NCA optional exams: choosing between Remedies, Evidence, Business Organizations, Commercial, Civil Procedure and Family Law
If your assessment lets you choose, weigh how often each exam runs, how it overlaps with your core subjects, and the kind of law you want to practise.
Beyond the five mandatory subjects, the NCA can assign Contracts, Torts and Property, which it treats as core common law subjects, depending on how your degree covered them. It can also assign additional subjects from a list of six, mainly where your legal qualifications are stale. Some assessment reports let you pick ("two of the following"). If Contracts, Torts or Property are assigned, you don't choose them; the choice, where there is one, is among the other six. Here's how the options compare, using the NCA's 2027 schedule and exam outlines page (checked 18 Oct 2026).
| Subject | Sittings in 2027 | Current syllabus | Pairs well with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracts | 3 (Jan, May, Sep) | September 2026 | Remedies, Commercial Law |
| Property | 3 (Feb, Jun, Oct) | 2025 | Real estate and solicitor work |
| Torts | 3 (Mar, Jul, Nov) | September 2024 | Remedies, litigation |
| Business Organizations | 2 (Feb, Aug) | Revised October 2023 | Corporate and commercial practice |
| Commercial Law | 2 (Jan, Jul) | November 2025 | Contracts, Business Organizations |
| Civil Procedure | 2 (Mar, Sep) | 2024 | Litigation; Torts |
| Evidence | 2 (Apr, Oct) | April 2025 | Criminal Law, litigation |
| Family Law | 2 (Apr, Nov) | 2026 | Family practice |
| Remedies | 2 (Mar, Aug) | 2024 | Contracts, Torts |
What to weigh
- Check what your assessment actually allows. Some subjects are assigned outright; where there's a choice, your assessment report says so (for example, "two of the following").
- How often it runs. A subject offered twice a year runs about every six months, so a fail usually means waiting around six months for the next sitting.
- Overlap. Evidence sits naturally beside Criminal Law; Remedies builds on Contracts and Torts; Commercial Law and Business Organizations share ground.
- Where you want to practise. Civil Procedure and Evidence suit a litigation path; Business Organizations and Commercial Law suit corporate work; Family Law suits family practice.
- Materials. Read each syllabus and its required texts before you commit.
- The new framework. In the NCA's proposed modernized system (as of September 2026), Contracts, Property and Torts become one "Canadian Private Law" exam, and the six additional subjects don't appear as separate exams. If you're early in the process, watch the transition details (see our post on the Modernized Assessment Framework).
If you've written an optional exam, which one, and would you choose it again? Candidates choosing between options find these replies the most useful.
Sources: 2027 NCA exam schedule, Exam outlines and samples, NCA FAQs