The NCA Language Screening Test: Versant, IELTS and CELPIP Scores, Exemptions and What Happens If You Miss

Since March 1, 2026, the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) has required every applicant to show proficiency in English or French. For most people, that means a short online language screening test taken through a link the NCA sends after you apply. It's included in your assessment fee, but you get only one attempt, and it has to be done before the NCA will issue your Assessment Decision. This guide sets out the rules as the NCA publishes them.

Checked against the NCA Policy Manual (section 11, in effect March 1, 2026), the NCA's Interpretive Statement on Language Proficiency Requirements (as of May 15, 2026), and the NCA's application, assignments and FAQ pages on October 26, 2026. The NCA can change these rules; confirm on nca.legal before you apply.

The requirement in brief

• Who: all NCA applicants, unless exempt.
• What: a proctored language screening test in English or French.
• When: before the NCA can issue your Assessment Decision. Your assessment won't be processed until the NCA has your result.
• Cost: included in the $400 assessment fee.
• Attempts: one.
• If you don't reach the score: you're assigned a full language test (IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada), which you must pass before you can receive your Certificate of Qualification.
• Exemption: an accepted test with the required scores, taken within the last two years.

When the requirement started

Section 11 of the NCA Policy Manual, "Language Proficiency Requirement," applies to applications assessed on or after March 1, 2026. The rule turns on the date your file is assessed, not the date you applied. If your file was still waiting for assessment on March 1, 2026, the requirement applies to you.

The NCA's FAQ adds that the screening also applies if you ask the NCA to review your file after completing additional legal studies to address non-recognition of your legal education.

Which screening test the NCA uses

The Interpretive Statement on Language Proficiency Requirements names the tests:

English: Versant English Placement Test (VEPT). Proctored. The minimum is 61 on the Versant scale or 66 on the Global Scale of English overall, which the NCA describes as equivalent to a minimum of 7 in IELTS.

French: RateLanguage test. Proctored. The minimum is B2 (Upper Intermediate, or "Indépendant") on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

You don't book the screening yourself. The NCA's application page says instructions are emailed to you after you submit your application form and payment. The test administrator sends your result to the NCA directly.

The Interpretive Statement says a test description, a validation summary and other preparation resources for the Versant test are available. The NCA hasn't published the test format or length on its own pages. Read the materials it points you to before you sit the test.

Minimum scores for the full language tests

These tests matter in two situations: you already have a result and want to be exempt from the screening, or you missed the screening score and now have to sit a full test. The NCA accepts only the tests below, all approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or Immigration Québec. Each skill has its own minimum.

English

French

Points that catch people out:

• IELTS Academic isn't listed. The NCA specifies the General Training option.
• Combined results don't count. The NCA excludes combined tests, naming the IELTS One Skill Retake as an example. You need all four scores from one sitting.
• Each skill must meet its own minimum. A high overall score doesn't make up for one low skill.
• Results must be less than two years old when submitted, and the testing organization must send them to the NCA directly. A copy you upload yourself isn't enough.

Who is exempt

Under Policy 11.1.1, you're exempt from the screening if you provide a valid IRCC-accepted English test, or an IRCC or Immigration Québec-accepted French test, with the minimum scores above in writing, speaking, reading and listening. The NCA's FAQ puts it this way: only applicants who have already completed a valid accepted test with the required scores within the last two years may be exempted.

The NCA hasn't published any other exemption. In particular, it doesn't list exemptions based on:

• studying law in English or French,
• your citizenship or country of education, or
• practising law in English.

If you think your situation is different, ask the NCA directly before you apply.

One related point from the NCA's assignments page: if you complete your requirements by attending a Canadian law school, the NCA won't require a language test, because each law school has its own language requirements. That applies to law school study. It doesn't exempt you from the screening at the assessment stage.

What happens if you don't reach the score

You don't fail the NCA process. Under Policy 11.2 and the Interpretive Statement:

1. Your assessment goes ahead, and the NCA adds a language test to your assigned requirements.
2. You choose one of the accepted tests above and must reach the minimum in every skill.
3. The test administrator sends the result to the NCA.
4. The NCA won't issue your Certificate of Qualification until this and all your other requirements are complete.

In practice, missing the screening adds a cost and a task, but you can keep working on your exams in the meantime.

Should you take IELTS or CELPIP first instead?

It depends on your situation. The NCA's rules give you two routes:

• Use the included screening. It costs nothing extra, but you get one attempt, and if you miss you'll pay for a full test later.
• Submit an existing result. If you already have a recent IELTS General Training or CELPIP-General result at the required level (for example, from an immigration application), it can exempt you from the screening, as long as it's under two years old and sent directly by the test provider.

The NCA doesn't recommend one route over the other. Weigh the cost of a full test against your confidence in a single screening attempt.

Preparing without wasting effort

The NCA hasn't published sample screening questions on its own pages. What you can do:

• Read the Versant test description and preparation resources referred to in the Interpretive Statement.
• Take the test somewhere quiet, on a reliable connection, because it's proctored and you have one attempt.
• Keep your language practice tied to your legal writing. NCA exams are three-hour written exams, and examiners mark the clarity of your analysis. The NCA's guide How to Answer Fact-based Law Exam Questions says answers must be written clearly and in grammatically correct sentences.

Sources

• NCA: Policy Manual, section 11 (PDF)
• NCA: Interpretive Statement on Language Proficiency Requirements, May 15, 2026 (PDF)
• NCA: Assignments
• NCA: Application
• NCA: FAQs

Lexn is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with the NCA or the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. This article is general information only. Confirm your language requirement with the NCA.

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