Most internationally trained lawyers who start the NCA process have already passed demanding exams at home. So why does the NCA have a reputation for being hard? The honest answer: the law is learnable, but the format is unforgiving. This guide looks at what the published numbers say, where candidates lose marks, and how to prepare for both.
Checked against nca.legal and the Federation of Law Societies' published NCA program review on October 25, 2026.
What the numbers say
The NCA does not publish current pass rates by subject on its website. The most recent official figure we could find comes from the Federation of Law Societies' NCA Program Review Report (May 2017):
- In the year to May 2015, there were 716 failures out of 4,889 NCA exams, a failure rate of 14.6%.
- Only 43 of those failures were appealed, and 6 were changed to a pass.
Two cautions. The figure is about a decade old, and it is an average across every subject and every attempt. It doesn't tell you how hard a particular subject is, or what your odds are on a first attempt. Be wary of any site quoting precise current pass rates per subject unless it names an official source.
What the figure does suggest: most exams are passed, but roughly one in seven is not. At $500 per exam and a wait of 10 to 12 weeks for results, a single failure can cost you months.
Why the NCA exam feels hard
1. It tests application, not memory
NCA exams are fact-based, like Canadian law school exams. You get a set of facts and must spot the issues, state the rules and apply them. Candidates who explain the law well but don't tie it to the facts lose most of the marks available.
2. Three hours goes fast
Even with an open book, there is little time to look things up. The NCA allows 3 hours in total, and the papers are long. Candidates often run out of time on the last question, which can carry a large share of the marks.
3. Open book can work against you
Because the exam is open book, candidates bring too much paper and spend the exam searching it. Only hard-copy materials are allowed, so poorly organized notes cost real minutes.
4. The legal culture is different
Canadian law has its own leading cases, its own tests and its own way of reasoning. Candidates trained in civil law systems, or in common law systems with different constitutional structures, often find that familiar concepts work differently here.
5. You study alone
The NCA does not offer classes. It publishes an exam outline and one sample exam per subject, and past exams are never released. Many candidates also work or care for family while studying.
Which NCA exam is the hardest?
There's no official ranking, and difficulty depends on your background. What we can say is where each mandatory subject concentrates its demands:
| Subject | What tends to make it demanding |
|---|---|
| Canadian Constitutional Law | Breadth: division of powers, Aboriginal rights and the Charter in one paper, with tests that must be applied step by step |
| Canadian Administrative Law | Standard of review after Vavilov and procedural fairness are technical, and the answer often has to read like advice to a client or decision-maker |
| Canadian Criminal Law | One evolving fact pattern can carry many issues at once: elements of offences, defences, Charter rights and procedure |
| Canadian Professional Responsibility | Answers turn on the precise rules of the FLSC Model Code, so vague ethics reasoning scores poorly |
| Foundations of Canadian Law | Wide and partly theoretical, with Indigenous law, sources of law, institutions and statutory interpretation |
If your degree came from a civil law jurisdiction, expect Foundations of Canadian Law and Constitutional Law to require the most adjustment. If you practised criminal law at home, Criminal Law may still surprise you with its Charter and procedure content.
Where candidates lose marks
When you fail, the NCA gives you a feedback memo from the examiner. The patterns that come up again and again in candidates' experiences are consistent:
- Stating the law and stopping. A correct rule without application to the facts earns little.
- Missing issues. Fact patterns hide several issues, and each one carries marks.
- No structure. Examiners look for organized answers. The NCA's own guide, How to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions, is worth reading closely.
- Poor time management. An unanswered final question can sink an otherwise good paper.
- Wrong or outdated authority. The syllabus changes, so studying from an old outline can mean citing cases that are no longer the focus.
How to make it easier
- Study to the current syllabus. Check the exam outline before each attempt. Criminal Law was revised in August 2026 and Administrative Law in June 2026.
- Write full timed exams. Reading notes builds knowledge; writing under time builds the skill the exam actually tests.
- Get feedback on your answers. Practice only helps if someone shows you which issues you missed and where your application was thin.
- Build a binder you can search fast. Tab it by syllabus heading and include a case index.
- Use a structure every time. IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) or a similar method keeps your answers organized under pressure.
- Plan your attempts. You can't register to rewrite an exam until you have your result, so a failed exam often means skipping a session.
Is the NCA harder than the bar?
They test different things. The NCA covers substantive Canadian law; provincial licensing then tests readiness to practise. The same 2017 review cited Law Society of Upper Canada data (March 2014 to March 2016) showing a 47.1% first-attempt failure rate on Ontario's licensing exams for candidates with only an NCA Certificate of Qualification, compared with 13.0% for Canadian JD/LLB graduates. Those numbers are old too, but they're a reminder that the NCA is a stage, not the finish line.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NCA exam pass rate?
The NCA doesn't publish current pass rates. The most recent official figure is a 14.6% failure rate across all NCA exams in the year to May 2015, from the Federation's 2017 program review.
What is the pass mark for NCA exams?
50%. Exams are graded pass or fail.
How many times can I write an NCA exam?
Three times: a first attempt and two rewrites. You can ask for a fourth attempt under section 17.2 of the NCA Policies.
Which NCA exam should I take first?
There's no required order. Many candidates start with a subject they already know well to learn the format, then plan the rest around the schedule's fixed pairings.
Sources
- Federation of Law Societies of Canada: NCA Program Review Report (May 31, 2017), sections 3.4 and 3.5
- NCA: Exam information
- NCA: Online exam rules
- NCA: Exam outlines and samples
Lexn is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with the NCA or the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
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