NCA Exams Guide for Canada

Everything you need to know about the NCA: who it is, how the assessment works, which subjects you may be assigned, exam schedules, fees, syllabi and sample exams. Every section links to the official NCA website.

What is the NCA?

The National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) is part of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. It assesses the legal education and professional experience of people who earned their law credentials outside Canada or in a Canadian civil law program.

If your law degree is not from an approved Canadian common law program, you normally need an NCA assessment, and then a Certificate of Qualification, before you can apply to a Canadian common law bar. This includes internationally trained lawyers, foreign law graduates, Canadians who studied law abroad, and Canadian civil law graduates.

Official NCA links

• Check if you need an assessment
• Apply for an assessment
• Log in to My NCA File
• Exam schedules
• Syllabi and sample exams
• Exam information
• Online exam rules
• Fees and timelines
• Policies and guidelines
• FAQs

The NCA process, step by step

1. Self-assessment. Check whether you need an NCA assessment. Self-assessment
2. Apply. Apply online through the NCA portal and pay the assessment fee. Your law school sends your documents directly, and translations are required for documents not in English or French. Application
3. Assessment. The NCA reviews your education and experience. The NCA states that an assessment takes six to eight weeks. Assessment process
4. Assigned requirements. You receive a list of subjects to complete by NCA exam, by approved Canadian law school courses, or a mix of both, within five years of your assessment. Assigned requirements
5. Certificate of Qualification. When all requirements are met, you request your certificate through the portal. Certificate of Qualification
6. Bar admission. You then apply to the law society of the province or territory where you want to practise. Bar admissions

Recent changes

• From 1 March 2026: English or French language screening before assessment, and a new required competence in Indigenous Law and Peoples (a CPLED module or an approved law school course). NCA notice
• Competency-based assessment: the Federation approved a new competency-based framework in October 2025. The NCA has not published a launch date. Federation of Law Societies

NCA exam subjects, syllabi and sample exams

Every candidate must show competence in five mandatory subjects: Canadian Administrative Law, Canadian Constitutional Law, Canadian Criminal Law, Canadian Professional Responsibility and Foundations of Canadian Law. Candidates also need a course in legal research and writing, and competence in Indigenous Law and Peoples. Other subjects are assigned based on your assessment.

Syllabus and sample exam links go to nca.legal. The NCA updates syllabi from time to time, so always check the exam outlines page for the current version.

How NCA exams work

Length	Up to 3 hours per exam
Questions	Fact-based, similar to Canadian law school exams
Materials	Open book. Check the online exam rules for permitted materials.
Delivery	Written online with remote proctoring. See the technical requirements.
Grading	Pass or fail. The NCA states that 50 percent is a pass.
Attempts	Up to three attempts per exam, with a fourth possible in specific circumstances
Results	About 10 to 12 weeks after the last exam of the session
Registration	Through the NCA portal. The exam schedule shows when registration opens for each session.

Exam schedules

The NCA runs several exam sessions each year. Not every subject is offered in every session, and dates can change without notice.

2026 NCA exam schedule (PDF)  |  2027 NCA exam schedule (PDF)  |  All schedules

NCA fees and timelines

NCA policies

• NCA Policy Manual (June 2026)
• National Requirement
• Interpretive Statement on Language Requirements
• NCA Service Standards
• NCA Refund Policy

How to prepare for the NCA exams

NCA exams: frequently asked questions