Admission in Canada: each province on its own
Licensing is the job of the provincial and territorial law societies. The usual path is a law degree, a period of practical training (articling in many provinces) and a bar admission programme or exams. If you studied abroad, you usually need an assessment by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) first. Your law society always has the binding answer.
Ontario: the barrister and solicitor exams
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) licenses with two licensing examinations, Barrister and Solicitor. Both are self-study, open-book, multiple-choice exams, and the LSO publishes the study materials itself.
Until 31 January 2026 the LSO consulted on a proposal to replace the two exams with a skills-based online course and assessments. We found no final decision as of the date we checked. Check the current position with the LSO.
PREP in the West and in Nova Scotia
The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) runs the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP). It is the bar admission programme in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Nunavut. British Columbia has been moving to PREP since September 2026 and retired its Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) after summer 2026. PREP runs online in four phases, accelerated over 11 weeks or standard over nine months, and assesses knowledge, ethics, oral and written skills, and practice management. For the September 2026 intake the law societies list tuition of $5,000 before taxes.
Other provinces
Québec has a civil-law system of its own and its own training with the Barreau du Québec. The remaining provinces and territories run their own bar admission courses or use other provinces’ programmes. Each law society sets out the details.
How to judge your preparation
- Does it fit your province and the current format, which is changing?
- Do you practise with questions in the exam format, with explanations?
- Does it help you find your way around the official materials quickly, for example with an index?
- Are there full practice exams under time pressure?
- Does content come back at growing intervals?
- What does it cost, and what is not included?
Even in open-book exams, self-testing instead of rereading helps (Roediger and Karpicke 2006): if you can recall the material, you look up less and save time.
What preparation exists
The details come from the websites of providers and law societies, checked on 4 November 2026. Only the provider’s current information is binding.
The LSO’s own materials
In Ontario the LSO’s official materials are the foundation. Many candidates build their own indexes and summaries on top, alone or in study groups.
Emond Exam Prep
The publisher Emond sells practice exams for the Ontario barrister and solicitor exams with 160 questions each, and preparation courses as webinars. We could not check prices directly on its website; ask Emond.
PREP
In the PREP provinces the programme itself is both the preparation and the route to licensing. It is required, and no app can replace it.
How far Lexxington has come in Canada
The Canada course is in preparation. The figures show the current state of the content and are counted from the course files when the page is built.
- 8 subjects with 16 lessons
The Canada course is at an early stage: subjects and first lessons are in place, but there are no practice questions, flashcards or cases yet. For an exam in the near future, Lexxington is not yet an option in Canada.
The plan covers the subjects of the licensing exams, with course parts for the Ontario barrister and solicitor exams and for the bar admission programmes of other provinces and territories. Québec, with its civil law, is not included.
The study methods are the same as in every Lexxington course: flashcards with a review schedule, a case trainer, a mixed daily session and the AI tutor Lexxi. The science page lists the studies. Price: €9.99 a month per country, the first 7 days free; see pricing.
To be honest
For an exam in Canada today, the right tools are your law society’s official materials, a programme such as PREP and specialised providers. Lexxington will be a companion for daily practice once the course has material to practise with.
A note on fairness: Emond, CPLED and PREP are trademarks of their owners. Lexxington is not affiliated with these providers or with any law society. For other providers’ services and prices, only their own information applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one bar exam for all of Canada?
No. Each province and territory regulates admission itself. Ontario uses the barrister and solicitor exams; several other provinces use the PREP programme.
Are the Ontario exams open-book?
Yes. According to the LSO, both are self-study, open-book, multiple-choice exams. The LSO has, however, consulted on a reform; check the current position with the LSO.
Can I prepare for Canada with Lexxington today?
Not in a meaningful way yet. The Canada course is in preparation and has no practice questions yet. The course page shows how far it has come, with current figures.
Does Lexxington replace PREP?
No. PREP is a required programme of the participating law societies.
What will Lexxington cost in Canada?
€9.99 a month per country, the first 7 days free, as in every country.
How current is this information?
We checked it on 4 November 2026. The law society’s or provider’s current information always applies.