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Canada · Accreditation exams

NCA exams for internationally trained lawyers

If you trained as a lawyer outside Canada and want to practise in a common law province or territory, the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) decides what Canadian law you still need to show you know. It assesses your degree, then assigns subjects you can clear by writing NCA exams or by taking courses at a Canadian law school. Each NCA exam covers one subject, lasts three hours, is open-book and is written online with a live proctor. Pass them all and you get the Certificate of Qualification that law societies ask for.

  • 50%Pass mark for each exam
  • 3 hoursTime allowed for each exam
  • Online onlyWith a live remote proctor
  • 3Attempts at each exam, with a possible fourth
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the NCA exam outlines and the NCA Policy Manual

Key facts

At a glance

Run by
The NCA, a standing committee of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada
Who it’s for
Lawyers and law graduates educated outside Canada, and Canadian civil law graduates
Exam style
Fact-based problems with long written answers, using hard copy materials only
Results
About 10 to 12 weeks after the last exam of the session
Languages
English or French

How it works

How an NCA exam works, from assessment to certificate

Each exam
50%
To pass you need at least 50%.
  1. You apply for an assessment first. The NCA compares your law degree and experience with an approved Canadian common law degree and tells you which subjects to complete.
  2. You meet those subjects by writing NCA exams, taking approved courses at a Canadian law school, or a mix of both.
  3. Each exam covers one subject. It’s fact-based and open-book: you write long answers to problems, and you can use hard copy notes and books.
  4. Exams are online only. A live proctor watches you through your webcam and a second camera, and a secure browser locks down your computer.
  5. You must stay connected for the full three hours, even if you finish early. After the first hour you may take a break of five minutes or less.
  6. You study on your own. The NCA publishes an outline (syllabus) and a sample exam for each subject, and you buy or borrow the texts it lists.
  7. When you’ve completed every assignment, you request a Certificate of Qualification and apply to a law society’s bar admission process.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

Applying for an NCA assessment

You apply online with a $400 fee, have your law school send official transcripts, and the NCA tells you which subjects you need to complete.

Key points (4)
  • Anyone with a qualifying law degree can apply from anywhere in the world. Citizenship, nationality and where you live don’t matter (NCA: Application).
  • The assessment fee is $400 plus taxes, paid by credit card, and it isn’t refundable (NCA: Application; NCA: Refund policy).
  • The NCA takes about six to eight weeks to issue your assessment once it has the documents it needs (NCA: Application).
  • Your Assessment Decision is valid for five years from the date it’s issued, and you can ask the Executive Director for an extension (NCA Policy Manual, in effect March 1, 2026, section 13.4).
02

The five mandatory Canadian subjects

Canadian Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Professional Responsibility and Foundations of Canadian Law are assigned to all applicants.

Key points (3)
  • The NCA generally assigns these five subjects to all applicants (NCA: Assignments).
  • You can meet them only through NCA exams or courses in an approved Canadian common law program (NCA Policy Manual, section 5.2).
  • Each subject has its own exam outline (syllabus) and sample exam on the NCA website (NCA: Exam outlines and samples).
03

Contracts, Torts, Property and other subjects

Three more core subjects, plus additional subjects such as Evidence or Civil Procedure, may be assigned depending on your degree and experience.

Key points (4)
  • The eight core subjects are the same ones required of graduates of approved Canadian common law programs (NCA Policy Manual, section 5.2).
  • Graduates from mixed jurisdictions are usually asked to show competence in all eight core subjects (NCA: Assignments).
  • Additional legal subjects are Business Organizations, Civil Procedure, Commercial Law, Evidence, Family Law and Remedies (NCA Policy Manual, section 6.3).
  • If your law degree was by distance education, the NCA requires two years of in-person instruction (NCA: Assignments).
04

Legal research, Indigenous law and language

Beyond the subject exams, applicants complete a legal research and writing course, a course on Indigenous law, and a language screening test.

Key points (3)
  • If you were assessed after January 1, 2022, you also need a legal research and writing course, through an approved Canadian common law program or the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) module (NCA: Assignments).
  • As of March 1, 2026, you must show competence in Indigenous Law and Peoples, through a CPLED module or an approved law school course (NCA: FAQs).
  • As of March 1, 2026, all applicants complete a language screening test in English or French before they’re assessed, unless they’re exempt (NCA: FAQs).
05

How NCA exams work

Each exam is a three-hour, fact-based, open-book written exam, taken online with live remote proctoring.

Key points (4)
  • NCA exams are long-answer, open-book and three hours long. Only hard copy study materials are allowed (NCA: Online exam rules).
  • NCA exams are only offered online. You may write on paper or in person only for a medical reason (NCA: Assignments; NCA: FAQs).
  • You need a laptop or desktop with a webcam plus a second camera on a phone or tablet, and you must stay with the proctor for the full three hours (NCA: Technical requirements).
  • You may write your exams in French if you ask by the registration deadline (NCA: Exam information).
06

Results, rewrites and appeals

Exams are pass/fail with 50% as a pass, results come about 10 to 12 weeks after a session ends, and you get three attempts at each exam.

Key points (3)
  • Exams are graded pass/fail, and 50% is a pass (NCA: Exam information).
  • You may write each exam three times. The Executive Director may grant a fourth and final attempt, and after four fails you take the subject at a law school (NCA: FAQs).
  • If you fail, you can review your exam and the examiner’s memo free of charge, and an appeal costs $250 plus taxes per exam (NCA: Exam review).
07

The Certificate of Qualification and bar admission

When you finish your assignments, you request a Certificate of Qualification, then apply to a law society’s bar admission process.

Key points (3)
  • You request the certificate in the NCA Portal, and there’s no cost (NCA: Transactions and forms).
  • The certificate doesn’t expire, but each law society sets how long after it you can enter its bar admission process (NCA: FAQs).
  • The certificate doesn’t admit you to the bar or give you a Canadian law degree (NCA: FAQs).
08

The modernized assessment framework

The NCA plans five new exams and three courses, with a phased start in 2027 and full use in 2028.

Key points (3)
  • The Federation Council approved the framework on October 18, 2025 (NCA: Modernized Assessment Framework).
  • Phased implementation begins in 2027, with full implementation in 2028 (NCA: Modernized Assessment Framework).
  • Applicants who already have an Assessment Decision may keep following it, and eligible applicants can opt in to some new exams (NCA: FAQs).

Test day

What to have ready for an online NCA exam

  • Valid government-issued photo ID to show the proctor
  • Hard copy books and notes only, since electronic copies aren’t allowed
  • A laptop or desktop with a webcam, plus a phone or tablet as the second camera
  • A stable internet connection of 3 Mbps up and down, wired rather than Wi-Fi
  • A drink in a clear container and a small bag of snacks, if you want them
  • An extension cord at least six feet or two metres long, as the NCA recommends

Before you go

  1. Check the exam outline for each subject when you register, since the NCA updates them before registration opens.
  2. Register in the NCA Portal before registration closes at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time on the date in the schedule.
  3. Send any accommodation request with your forms and documents by the date in the schedule.
  4. Download the secure browser before each exam you write.
  5. Have MonitorEDU test your computer set-up no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern time the day before your first exam.
  6. Contact the proctor 15 to 20 minutes before your exam starts.
  7. If you can’t write, cancel in the NCA Portal before midnight Eastern time the day before your exam.
NCA: Exam scheduleRegistration for each session opens and closes on fixed dates. You register and pay in the NCA Portal once your assessment says you can write NCA exams.

Study options

Where to study

The NCA doesn’t teach or endorse any course: you study on your own from its outlines and sample exams. Some Canadian law schools run programs whose courses can count toward your assignments once the NCA approves them, and private tutors sell notes and workshops. Prices come from each provider’s own site in October 2026.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
NCA exam outlines and sample examsOfficial syllabi and sample examsThe NCA’s own study material. Each outline lists the required readings and the publishers to buy texts from. Outlines change from time to time, so the NCA asks you to check the version when you register.
No price listed: PDFs on the NCA websiteAn outline (syllabus) and a sample exam for each of the 14 subjects
NCA: Exam outlines and samples ↗
NCA exam-writing guidesOfficial guidesThe first guide covers study, writing, time management and reasoning for fact-based law exams. The NCA also points you to its Online Exam Tip Sheet before you write online.
No price listed: PDFs on the NCA websiteHow to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions, and Tips for Writing NCA Torts Exam
NCA: How to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions (PDF) ↗NCA: Tips for Writing NCA Torts Exam (PDF) ↗
Official and free
CanLIICase law and legislation databaseThe NCA describes CanLII as a free legal information resource funded by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Several outlines tell you to find their prescribed cases there.
FreeAll Supreme Court of Canada decisions and decisions of federal, provincial and territorial courts
CanLII ↗
Official and paid
Lexis Nexis AdvanceLegal research databaseThe NCA emails your user ID and password a few weeks after the registration deadline. The account is personal, and the NCA closes it if you break the terms of use.
Included with your NCA exam registration feeNot listed
NCA: FAQs ↗
Law school programs
University of Toronto Global Professional LLMMaster of Laws in Canadian Law in a Global Context, in TorontoA 12-month full-time program, or 24 months extended, with classes on alternate Friday evenings and Saturdays. The NCA says it’s meant to let most students complete their NCA requirements, including the eight core subjects and legal research and writing.
2026-2027 academic tuition $34,240 (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) or $83,650 (international), plus incidental feesNot listed
University of Toronto: GPLLM fees ↗University of Toronto: GPLLM ↗
UBC Allard Law Online LearningSingle online law coursesGraduate-level courses taken outside a degree program from anywhere, including Property Law, Canadian Public Law, Contracts, Canadian Criminal Law, Administrative Law and Ethics and Professionalism. The NCA warns these distance courses don’t meet the in-person requirement for anyone whose law degree was by distance education.
Fees from May 1, 2026: $1,020.13 per credit (domestic) or $1,501.79 (international), so a 5-credit course such as Tort Law is $5,100.65 or $7,508.95Not listed
UBC Allard Law: Online Learning tuition and fees ↗UBC Allard Law: Online Learning ↗
University of Calgary Foreign Trained Lawyers Program12-month post-bachelor’s certificate, in CalgaryCovers the five core NCA subjects. The university says its Law 430 Professional Development course is approved by the NCA as meeting the legal research and writing requirement. You still need NCA approval of each course before you start.
Not listed on the program pageNot listed
University of Calgary: Foreign Trained Lawyers Program ↗
University of Manitoba Internationally Trained Lawyer ProgramMicro-diplomas in Canadian Public Law and Canadian Private Law, in WinnipegEach micro-diploma is up to 18 credit hours, designed for one academic year. The Public Law micro-diploma covers the five core subjects; the Private Law one is for civil law graduates and others assigned more common law courses.
Not listed on the program pageNot listed
University of Manitoba: Internationally Trained Lawyer Program ↗
OsgoodePD (York University)Online NCA exam prep, Professional LLM and single coursesThe NCA describes the online exam prep as on demand and self-paced, with sample questions and answers and the chance to submit an answer for evaluation. OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Canadian Common Law can cover most candidates’ NCA subjects, and Single Course Enrollment gives up to 12 credits toward them.
Not listed on the pages linked hereNot listed
OsgoodePD: Practise law in Canada ↗NCA: Assistance for NCA students ↗
Western University Advanced Standing JDTwo-year Juris Doctor for foreign law graduates, in London, OntarioThe NCA says successful applicants normally complete two years of full-time study, applications close on May 1 each year, and Western Law’s regular admission criteria apply.
Not listed on the NCA’s pageNot listed
Western Law: Upper-year admissions ↗
Notes and tutoring
NCA TutorSubject notes, tutoring, workshops and coursesAlso sells one-to-one tutoring, exam workshops and on-demand and live courses. NCA Tutor, run by Lex Professional Development Group Inc., states it has no affiliation with the NCA. Some prices were sale prices in October 2026.
Notes are PDF downloads from $32.50 to $85 a subject, such as Professional Responsibility at $65Not listed
NCA Tutor: NCA notes ↗NCA Tutor: Home page ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is the NCA exam?

NCA stands for National Committee on Accreditation, part of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. An NCA exam is one of the subject exams it sets so people with a law degree from outside Canada, or a Canadian civil law degree, can show their knowledge of Canadian law matches an approved Canadian common law degree. There isn’t one single NCA exam: your assessment tells you which subjects you need, and each subject has its own exam.

Is the NCA exam the same as the bar exam in Canada?

No. NCA exams come first and lead to the Certificate of Qualification. The certificate doesn’t admit you to the bar. You then apply to the bar admission process of the law society where you want to practise, and each provincial and territorial law society sets its own rules, which often include articling.

How many times can you write an NCA exam?

Three times: a first attempt and two rewrites, paying the exam fee each time. After that, the NCA’s Executive Director may grant a fourth and final attempt if you ask in writing and confirm you understand it’s the last one. Fifth attempts aren’t approved. If you fail a subject four times, you have to complete it at a law school. You can’t register for a rewrite until you have the result of your last attempt.

What happens if you fail an NCA exam?

About three to four weeks after results come out, the NCA lets you review your exam, the questions and the examiner’s feedback memo online, free of charge. Examiners re-read a failing exam at least twice before failing it. You can appeal, for a fee per exam, within two weeks of the review materials becoming available, but only on evidence of a major error or injustice in the marking. Hardship or being close to a pass doesn’t count.

Can you write NCA exams from outside Canada?

Yes. The NCA says you can write from any location with internet service, including your home, as long as you meet its technical requirements. Every exam is online, and you can only write on paper or in person for a medical reason. Exam start times are set in Eastern time, so check what that means where you live.

Are the NCA exams changing?

Yes. The NCA announced on October 8, 2026 that it’s moving to five new exams and three courses, phased in from 2027 and in full use in 2028. Our page on NCA law exams sets out the new exams and what happens if you already have your Assessment Decision.

Sources: NCA and 9 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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