Three key ideas: federal state, parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy
Three labels describe Canada's system of government. Canada is a federal state, which means power is divided between a national government and the governments of the provinces and territories. Canada is a parliamentary democracy, which means citizens elect representatives who make laws and control public spending. And Canada is a constitutional monarchy, which means the head of state is a hereditary Sovereign (a King or Queen) who reigns according to the Constitution.
If you remember these three ideas, most other test questions about government become easier, because nearly every detail fits under one of them.