibility, every other Silvercore online course free for Club Members, partner discounts, and The Outpost members' podcast. For $20 more than the course on its own, the Club is the better value for most long-term firearm owners. The savings on the online courses alone are worth over $500 - way more than the cost of the membership.

Get the $39 course → | Join the Silvercore Club →

Frequently asked questions

Is the practice test really free?

Yes. The 30-question version is free. You register with your email and take it. No credit card, no trial.

Does passing the practice test mean I will pass the real exam?

It is a strong signal, not a guarantee. The real exams draw from a larger question pool and include a practical handling component that no online test can replicate. If you are scoring in the high 80s on the practice test and you have done your in-person training, you are in good shape.

Do I still need to take the in-person course?

Yes. The practice test is a study tool. It does not provide PAL certification and does not replace the in-person course, which is mandatory for first-time applicants.

What is the difference between CFSC and CRFSC?

CFSC is for non-restricted firearms (most rifles and shotguns) and is required for the standard PAL. CRFSC is the additional course for restricted firearms, primarily handguns, and gets you the restricted endorsement. Many people take both together so they can apply for the full PAL with the restricted endorsement at once.

How long is the practice test?

About 15 minutes for 30 questions. It is meant to give you a quick read on where you stand, not to mirror the full exam-day experience.

What is on the free version versus the paid course?

The free test is 30 questions with your score at the end, and no explanations. The PAL Exam Mastery course is 600 questions, 300 non-restricted and 300 restricted, with an explanation on every single one. The course is $39 on its own, or free with a Silvercore Club membership.

Should I buy the $39 course or join the Club?

If the practice questions are genuinely all you want, the $39 course is simpler. If you also want $5M liability insurance, ATT eligibility, partner discounts, and every other Silvercore online course free for Club Members, the Club at $59/year is the MUCH better value. The 600-question course is included free inside it.

Is the test current for 2026?

Yes. The questions are built from current RCMP course material and reviewed as the official material changes.

Ready?

Most people who land here have a course coming up and want to know if they are ready for the written test. Take the free test, see your score, and decide from there whether you study more or show up confident.

Start the free PAL practice test →

Silvercore has been training Canadian firearms owners since 1994. Our online practice tests and courses are used by students across the country preparing for their PAL. Questions about the practice test, the courses, or the Silvercore Club? Get in touch.

Travis Bader, Silvercore Outdoors

Travis is the founder of Silvercore Outdoors, an RCMP Master Instructor, and a qualified expert witness in Canadian firearms matters. Teaching CFSC and CRFSC since 1994