1. Examination content may not be discussed

This is the most important rule on the board, and the one we enforce most strictly. You may not post, request, reproduce, paraphrase or reconstruct the content of a Law Society of Ontario licensing examination. This applies to the barrister examination and the solicitor examination equally, and it applies whether you sat the examination yourself, heard about it from another candidate, or read it somewhere else.

In practice, this means the following are not permitted. Describing a question that appeared on an examination, in whole or in part. Asking what appeared on a recent sitting. Comparing answers to a real examination after the fact, whether in a general discussion or a dedicated one. Asking which topics were tested or how heavily. Posting anything presented as a list of remembered questions. Discussing the substance of a question with another candidate who has sat when you have not, or the reverse.

We enforce this rule for your protection rather than ours. Candidates on this board are applicants for licensing, and their character and conduct are assessed as part of that application. Discussing examination content in a public forum creates a written record that may be raised against the person who wrote it. A discussion that seems harmless while you are writing it may be read very differently a year later.

Preparation is a different matter entirely, and it is what this board exists for. How you structured your study, how many hours you found workable, how you built and used your index, what you did about pacing, which topics you found difficult in the published materials, how you managed a rewrite, and what the examination day was like as an experience are all welcome and are discussed here regularly.

2. Licensing materials may not be shared

You may not distribute, offer to distribute, or request the Law Society study materials or anything derived from them. This includes indexes, summaries, condensed notes, charts and reformatted versions of the materials, whether or not you made them yourself and whether or not any payment is involved. Links to file sharing services are removed on sight, as are offers to send material privately.

The materials are licensed to each candidate individually. An index built from them is a derivative of licensed content rather than a separate work you are free to pass on. Describing your method in full detail is not restricted, and is usually more useful to the person asking than the file would have been.

3. Treat other candidates decently

Everyone here is preparing for a difficult examination, and a good number are doing so while working, while managing family responsibilities, or after an unsuccessful attempt. Disagree with the reasoning rather than the person. Personal attacks, mockery of someone's results or circumstances, and discriminatory remarks of any kind are removed and may result in a suspension without a prior warning.

If a discussion turns into an argument, step away from it. If a post concerns you, report it rather than replying to it.

4. Post honestly, and do not speak for the Law Society

Share what you know and be clear about what you are unsure of. Do not present your own understanding of the licensing process as official guidance, and do not claim knowledge of examination content, marking or policy that you do not have. Incorrect information about deadlines, eligibility or process spreads quickly here and costs other candidates real time.

For anything that determines your eligibility, your fees, your accommodations or your dates, treat this board as a starting point and confirm the position with the Law Society directly.

5. Privacy, yours and other people's

You post under a forum handle rather than your name. Your real name, your email address and your purchase history are never displayed on this board. You may also post individual discussions or replies anonymously, which hides your handle from other members. Moderators can still see who posted, so that the board remains accountable.

Do not post other people's private information. This includes naming individual candidates, articling principals, employers or Law Society staff in a complaint, and reproducing private correspondence. Describe the situation without identifying the people in it.

6. Advertising and recruitment

This is not a marketplace. Do not advertise tutoring, study materials, courses or services, and do not recruit members to another group or platform. Naming a resource that helped you, in the course of answering a question, is fine and is not what this rule is aimed at.

7. Wellbeing

Preparation periods are long and this examination matters a great deal to the people sitting it. Posts about stress, burnout and difficult weeks are welcome here, and the Wellness and Motivation board exists for them.

If you are struggling, please also speak to someone outside this board. The Law Society's Member Assistance Program is available to licensing candidates and provides confidential counselling at no cost. If you are in immediate distress, contact the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988, or your local emergency services. We are a group of candidates and a small company, and we are not equipped to provide support of that kind.

How these rules are enforced

Posts are checked automatically as they are submitted. A post that appears to breach the examination content rule or the materials rule is either refused with an explanation, or held for a moderator to read before it becomes visible. The first discussions from a new account are held as a matter of course. This is not a judgement about you, and holds are usually cleared within a few hours.

Where a post is removed, the author is told which rule was applied. Repeated breaches lead to a suspension, and serious ones to removal from the board. A record of every moderation decision is retained. If you believe a decision was wrong, reply to the notice you received or contact us directly, and a person will look at it again.

Last updated August 2026. These rules may be revised as the board grows, and material changes will be noted here.