Hunters Guide

British Columbia · CORE

BC CORE Practice Exam

By Hunters Guide. Last reviewed September 18, 2026.

A coastal British Columbia ridge above the treeline at dawn, wet granite and moss in the foreground with cloud filling the valley below.

The CORE written examination is 90 multiple-choice questions and the pass mark is 68 points, or roughly 76%. The 43 questions below are original practice items covering firearm safety, field use, bird identification, ethics, survival, firearm actions, ammunition, conservation, regulations, first aid, animal identification, using the synopsis. Every answer includes an explanation.

These are practice questions, not the official exam. They are written from published curriculum topics rather than copied from the Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education question bank, so a good score here means you are ready to book a real exam, not that you are certified.

British Columbia practice questions

  1. 1You reach your stand, unsling your rifle, and your partner walks up behind you. Which vital practice governs what happens next?

    1. Aim only at what you intend to shoot
    2. Controlling the muzzle direction at all times, regardless of whether the rifle is loaded
    3. Keeping the safety engaged
    4. Checking the magazine
    Show the answer

    Controlling the muzzle direction at all times, regardless of whether the rifle is loaded

    Muzzle control is the practice that does the work when someone moves unexpectedly. It is the one that holds even when every other assumption about the firearm turns out to be wrong.

  2. 2In the PROVE sequence, what does the E stand for?

    1. Examine the bore for obstructions
    2. Empty your pockets of ammunition
    3. Engage the safety catch
    4. Eject the magazine only
    Show the answer

    Examine the bore for obstructions

    PROVE is Point, Remove, Observe, Verify, Examine. The final step is examining the bore, because a clear chamber means nothing if the barrel is obstructed.

  3. 3Why are 20-gauge shotgun shells manufactured in yellow when other gauges are not?

    1. Yellow is easier to find if dropped
    2. Yellow marks them as low-recoil loads
    3. So they cannot be confused with other gauges, because a 20-gauge shell can slip past a 12-gauge chamber and lodge in the barrel
    4. It identifies steel shot
    Show the answer

    So they cannot be confused with other gauges, because a 20-gauge shell can slip past a 12-gauge chamber and lodge in the barrel

    The colour is a safety convention, not decoration. A 20-gauge shell dropped into a 12-gauge drops past the chamber and wedges out of sight, and the next 12-gauge round fired behind it can burst the barrel.

  4. 4Why is a squib load more dangerous than a round that fails to fire at all?

    1. It damages the firing pin
    2. Because it sounds and feels like a shot was fired, so the shooter is likely to chamber and fire again with the bore still obstructed
    3. It produces more recoil
    4. It cannot be cleared without a gunsmith
    Show the answer

    Because it sounds and feels like a shot was fired, so the shooter is likely to chamber and fire again with the bore still obstructed

    A dead round gives you an obvious problem. A squib gives you a quiet one, and the danger comes entirely from assuming the shot was normal and firing again behind a lodged projectile.

  5. 5You are hunting alone and need to cross a fence. What is the correct procedure?

    1. Carry it across muzzle first while climbing
    2. Unload it, place it under the fence with the muzzle pointed away, cross, then draw it through by the stock
    3. Sling it and climb over
    4. Hand it over the fence to the nearest hunter
    Show the answer

    Unload it, place it under the fence with the muzzle pointed away, cross, then draw it through by the stock

    Climbing with a firearm in hand is a leading cause of hunting incidents. Unloading and passing it under the fence keeps the muzzle controlled while both hands are occupied.

  6. 6When hunting in a group, which carry gives you the most muzzle control?

    1. Shoulder carry with the muzzle pointed behind you
    2. Trail carry at your side
    3. Two-hand or ready carry
    4. Sling carry with the muzzle forward
    Show the answer

    Two-hand or ready carry

    A two-hand carry lets you redirect the muzzle instantly. Trail and sling carries put the muzzle where you cannot correct it quickly if someone moves into your line.

  7. 7Why is silhouette a more dependable identification cue than plumage colour at first light?

    1. Colour is unreadable in low light and at distance, while shape and proportion stay legible
    2. Silhouettes are easier to photograph
    3. Plumage changes daily
    4. Colour only matters for waterfowl
    Show the answer

    Colour is unreadable in low light and at distance, while shape and proportion stay legible

    Legal shooting light begins well before colour is usable to the eye. Shape, proportion, wingbeat, and posture survive poor light, which is why identification training leans on them.

  8. 8What behaviour most reliably separates dabbling ducks from diving ducks in the field?

    1. Dabblers spring straight up off the water; divers run across the surface to get airborne
    2. Dabblers are always larger
    3. Divers are only found on rivers
    4. Dabblers never fly in flocks
    Show the answer

    Dabblers spring straight up off the water; divers run across the surface to get airborne

    Takeoff is the most dependable field cue, because it is visible at distance and does not depend on plumage or light. Size and habitat overlap too much between the two groups to be reliable.

  9. 9A single deer is taken. How many tags may legally be attached to it?

    1. One
    2. Two, if two hunters shot at it
    3. One per hunter present
    4. None until it is transported
    Show the answer

    One

    One animal takes one tag and counts against one person's bag limit. Where more than one hunter was involved, they settle between themselves who claims it, but tagging it twice is an offence no matter how the shot played out.

  10. 10What does the principle of fair chase mean?

    1. Hunting only during daylight
    2. Always hunting on foot
    3. Taking game in a way that does not give the hunter an improper or unsporting advantage
    4. Sharing the harvest with other hunters
    Show the answer

    Taking game in a way that does not give the hunter an improper or unsporting advantage

    Fair chase is about the balance between hunter and animal. It is an ethical standard rather than a single rule, and it underpins many of the regulations that follow from it.

  11. 11What is usually the first sign of hypothermia?

    1. Uncontrolled shivering
    2. Slurred speech
    3. Loss of consciousness
    4. Flushed, warm skin
    Show the answer

    Uncontrolled shivering

    Shivering is the body's first attempt to generate heat and it appears in mild hypothermia. Slurred speech and confusion come later, and shivering that stops as someone gets colder is a serious warning sign, not an improvement.

  12. 12You are unloading a semi-automatic at the end of a hunt and cycle the action twice. A live round is still chambered. Why?

    1. The extractor has failed
    2. The magazine is still fitted and is feeding a fresh round each time you cycle
    3. The safety is engaged
    4. The barrel is obstructed
    Show the answer

    The magazine is still fitted and is feeding a fresh round each time you cycle

    Nothing is broken. Each cycle ejects one round and loads the next straight out of the magazine, which is why the magazine comes out first and the chamber second.

  13. 13A lever action's hammer sits partway back. Is the firearm safe to treat as unloaded?

    1. Yes, half-cock is a mechanical safety
    2. No. Half-cock is an old hammer position, not a safety, and the firearm must still be proven unloaded
    3. Yes, if the lever is closed
    4. Only on modern rifles
    Show the answer

    No. Half-cock is an old hammer position, not a safety, and the firearm must still be proven unloaded

    Half-cock predates modern safeties and can fail if the hammer is knocked. Treat the firearm as capable of firing regardless of hammer position.

  14. 14On a break action shotgun, what is the surest way to confirm it is unloaded?

    1. Shake it and listen
    2. Open the action and look into each chamber, then check the bore
    3. Check the safety is on
    4. Count the shells in your pocket
    Show the answer

    Open the action and look into each chamber, then check the bore

    A break action opens the chambers to direct view, which is the clearest proof any action can give. Looking is the step people skip.

  15. 15Opening the bolt on a bolt action clears the chamber. What does it NOT do?

    1. It exposes the chamber
    2. It empties the magazine, which must be dealt with separately
    3. It ejects a chambered round
    4. It lets you inspect the bore
    Show the answer

    It empties the magazine, which must be dealt with separately

    Opening the bolt clears and reveals the chamber. It does not empty the magazine, which is why the magazine is dealt with separately.

  16. 16What does the gauge number of a shotgun measure?

    1. The length of the barrel
    2. The number of lead balls of bore diameter that weigh one pound
    3. The weight of the shot charge
    4. The maximum shell length
    Show the answer

    The number of lead balls of bore diameter that weigh one pound

    It is an old weight-based measure, which is why a bigger gauge number means a smaller bore. A 12-gauge bore is wider than a 20-gauge.

  17. 17In shot sizes, what does a larger number mean?

    1. Larger pellets
    2. Smaller pellets
    3. A heavier powder charge
    4. A longer shell
    Show the answer

    Smaller pellets

    The numbering runs backwards to intuition: number 8 shot is smaller than number 4. More, smaller pellets give a denser pattern but less energy per pellet.

  18. 18You pick up an unfamiliar box of rifle ammunition. Which marking must match the barrel?

    1. The bullet weight
    2. The cartridge designation on the headstamp
    3. The brand
    4. The box colour
    Show the answer

    The cartridge designation on the headstamp

    The headstamp names the cartridge, which must match the designation stamped on the barrel. It does not tell you the load inside.

  19. 19A shotshell contains a wad and shot. Which four parts make up a centrefire rifle cartridge instead?

    1. Case, primer, powder, bullet
    2. Case, wad, shot, powder
    3. Primer, wad, powder, bullet
    4. Case, primer, shot, bullet
    Show the answer

    Case, primer, powder, bullet

    Wad and shot belong to shotshells. Knowing which components belong to which cartridge type is part of not mixing ammunition up.

  20. 20What does carrying capacity mean?

    1. The number of animals a hunter may take
    2. The maximum number of animals a habitat can support without degrading it
    3. The weight a pack animal can carry
    4. The size of a wildlife management unit
    Show the answer

    The maximum number of animals a habitat can support without degrading it

    Populations above carrying capacity damage the habitat that supports them, which lowers the capacity further. Regulated harvest is one tool for holding a population inside it.

  21. 21Which of these is a limiting factor on a wildlife population?

    1. The colour of the animals
    2. Available food, water, cover, and space
    3. The number of hunting licences printed
    4. The length of the hunting season alone
    Show the answer

    Available food, water, cover, and space

    Limiting factors are what the habitat can physically provide, plus disease and predation. Regulations respond to limiting factors; they are not limiting factors themselves.

  22. 22In British Columbia, what does the surcharge added to a hunting licence fund?

    1. General provincial revenue
    2. Habitat conservation work
    3. Search and rescue only
    4. Firearms registration
    Show the answer

    Habitat conservation work

    The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation surcharge is collected with the licence and directed to conservation. Hunters fund a meaningful share of wildlife management this way.

  23. 23Why is regulated harvest used as a wildlife management tool?

    1. To eliminate predators
    2. To keep populations within what the habitat can support, using seasons and limits set from population data
    3. To raise money only
    4. To make hunting more difficult
    Show the answer

    To keep populations within what the habitat can support, using seasons and limits set from population data

    Seasons, bag limits, and draws are levers for adjusting harvest against what surveys show a population can sustain.

  24. 24Before hunting on private land, what must you obtain?

    1. Nothing, if the land is unfenced
    2. Permission from the landowner or occupier
    3. A permit from the province
    4. Only a valid licence
    Show the answer

    Permission from the landowner or occupier

    Access is the landowner's to give. An unposted or unfenced boundary is not an invitation, and the responsibility to know whose land you are on sits with you.

  25. 25What does the requirement to remove edible meat from the field mean in practice?

    1. Only the antlers or horns must be removed
    2. Edible portions must be retrieved and not left to waste
    3. Meat may be left if the pack out is difficult
    4. It applies only to moose
    Show the answer

    Edible portions must be retrieved and not left to waste

    Leaving edible meat is both an offence and the clearest possible breach of hunting ethics. Plan the retrieval before you take the shot, not after.

  26. 26You hold a valid BC hunting licence but no tags. What may you legally hunt?

    1. Any species in season
    2. Nothing requiring a species licence. The base licence permits hunting; species licences authorise particular animals
    3. All small game
    4. Only migratory birds
    Show the answer

    Nothing requiring a species licence. The base licence permits hunting; species licences authorise particular animals

    The base licence is permission to hunt at all. Nearly every species worth hunting then needs its own licence and tag on top.

  27. 27How must a firearm be transported in a vehicle?

    1. Loaded, with the safety on
    2. Unloaded
    3. Loaded but out of sight
    4. Any way, on private land
    Show the answer

    Unloaded

    A firearm in a vehicle is unloaded, without exception. Confirm the current encasement and storage wording in the regulations synopsis.

  28. 28Season dates differ between two neighbouring management units. What follows from that?

    1. The earlier date applies across both
    2. You must know which unit you are standing in before you hunt
    3. The province harmonises them automatically
    4. It only matters for draw hunts
    Show the answer

    You must know which unit you are standing in before you hunt

    Unit boundaries are real legal lines and the animal does not respect them. Knowing your unit is part of the hunt, not paperwork you do afterwards.

  29. 29What is the recognised distress signal in the backcountry?

    1. Two of any signal
    2. Three of any signal, such as three whistle blasts or three fires
    3. One long continuous sound
    4. Four short sounds
    Show the answer

    Three of any signal, such as three whistle blasts or three fires

    Threes read as deliberate rather than natural. It works with whistles, shots, fires, or flashes, and it is understood across North America.

  30. 30If you are lost with a few hours of daylight left, what comes first?

    1. Walking toward where you think the road is
    2. Stopping while you still have light, making shelter, and making yourself findable
    3. Climbing to the highest point
    4. Rationing food
    Show the answer

    Stopping while you still have light, making shelter, and making yourself findable

    Moving in failing light turns a lost hunter into an injured one and enlarges the search area. Shelter built in daylight is the difference-maker.

  31. 31Which signs suggest shock?

    1. Flushed face and slow pulse
    2. Pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and confusion
    3. High fever
    4. Hunger and thirst only
    Show the answer

    Pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, and confusion

    Shock is a circulation failure and it can kill someone whose original injury would not have. Treat for it whenever a serious injury has occurred.

  32. 32How should someone with hypothermia be warmed?

    1. Rub the arms and legs briskly
    2. Gradually, concentrating on the core, with wet clothing removed and insulation added
    3. With a hot bath as fast as possible
    4. With alcohol to raise circulation
    Show the answer

    Gradually, concentrating on the core, with wet clothing removed and insulation added

    Rubbing extremities and rapid rewarming push cold blood back to the core and can cause cardiac problems. Slow, core-first, dry, insulated.

  33. 33Why does shivering stopping in a cold casualty matter?

    1. It means they are recovering
    2. It can mean the hypothermia is worsening and the body can no longer generate heat
    3. It is unrelated to their condition
    4. It means they need food
    Show the answer

    It can mean the hypothermia is worsening and the body can no longer generate heat

    Shivering stopping without rewarming is a deterioration, not an improvement. It marks the move from mild toward severe hypothermia.

  34. 34Three hunters walk abreast through cover. What must they agree before they start?

    1. Who carries the map
    2. The arc of ground each will shoot into, and that nobody swings outside it
    3. Who shoots first
    4. The return time only
    Show the answer

    The arc of ground each will shoot into, and that nobody swings outside it

    Dividing the ground into arcs before the walk is what prevents a swinging barrel crossing the person beside you. Agreed afterwards, it is already too late.

  35. 35When should a firearm be loaded relative to the vehicle?

    1. In the vehicle, before setting out
    2. Only after you have left the vehicle and are in the field
    3. At the trailhead while seated
    4. Whenever convenient
    Show the answer

    Only after you have left the vehicle and are in the field

    Loading and unloading happen away from the vehicle, pointed in a safe direction. A loaded firearm in or beside a vehicle is both unsafe and an offence.

  36. 36A cinnamon-coloured bear feeds on a slide. Coat colour tells you nothing. What do you look at instead?

    1. Body size against nearby trees
    2. Shoulder hump, facial profile, ear shape, and front claw length
    3. Whether it runs uphill
    4. The time of day
    Show the answer

    Shoulder hump, facial profile, ear shape, and front claw length

    Black bears range from black through cinnamon to blonde, so colour is the least useful cue on the animal. Structure does not change with coat, and getting this wrong is both an offence and a conservation failure.

  37. 37Why must you identify a bear's sex and whether it has cubs before shooting?

    1. It affects the trophy score
    2. Because taking a female with cubs is an offence and leaves the cubs unlikely to survive
    3. It determines the meat quality
    4. It is only relevant in spring
    Show the answer

    Because taking a female with cubs is an offence and leaves the cubs unlikely to survive

    A sow with cubs is protected, and the cubs rarely survive without her. Watching long enough to be certain is part of the shot decision.

  38. 38How can elk be distinguished from moose at distance?

    1. Elk are darker overall
    2. Elk have a pale rump patch and branched antlers; moose are darker with a long overhanging muzzle, a dewlap, and palmate antlers
    3. Moose are always smaller
    4. Only by track size
    Show the answer

    Elk have a pale rump patch and branched antlers; moose are darker with a long overhanging muzzle, a dewlap, and palmate antlers

    Rump patch, muzzle shape, and antler form are all visible at range. Antlers also disappear seasonally, so body structure matters more than headgear.

  39. 39Why is positive identification required before every shot, even in an open season?

    1. To improve accuracy
    2. Because seasons, sexes, and species are regulated separately, and a mistake is an offence regardless of intent
    3. Only to satisfy the landowner
    4. It is a courtesy, not a requirement
    Show the answer

    Because seasons, sexes, and species are regulated separately, and a mistake is an offence regardless of intent

    Open for one species does not mean open for what is standing there. Good faith is not a defence for shooting the wrong animal.

  40. 40The synopsis and the Wildlife Act say different things. Which one governs?

    1. The synopsis
    2. The Wildlife Act and its regulations. The synopsis is a plain-language summary, not the law
    3. Whichever is newer
    4. They cannot differ
    Show the answer

    The Wildlife Act and its regulations. The synopsis is a plain-language summary, not the law

    The Wildlife Act and its regulations are the law. The synopsis summarises them, and where the two ever differ, the legislation governs.

  41. 41Why must you check the management unit before relying on a season date?

    1. Dates are identical province-wide
    2. Because seasons, limits, and permitted sexes are set per management unit and vary widely
    3. Only draw hunts vary
    4. Units only affect non-residents
    Show the answer

    Because seasons, limits, and permitted sexes are set per management unit and vary widely

    Two units that share a boundary can have different open dates and different legal animals. Knowing which unit you are standing in is part of the hunt.

  42. 42How often should the synopsis be checked?

    1. Once when you get your licence
    2. Every year, because seasons, limits, and boundaries change between editions
    3. Every five years
    4. Only if you change regions
    Show the answer

    Every year, because seasons, limits, and boundaries change between editions

    It is reissued on a regulation cycle and content moves between editions. Working from last year's copy is a common and avoidable way to commit an offence.

  43. 43Where would you look to confirm the bag limit for a species in your area?

    1. The general introduction
    2. The regional section for your management unit, cross-checked against the species tables
    3. Any hunting forum
    4. The licence itself
    Show the answer

    The regional section for your management unit, cross-checked against the species tables

    Limits are set regionally and by species, so both lookups are needed. The licence records what you bought, not what you may take.

Practise one topic at a time

Frequently asked questions

Is this the real Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education exam?

No. These are original practice questions written from published curriculum topics. They are not reproduced from the official question bank, and passing them does not certify you to hunt in British Columbia.

What topics does the British Columbia exam cover?

The questions on this page cover firearm safety, field use, bird identification, ethics, survival, firearm actions, ammunition, conservation, regulations, first aid, animal identification, using the synopsis. The official course covers the same ground in more depth.

Do I need a separate licence to hunt in another province?

Yes. Canadian hunting licences are province-specific, so a British Columbia licence does not authorize you to hunt elsewhere. Your hunter education credential is generally recognized across provinces, but the licence is not.