I took my test at CIC Vancouver today
As these posts always had useful information for me, it's time for me to contribute
Overall, the experience was very easy and smooth for me
Arrived 10 minutes before call time to a really long line up
We were ushered to the elevator and got to the second floor, where they check for you letter that calls you to the exam and your ID (PR card)
We were seated in a room and the instructor went through all the announcements before taking the test, what to submit, can't talk during test, if you fail, you have 1 more chance and after that is meeting with judge etc. etc. Moral of the story, don't fail or you'll wait 18 months to see the judge
The test was fairly easy, as everyone has said, you need to read the book and remember dates, names and do practice tests
I finished the test in about 10-15 minutes. I went across the hall to wait for my interview.
They started calling people and the first few people were at the interview booth for really long, like the interviewer must have looked through every page of their passport. There was a lady that when I got called, she still was being interviewed (about 20 minutes)
So my turn, I showed the CORP papers, PR card, and all the IDs I submitted with the applications.
She told me I got all questions correct, good start! She proceeded to verify all dates I declared as absences by going through all pages of my 3 passports
She said you travel a lot, and I said not all of them during the 4 year period (I've been in Canada for 11 years)
Once verified, she asked about my employment, if I still work for the same employer, my family and where they are, my work travels, if I was convicted, my address and how long I've been there
Where I went for school, what I did since my graduation
Every question she checked a whole bunch of boxes on a form
The free formed some notes
She then photocopied my passport and said will forward to the judge and that's it!
The whole thing took about 10 minutes
I was out of there after an hour and a half.
The experience was positive, the staff are helpful and nice. I was really impressed.
Tip: make sure you come prepared, if you finish early and do well, you can get out of there fast.
Be organized, bring all the documents that were asked for, get ready to show them and don't fumble and try to find documents, just makes you appear un organized