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BC CORE Practice Test 2026 – Free BC CORE Questions

Original questions written from the official British Columbia handbook, with an explanation for every answer.

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What does the Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) replace?

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All BC CORE practice tests

5 sets of 27 questions. Each set is fixed, so you can repeat it until you score 100%.

Exam facts

Key facts: BC CORE Hunter Education Exam (Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education)

Free BC CORE practice tests for new hunters in British Columbia. Every question is original and explains the rule behind the answer, with a citation to the B.C. Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, federal firearms storage rules or another official source. No sign-up, no limits, and your progress stays on your device.

Important: the CORE manual is sold by the BC Wildlife Federation and we never copy it. Our questions come from free government sources: the 2026–2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, RCMP firearms storage and transport rules and public firearm safety guidance. They focus on safety, ethics, regulations and wildlife identification.

What the test covers

Topics and question bank

Every question is tagged to one topic from the official handbook. Pick a topic to drill just that area.

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Sample BC CORE questions

Tap a question to see the answer. The full interactive test is at the top of the page.
  1. 1What does the Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID) replace?
    • A. The old BC Hunter Number
    • B. The federal firearms licence
    • C. Species licences for big game
    • D. The CORE graduation certificate

    The FWID is a permanent number linked to your profile and replaces the BC Hunter Number; existing hunters got their old number plus three digits.

  2. 2You took your daily bag limit of grouse this morning. What may you do this afternoon?
    • A. Stop hunting grouse for the day
    • B. Keep hunting if you give some away
    • C. Keep hunting in another region
    • D. Keep hunting until sunset

    It is unlawful to continue hunting a game species on a day you have taken the daily bag limit for that species.

  3. 3For big game, how wide must an arrow's broadhead be at its widest point?
    • A. At least 5 cm (2 inches)
    • B. At least 2.2 cm (7/8 inch)
    • C. Any width
    • D. At least 1 cm (3/8 inch)

    For big game, arrows and bolts must have a broadhead at least 2.2 cm (7/8 inch) wide at the widest point.

  4. 4Which mountain goat is it unlawful to hunt?
    • A. A female with a kid
    • B. Any goat in October
    • C. A lone adult billy
    • D. A male on a cliff

    It is unlawful to hunt a female mountain goat accompanying a kid or a female in a group with one or more kids.

  5. 5Which of these is in the list of places you must stay 100 m away from when shooting?
    • A. A gravel logging road
    • B. A school yard
    • C. A hiking trail in the hills
    • D. The shore of a lake

    The 100 m rule covers churches, school buildings and yards, playgrounds, regional district parks and occupied dwellings, farm or ranch buildings.

  6. 6Which shotgun rule applies to migratory bird hunting?
    • A. At least 8 gauge, and loaded with slugs only
    • B. A rifle may be used instead of any shotgun
    • C. No larger than 10 gauge and no single projectiles
    • D. Any size at all, as long as it uses lead shot

    For migratory birds the shotgun must not be larger than 10 gauge, must not be loaded with a single projectile, and only one shotgun may be used unless others are unloaded and cased.

  7. 7In remote wilderness, you cannot lock your rifle inside your vehicle. What should you do?
    • A. Leave it loaded on the dashboard in case a bear comes along
    • B. Unload it, hide it, and lock it unless needed for predators
    • C. Take the bolt to camp and leave the rifle on the roof rack
    • D. Nothing, since wilderness rules do not apply to storage

    In a remote wilderness area, unload the firearm, put it out of sight and attach a locking device unless it is needed for predator control.

  8. 8Which animal is a mountain goat kid under the definitions?
    • A. Any goat with a pure white coat
    • B. Any goat that weighs under 50 kg
    • C. A goat with horns under 10 cm
    • D. Any goat that is seen alone on a cliff

    A mountain goat kid means a mountain goat with horns less than 10 cm in length.

  9. 9Why should you never shoot at a flat, hard surface or water?
    • A. It scares away the game
    • B. It damages the barrel
    • C. The bullet can ricochet
    • D. It is too hard to see

    Bullets and shot can ricochet off flat, hard surfaces and water and strike something you cannot see.

  10. 10Which hunting practice is illegal in B.C.?
    • A. Tracking in snow
    • B. Calling a coyote
    • C. Glassing a hillside
    • D. Baiting bears

    It is unlawful to hunt bears by placing bait or using a dead animal as bait. Electronic calls are allowed for coyote, wolf, cougar, lynx and bobcat.

About the test

About the BC CORE Hunter Education Exam (Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education)

CORE (Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education) is British Columbia's hunter education program. The BC Wildlife Federation runs it on behalf of the Province, and proof of hunter safety training such as a CORE certificate is needed to buy most B.C. hunting licences. Youth and initiation hunters can hunt under supervision without CORE, but anyone who wants to hunt on their own needs it.

According to the BC Wildlife Federation, CORE has two exams. The written exam has 80 multiple-choice questions based on the CORE manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, and you need at least 60 points to pass. The practical firearms handling exam asks you to safely handle two of five types of firearm actions with dummy ammunition, and you need 23 out of 30. People who passed the Canadian Firearms Safety Course can skip the practical exam, but a PAL card alone does not count.

Each exam costs $30, paid to the CORE examiner, and a failed exam must be retaken on another day. After passing both, you send a $30 administration fee to the BCWF for your graduation certificate, then use it to set up your Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID), which is free and available from age 10. The synopsis estimates about 21 hours of self-study and firearm handling practice; you can take an in-person course, the BCWF online course or study on your own.

The written exam covers outdoor ethics, firearm handling, hunting regulations, animal and bird identification, survival, first aid and safety, and conservation. Our ten topics follow the parts of that list that come from public law and regulations: licensing and supervision, firearm safety, storage and transport, where you may hunt, legal methods, ethics, wildlife identification, game birds, what to do after the hunt, and definitions and bag limits. We do not cover first aid or survival, because those come from the CORE manual.

This site is independent. It is not affiliated with the BC Wildlife Federation or the Province of British Columbia, and our practice tests do not give you a CORE certificate. Only a certified CORE examiner can do that. Regulations change every two years, so always check the current synopsis before you hunt.

Study plan

How to prepare

  1. 1Get the current Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis (2026–2028) and read the Before Your Hunt, During Your Hunt and After Your Hunt sections. The written exam draws on it directly.
  2. 2Learn the key distances: 100 m from occupied buildings, schools and playgrounds; 15 m road allowances; 400 m from roads in BC Parks.
  3. 3Memorize the hunting hours: no hunting game from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, and half an hour for migratory birds.
  4. 4Practise wildlife identification with the synopsis guides: mule deer versus white-tailed deer, grizzly versus black bear, and antler definitions such as spike-fork, tripalm and the 2.5 cm tine rule.
  5. 5Know the firearm storage and transport basics: unloaded when transported, unloaded and locked when stored, and never loaded in or on a vehicle.
  6. 6Take one topic test at a time and read every explanation. Each one names the synopsis section or rule it comes from.
  7. 7When you score 65 or more out of 80 on two different mock exams, you have a margin above the 60 needed to pass.
  8. 8Book the practical firearms handling test separately, unless you have a completed Canadian Firearms Safety Course report.

FAQ

BC CORE test questions people ask

How many questions are on the BC CORE written exam?

The BC Wildlife Federation says the written exam has 80 multiple-choice questions based on the CORE manual and the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis. Our mock exams also use 80 questions.

What is the passing score for CORE?

You need at least 60 points on the 80-question written exam, which is 75 per cent, and at least 23 out of 30 on the practical firearms handling exam.

How much does CORE cost?

Each of the two exams costs $30, paid to the examiner, and retakes cost $30 each. After passing, you pay a $30 administration fee to the BCWF for your graduation certificate. Course fees from examiners vary.

Do I need CORE if I already have a PAL?

A PAL card alone does not exempt you. If you completed the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and give the examiner the course report form, you can skip the CORE practical exam, but you still take the written exam.

How old do you have to be to hunt in B.C.?

No one under 10 may hunt. Residents can get a Fish and Wildlife ID and a hunting licence from age 10, but hunters under 18 must always be accompanied and closely supervised by a qualified adult.

Can I hunt without passing CORE?

Youth licence and initiation licence holders do not need hunter safety training, but they must hunt with a qualified supervising hunter and their harvest counts in that hunter's bag limit. To hunt on your own you need CORE or an equivalent course.

Are these the real CORE exam questions?

No. The CORE exam is not published. Every question here is original and written from the free B.C. Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis and federal firearms rules. Learning the regulations themselves is what prepares you for the written exam.

Is the synopsis allowed during the exam?

The BC Wildlife Federation's public CORE page does not say whether the synopsis may be used during the written exam. Ask your CORE examiner before you book.

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