If you are not eligible to transfer to BC from a Canadian jurisdiction whose regulatory body is a signatory to the National Mobility Agreement or Territorial Mobility Agreement, you are still eligible to transfer to BC, but you may have to write a transfer examination.
Examination requirements for transfer
Examinations must be passed within 12 months after approval of your transfer application, and at least 30 days before your intended call and admission date (Law Society Rule 2-79(5) and (6)).
You must be called to the BC Bar within a calendar year from the time the examinations were passed unless you are called within the last four months of the year.
Transfer examination details
- Each examination is three hours long.
- Examinations contain mostly short answer questions with some multiple choice.
- Examinations are open book. You may bring the PLTC Practice Material, additional statutes, the Member's Manual, your own notes and any additional statutes.
- The passing mark is 60 per cent.
- The transfer examinations are similar to the qualification examinations written by PLTC students. Sample qualification examination questions are available online.
Where and when to write
Once your transfer application is approved, you may make arrangements to write the applicable examination at:
- the Law Society of BC office in Vancouver;
- another provincial law society office. You must contact that office to schedule your examinations. Notify the Law Society of BC at least three weeks prior to your first examination; or
- a Bencher's office.
You must make arrangements to schedule your examinations. Notify the Law Society of BC at least three weeks prior to your first examination.
The Solicitor and Barrister Exams of the transfer examination must be written within two weeks of each other.
Failing transfer examinations
If you fail one or both transfer examinations on the first attempt, you may rewrite the failed examination or examinations at any time. If unsuccessful on the second attempt, you must wait one year before re-writing both examinations, unless the Credentials Committee grants permission (Rule 2-79(7)(c)).
You may review your failed examination at the offices of the Law Society or, with permission, the office of a Bencher of the Law Society. Re-reads of a failed examination are available on written request and payment of a fee.