NCA Notes™ offers high-quality, reliable, up to date, affordable and easy to comprehend materials. We provide not only study notes, but also comprehensive study packages which give students optimal support and a learning advantage. Our study packages, also known as “success packages”, have been meticulously crafted and tailored to student needs. Inclusive within our packages are sample practice questions with detailed answer keys, IRAC examples, frameworks and more. NCA Notes™ also offers a wide variety of classes including private tutoring, live groups sessions, recorded series, intensive review classes and mock exam workshops. ALL of our resources are developed by a licensed lawyer and certified teacher. Remember, you are studying for exams as a student. Receiving instruction from a qualified teacher who has been trained in the educational field makes a world of difference. ALL classes are taught by a licensed lawyer and certified teacher. Once again, who better to learn from than someone who has trained to provide instruction and educate.
Many students underestimate the NCA exams because they are open book. This implicates you can bring into the examination materials, such as textbooks, notes, etc. However, this does not mean that you should not have a thorough understanding of the NCA syllabus and required readings. You will be required to deeply engage with the concepts and legal terms in the exam and this mandates a solid comprehension of the prescribed content. You should rigorously prepare for these exams as you would any other.
Though there is no stipulated order in which to take the exams, we advise taking Canadian Constitutional Law and Canadian Administrative Law before Foundations of Canadian Law. The reason for this is the syllabus content of the Foundations of Canadian Law course. This subject overlaps with both constitutional law and administrative law. Foundations is a voluminous course and if you attempt constitution and administrative law prior to foundations, you will have already covered a good chunk of content from the foundations syllabus.
Most would concur that the "lightest" or "easiest" NCA subject is Professional Responsibility. However, every student is unique and has a different perspective. Professional Responsibility is focused on the ethics of lawyers and their conduct and behaviour. Students comment that the content of this subject is "straightforward", "commonsensical" and "easy to understand". The syllabus is also not as vast as other subjects.
Opinions on which NCA subject is the most difficult tend to be divided. Out of the core courses, that is, Canadian Constitutional law, Canadian Administrative law, Canadian criminal law, Foundations of Canadian law and Professional Responsibility, arguably Foundations and Constitution are the most challenging. Foundations is a vast subject which incorporates many academic articles, which are complex and sophisticated in nature. Constitution comprises of intricate terms and concepts. Students must be able to engage in thorough analyses for the constitutional law exam and utilize advanced critical thinking skills.
As soon as you clear all the NCA exams that have been assigned to you by the National Committee of Accreditation, a certificate of qualification (COQ) will be issued. You can select a law society within Canada in which to send the certificate of qualification (COQ). At this point, you should be commencing the lawyer licensing process in the province you wish to become licensed in and practice law. You do not have to wait for the COQ before registering in the lawyer licensing process in Ontario. In fact, some students initiate the registration process upon completion of their final NCA exams. If you have more questions regarding the lawyer licensing process and steps after the completion of the NCA exams, please book a consultation with Vanessa Santaguida.
You have three attempts at writing an NCA exam. If you are unsuccessful after three attempts, you can request a fourth attempt. In the past, this required you to obtain a tutor and a remediation plan. However, the NCA policy was amended this year and now students need only to submit a written request to the Executive Director, as per policy rule 16.2.1. The written request must incorporate a statement acknowledging that the student comprehends that the fourth attempt is their last chance, failing which, the student must take the subject at a law school. See the NCA Policy Manual for more details.
