11 tips to crack the NCA Canada Law Exams

People often ask me “why Canada?” And I always answer read their constitution. When we talk about liberal democracies around the globe, Canada takes a central stage. Everyone has the right to express their identity and beliefs. So when I decided to pursue licensing in Canada, I knew that I am embarking upon a wonderful journey.

Law is a regulated profession in Canada. An internationally qualified lawyer can take up National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams, pursue an educational degree, or opt for a combination of the two.

After thorough research, I opted for NCA. I initiated my NCA process and after my assessment, I was allotted five core subjects i.e. foundations, constitutional law, criminal, administrative law, and professional responsibility.

I registered for two papers, Professional Responsibility and Constitutional Law for the August 2019 session. Attempting an exam after a gap of 6 years was extremely unnerving, at first. But I followed the golden rule of networking to get my way through this labyrinth.

I started networking through Linkedin and other social media groups. I approached former and current NCA students. Some of them were kind enough to share their notes, IRACs, excerpts of failure reports, knowledge, and experiences. After checking online reviews, I bought some books and a few notes from reputed tutors. I decided to self-study for the paper. After completing my course, I carefully studied the failure reports. The failure reports capsulate the marking scheme, the pattern of questions, and model answers, and therefore extremely important. Thereafter, I worked on the IRACs and amended them to suit my writing style.

Finally, the day came when I appeared for my first open-book examination. The paper is designed to test a candidate’s conceptual clarity and ability to locate answers. The answers need to be logically and legally reasoned. After clearing my first two papers, things became relatively easy. When I appeared for the rest of my papers, I already knew what to expect. Nevertheless, all the exams are uniquely structured and each has to be strategized accordingly.

My 11 tips for all five papers –

1. Instead of replicating someone else’s answer frameworks, prepare your IRACS. Incorporate changes and cross-check each IRAC to avoid any mistakes.
2. Read the entire course and treat the syllabus as a detailed index.
3. Solving the NCA sample papers and papers available at the University of British Columbia website is a great way to build up confidence.
4. Color coding and flagging the material helps in locating the answers.
5. In the exam, every question has an allotted time. Strictly adhere to it as time management is vital to pass the exam.
6. Read failure reports and try to comprehend the expectations of the examiner.
7. Always read the question carefully and then frame your answers.
8. Take Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Foundations of Canadian law together.
9. Buy an annotated criminal code for the Criminal Law Exam.
10. Citing authorities’ especially relevant Case laws is essential. Overall, one needs to demonstrate critical analysis substantiated by recommended readings.
11. Network, Network, Network! I can’t stress this enough. By interacting with fellow candidates, you can share ideas, solve papers, exchange material, and discuss probable questions.

I cleared all my papers in the first attempt. NCA papers are structured to test a candidate’s knowledge, time management skills, presence of mind, legal skills, and logical thinking. NCAs are a window of opportunity for every internationally trained lawyer, who desires to be licensed in Canada. Take the NCAs and see whether you fall in love with the Canadian Law just the way, I did.