NCA Exam Rules: Open Book, What You Can Bring, and How Online Proctoring Works

NCA exams are open book, but "open book" has strict limits. Your notes must be on paper, you write on a locked-down computer while a proctor watches you through two cameras, and you stay connected for the full three hours even if you finish early. This guide sets out the rules as the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) publishes them, and what they mean for how you prepare.

Checked against the NCA's exam rules, technical requirements and FAQ on October 25, 2026. The NCA can change its rules, so confirm on nca.legal before your exam.

The rules at a glance

• Open book, paper only. You can use any reference material you like, but only in hard copy. You will not have access to electronic notes or textbooks.
• Mark your materials however you want. The NCA says notes may be typed or handwritten, and annotated, highlighted, tabbed or indexed.
• 3 hours, online, from home. Exams are written online through a secure browser that locks down your computer.
• Two cameras and a live proctor. Your webcam plus a phone or tablet camera, monitored in real time and recorded.
• You stay for the full 3 hours. If you finish early, you must stay connected to the proctor with your computer locked down until the exam period ends.
• Typed answers only. Scanned documents, attachments and photographs are not accepted as answers.

What "open book" means on the NCA

The NCA's FAQ puts it plainly: the exams are open-book, and you can use any type of reference material you wish, including typed or handwritten notes that are annotated, highlighted, tabbed, indexed or marked in any other way.

The catch is the format. The online exam rules say only hard-copy study materials are permitted. You cannot open a PDF, a Word document or an e-book during the exam, and the secure browser prevents you from using the computer for anything other than the exam.

In practice, that means:

• Print everything you want to use. If your notes, case summaries or a casebook excerpt aren't on paper, you won't have them.
• Organize for speed, not completeness. You have three hours to read the questions and write full answers. A binder you can search in seconds is worth more than a stack of material you can't navigate.
• Tab by syllabus heading. The exam outline for each subject is the best map of what can be examined. Tabs that follow its headings let you jump to the right rule quickly.
• Build a short index. A one-page list of key cases and tests with page numbers often saves more time than the notes themselves.

What you can have on your desk

According to the NCA's FAQ and technical requirements:

Allowed

• Your hard-copy study materials (notes, printed cases, textbooks), marked up however you like
• A drink in a clear container and a small bag with food for a snack
• Your government-issued photo ID, which you show to the proctor before you start
• The phone or tablet you use as the second monitoring camera

Not allowed during the exam

• Using your phone for anything other than the proctor's camera
• Headphones or headsets, wired or Bluetooth
• Watches, other electronic devices, wallets, purses, bags or coats
• Hats or other head coverings, unless worn for religious observance
• A second computer screen

Before the exam, landlines, other electronics and any security or recording devices in the room should be turned off, and nobody can enter the room while you write.

How online proctoring works

NCA exams run on a secure, browser-based platform provided by Paradigm Testing, with live proctoring by MonitorEDU.

1. Set up two cameras. Your laptop or desktop webcam, plus a phone or tablet camera. The proctor connects the second device through Google Meet, so you need the Google Meet app and a Gmail account on that device.
2. Contact the proctor 15 to 20 minutes before your start time. You fill in a form for the Federation of Law Societies (NCA) on the proctoring site and show your ID.
3. Follow the proctor's instructions. The proctor may ask you to show different angles of yourself and the room, or move your cameras or objects. Refusing can get your session flagged or terminated.
4. Stay connected until the closeout. The NCA calls this sequestering. You remain connected for the whole exam period, cannot use the internet if you finish early, and wait for the proctor to close the session. Breaking this rule can disqualify your exam.

Your video streams are recorded and may be sent to the NCA for review.

Technical requirements

The NCA's technical requirements page is detailed, and problems on exam day are stressful. The essentials:

• Computer: a laptop or desktop with a webcam, Windows 7 or higher or macOS 10.15 or higher. Tablets, including hybrids like the Surface Pro, cannot be used to write the exam (though a tablet can be your second camera).
• Personal machine: don't use a device managed by an employer or connected through a corporate firewall or VPN. Their security settings can conflict with the proctoring system.
• Internet: a stable connection of at least 3 Mbps up and down. The NCA recommends a wired connection over Wi-Fi, and asking others in your home not to use the internet during your exam.
• Browser: an updated Google Chrome is recommended (recent Safari and Firefox also work; Edge does not). Pop-up blockers must be off and cookies enabled.
• Secure browser add-on: install it before each NCA exam you write, removing any older version first.
• System test: have MonitorEDU check your computer, cameras and bandwidth no later than 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time the day before your first exam.
• Power: keep your computer and phone plugged in. The NCA suggests having an extension cord of at least two metres in case the proctor asks you to rearrange your workstation.
• Close conferencing apps: programs such as Zoom, Teams, Skype, Slack and Webex must be closed, not just minimized.

If something goes wrong during the exam, tell your proctor immediately and notify the NCA within 5 days of your exam.

Where to write

The NCA asks for a secure, tidy, quiet location where you won't be interrupted. A room in your home is fine. If you don't have one, the NCA suggests asking a local library, university or other institution. Your desk and the floor beneath it should be clear.

Writing on paper or in person is possible only for medical reasons, through the accommodations process.

Accommodations, start times and language

• Accommodations: if you have a recognized, medically diagnosed condition or disability, request an Accommodation Request Form from the NCA's Examinations Department and send it with up-to-date supporting documents. Requests are reviewed case by case. Check the schedule: accommodation forms are due about a week before registration opens for each session.
• Start time: you choose the exam date when you register, and your start time appears in the NCA Portal about two weeks before the session. You can request a change, but the NCA may not be able to give you your preferred time.
• French: you can write in French by emailing the Examinations Department before the registration deadline.

Rules people break without meaning to

The candidate agreement you accept before each exam is strict. The most common risks for honest candidates are:

• Leaving early. Logging off or using the internet after you submit, before the proctor closes the session.
• Unapproved items in view. A watch, earbuds or a phone used for anything other than monitoring.
• Discussing the exam afterwards. Exam content, including topics, fact patterns and cases, is confidential. Posting or sharing what was on your paper breaches the agreement.

The consequences range from an invalidated result to permanent disqualification from the NCA process.

How to prepare for the format, not just the law

Knowing the law is only half of it. The format rewards candidates who have practised under the same conditions:

1. Write at least one full timed exam with your printed binder before the real one, so you know how long it takes to find a rule.
2. Practise typing answers for three hours. Your hands, your focus and your pacing all matter.
3. Do the MonitorEDU system test early, not at 5:45 p.m. the day before.
4. Read the NCA's own guides: the Online Exam Tip Sheet and How to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions.

Sources

• NCA: Online exam rules
• NCA: Technical requirements and testing for online exams
• NCA: Exam information
• NCA: Candidate agreement
• NCA: FAQs

Lexn is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with the NCA or the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Always confirm the rules that apply to your exam with the NCA.

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