The NCA process: qualifying as a lawyer in Canada with foreign credentials

If you studied law outside Canada, or at a Canadian program that is not an approved common law program, you start with the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). The NCA, part of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, assesses your education and experience and tells you what you need to do before you can enter a provincial licensing process.

The steps

1. Check eligibility with the NCA's self-assessment.
2. Apply for an assessment of your legal education and professional experience, online through the NCA portal.
3. Receive your assignments, a list of subjects you must complete.
4. Complete the assignments by writing NCA exams, taking courses at a Canadian law school, or a mix of both.
5. Apply for your Certificate of Qualification (CQ).
6. Apply to a provincial law society licensing process, such as the Law Society of Ontario's.

Source: National Committee on Accreditation, process.

What you will usually be assigned

The NCA generally assigns these core subjects to all applicants (NCA):

• Canadian Administrative Law
• Canadian Constitutional Law
• Canadian Criminal Law
• Canadian Professional Responsibility
• Foundations of Canadian Law

Depending on your background, the NCA may assign more subjects. Applicants assessed after January 1, 2022 must also complete legal research and writing, and all applicants must show competence in Indigenous law and peoples, through a module or an approved law school course. Most applicants must also pass a language screening test in English or French.

NCA exams

• Exams are fact-based and open-book, similar to Canadian law school exams, with a maximum of three hours.
• They are graded pass or fail, with 50 percent as a pass.
• The NCA offers twelve exam sessions a year, though not every subject is offered in each session.
• Each exam costs $500 plus tax, as of exams held from April 2025.
• Results are released about 10 to 12 weeks after the last exam in a session.

Source: NCA exam information. You must complete your assignments within five years of your assessment, though you may request an extension.

From the CQ to an Ontario licence

Once you have your Certificate of Qualification, you go through the same licensing process as Canadian graduates: the barrister and solicitor exams, articling or the Law Practice Program, and the good character review. You can apply to the Law Society of Ontario through LSO Connects once you are within six months of receiving your CQ (Law Society of Ontario).

See our guides to the Ontario bar exams and articling or the LPP.

Practical tips

• Gather certified transcripts and translations early. Missing documents are a common source of delay.
• Spread exams over several sessions if you are working. There is no need to write everything at once.
• Use the NCA's sample exams and its guide to answering fact-based questions.
• Start networking before you have your CQ. Finding articles is often the longest step.
• On your resume, state your foreign qualifications and your NCA status accurately, for example "NCA Certificate of Qualification (expected June 2027)".

Our lawyer resume format guide covers how to present education and admissions from more than one country.