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Canadian citizens who have obtained their legal education abroad, Quebec civil law graduates, or newcomers or people considering immigrating to Canada with an overseas legal education who wish to become members of a Canadian Law Society may apply to the National Committee on Accreditation for an evaluation of their legal credentials and experience.
Each applicant’s file is reviewed individually according to NCA Guidelines. Upon completion of this review, a letter of recommendation is issued describing the scope and extent of any further legal education that the applicant needs to demonstrate that their legal education and training is comparable to that provided by an approved faculty of law in Canada and be issued a Certificate of Qualification.
In order to obtain an NCA Certificate of Qualification, most applicants are required to demonstrate competence in several topics. Applicants may demonstrate competence in one of three ways; (a) through the NCA examination process, (b) register as a special student in a Canadian LL.B. program and successfully complete the assigned subjects as part of your program of studies or (c) a combination of (a) or (b).
NCA Exams
The NCA offers exams in the following subjects. To access the current syllabi, select one of the subjects listed.
PLEASE NOTE: These syllabi may be updated from time-to-time without prior notice, but are generally revised once annually. Candidates are responsible for monitoring the NCA website to ensure you are working with the most current version.
The style and type of NCA examination is similar to those in option (b) above. You may consult the law library of any Canadian law school to look at past law school examination papers.
Each examination is a three hour, open-book examination. Please review the NCA Examination Guidelines and Rules prior to your exams. You will receive your results approximately 10 – 12 weeks after you write your examination(s).
Examinations are graded on a pass/fail basis (i.e. 50%). Applicants may retake an examination in a failed subject. The exam fee in effect at the time of registration will be required. The new examination will not always be based upon identical course materials and applicants may have to prepare for the exam on the basis of a new syllabus. Applicants may retake a failed examination only once. In the event of a second failure, applicants are required to take the failed subject at a Canadian law school.
Sample Examinations
The NCA also offers these “sample” examinations for your reference:
Study Material & Resources
In the event that applicants choose to write the NCA examinations, a syllabus is available for each subject to be examined. This method is entirely a self-study method and applicants are responsible for their own course materials and program of studies (there is no private tutoring or consultation available through the NCA). Applicants who wish classroom or course assistance should apply for admission as a “special student” at a Canadian common law school.
Applicants may secure syllabus material through various Canadian publishers and websites listed. Additionally, the NCA has arranged free access to Quicklaw (Lexis Nexis) for applicants who have registered for examinations and paid the required examination fees.
The Federation of Law Societies has also prepared a guide (PDF) on dealing with fact-based law examination questions.
Examination Schedule
The NCA examinations are offered twice a year, in January and August (exact dates for each session will be posted in the Registration section of this webpage, once confirmed). Registration deadlines for each of the exam sessions are as follows:
• November 1st for the January session
• June 1st for the August session.
You may split your examinations between sessions; please consult your letter of recommendation for your deadline to complete the requirements. All of the exams are offered at both of the sessions, and are scheduled over the course of an eight-day period with two exams per day (am and pm) as follows:
|
Morning |
Afternoon |
| Day 1 |
Corporate Law |
Foundations of Canadian Law |
| Day 2 |
Cdn Administrative Law |
Civil Procedure |
| Day 3 |
Cdn Constitutional Law |
Torts |
| Day 4 |
Cdn Criminal Law and Procedure |
Remedies |
| Day 5 |
Evidence |
Professional Responsibility |
| Day 6 |
Contracts |
Family Law |
| Day 7 |
Property |
Commercial Law |
| Day 8 |
Taxation |
Trusts |
NCA Challenge Examination Schedule
NCA Challenge Examination Schedule remaining in 2010 
NCA Challenge Examination Schedule for August 2010
Examination Locations
Applicants may write examinations in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver at each session. In suitable circumstances, applicants may be able to arrange to write examinations in other locations, both within Canada and in other countries, at their expense (further information can be obtained from the Christine Mayer, Examination Coordinator at cmayer@flsc.ca).
Examination Fees
The current examination fee (subject to change) is $525 (GST included – GST Reg. Number 124261140). Please make your certified cheque (Canadian accounts only), money order, or bank draft payable to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Personal cheques and credit card payments are not acceptable.
Failed Examinations
Where a candidate has failed an examination, he/she will receive a memo from the grading professor providing reasons for the failure and be given an opportunity to review their exam(s) at a date and time arranged by the NCA. Requests must be made in writing to the Examination Coordinator who will schedule the review in accordance with the review process. Candidates may then request a re-read of their failed exam(s) by submitting a completed examination re-read request form along with $100 administrative fee (per exam).
Special Accommodations
The National Committee on Accreditation is not an educational institution and therefore has limited capacity to provide special accommodations for physically challenged applicants. Applicants requiring accommodation must submit their request, supported by an up-to-date medical certificate, as soon as possible and no later than two months prior to an exam session. Special accommodations will be dealt with on an individual basis. Please contact the Examination Coordinator directly at cmayer@flsc.ca.
Examination Registration Procedures
Applicants who have received a letter of recommendation and are eligible to take the NCA examinations should complete the registration form and return it to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada along with payment of the registration fee. Full payment must be received at the time of registration, otherwise your registration will not be processed.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis depending on the date of receipt of the registration form and payment of the registration fee. Candidates will generally be accepted, space permitting.
Candidates will receive a confirmation of registration by email approximately ten business days after receipt of the registration form and payment. Please check your confirmation to make sure everything is correct. Contact Christine Mayer at cmayer@flsc.ca with any corrections.
Examination Deferral and Cancellation Policy
Examination fees may be deferred to a later session or refunded upon request, less applicable administrative fees.
A minimum $25 (GST included) administrative fee per exam will be applied to all changes (deferral or cancellation) to candidate’s examination registration. Additionally, the fees will increase to $75, $150 and $250 per exam (GST included) according to the specific deadlines posted for each exam schedule below. Cancellations or no shows made on the date of the exam being written will result if the forfeiture of the full ($525, GST included) exam fees unless accompanied by a medical certificate or other relevant documentation.
If you wish to cancel or defer any exams you must submit your request in writing to Christine Mayer at cmayer@flsc.ca.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the NCA examinations, please contact Christine Mayer, Examination Coordinator at (613) 236-1700 or by email at cmayer@flsc.ca.
This page was last updated: May 10, 2010
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