Canada · Accreditation examsDo you need NCA courses to pass?
No. The NCA says its students generally study on their own, and that the courses and programs it lists are optional and not endorsed by it or the law societies. What you can choose from falls into three groups:
- Law school courses and programs, such as an LL.M. (Master of Laws) or a certificate, whose courses can meet your assignments instead of exams.
- Exam preparation programs, such as OsgoodePD’s online NCA exam prep, which help you write the exams but don’t replace them.
- Private notes, tutoring and workshops.
NCA courses and resources compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 website | An outline (syllabus) and a sample exam for each of the 14 subjects | |
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 website | How to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions, and Tips for Writing NCA Torts Exam | |
| 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. | Free | All Supreme Court of Canada decisions and decisions of federal, provincial and territorial courts | |
| 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 fee | Not listed | |
| 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 fees | Not listed | |
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 $7,508.95 | Not listed | |
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 page | Not listed | |
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 page | Not listed | |
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 here | Not listed | |
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 page | Not listed | |
| 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 $65 | Not listed | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Rules for law school courses
- Get the NCA to approve each course before you take it, by emailing your proposed plan of study to nca@flsc.ca.
- Apply to the law school yourself, and ask the school about costs and admission.
- Check that the program accepts NCA students, since not every approved Canadian law school does.
- Have the school send official transcripts to the NCA when you finish.
- If your law degree was by distance education, distance courses such as the University of British Columbia’s online program don’t count toward your in-person requirement.
If you attend a Canadian law school, the NCA doesn’t ask you for a language test, since each school has its own.
Exams or law school: the NCA’s cost and time estimates
The NCA puts the minimum cost of the exam route at about $3,000 plus taxes, and a full year at a Canadian law school at $35,000 to $56,000 in tuition, plus about $150 to apply. Its rough timeline is 10 months at best and about two years on average, within the five years your assessment allows.
What to check before paying for NCA prep
- Which outline version and textbook edition it follows. Administrative Law moved to a 9th edition casebook in June 2026, for example.
- Whether it covers the subjects your Assessment Decision actually lists.
- Whether a law school course has NCA approval for your file, in writing, before you enrol.
- Whether you’re relying on it in place of the assigned readings, which the Administrative Law outline warns against.
Sources: NCA and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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