For the Law Society of Ontario's Paralegal Licensing Examination — covers all 9 competency categories from LSO's official entry-level paralegal competencies list
Practice on the go and jump straight back to where you left off.
About the exam
The Paralegal Licensing Examination is the final licensing requirement to become a licensed paralegal in Ontario, holding a Class P1 licence issued by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) — the regulator for both lawyers and paralegals in the province.
The exam has 160 multiple-choice items (some unscored and experimental, mixed in without disclosure), is open-book, computer-based, and must be completed within 4 hours and 30 minutes. It mixes independent items with case-based sets — a scenario followed by 2-3 related questions — and tests knowledge/comprehension, application, and critical-thinking cognitive levels. There's no published fixed pass percentage — LSO sets the cut score per sitting using a criterion-referenced, modified-Angoff process involving a Paralegal Advisory Group panel. Content follows LSO's official "Entry-level paralegal competencies" list across 9 categories, from ethics and professional responsibility through litigation process and practice management.
ExamHub's free Paralegal Licensing Exam practice quiz has 221 original questions across all 9 competency categories, checked against the Law Society Act, the Paralegal Rules of Conduct, the Provincial Offences Act, the Rules of the Small Claims Court, the Residential Tenancies Act, the Human Rights Code, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the Highway Traffic Act, the Criminal Code, the Charter, and the Courts of Justice Act.
What's covered
Try a few
Five questions pulled from the full bank, with the answer shown — use the quiz above for the real timed simulation.
Why: In a joint retainer, the paralegal must disclose that no information from either client can be treated as confidential from the other, and that a conflict may force withdrawal from both, before obtaining informed consent to act.
Why: Ontario's Small Claims Court monetary jurisdiction is $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for proceedings commenced on or after October 1, 2025 (it was $35,000 before then). A $65,000 claim exceeds the limit and generally must be started in the Superior Court of Justice, or reduced to fit within the limit.
Why: Bill C-75 raised the default maximum for summary conviction offences to two years less a day (Criminal Code s. 787(1)), while s. 802.1 bars agents from appearing where more than six months' imprisonment is possible unless authorized by a provincial program. The Law Society responded under By-Law 4 by keeping paralegals' pre-C-75 scope through a list of permitted summary conviction offences; indictable offences, and hybrid offences prosecuted by indictment, remain outside it.
Why: An HRTO application generally must be filed within one year of the last alleged incident of discrimination, though the Tribunal can extend that deadline in appropriate circumstances where the delay was in good faith and causes no substantial prejudice. The time limit is in s. 34 of the Human Rights Code.
Why: Simple disagreement with a result is not itself a ground for appeal; the paralegal must assess whether there is an arguable legal error or a palpable and overriding factual error before advising the client on whether an appeal has merit.
FAQ
160 multiple-choice items in total. Some are unscored experimental items mixed in randomly — candidates can't tell which ones. The exam is open-book (self-study), computer-based, and must be completed within a 4-hour, 30-minute sitting, made up of independent items and case-based item sets (a scenario followed by 2-3 related questions).
The Law Society of Ontario doesn't publish a fixed passing percentage. It sets the cut score for each sitting through a criterion-referenced, modified-Angoff standard-setting process involving a Paralegal Advisory Group panel, so the exact bar can vary slightly between sittings and pass/fail is reported without a numeric score. ExamHub uses 60% as a practice benchmark, not an official figure.
Nine competency categories from LSO's own "Entry-level paralegal competencies" list (revised April 8, 2022): Ethical and Professional Responsibilities (the largest single category), Canadian Law, Civil Litigation, Criminal/Quasi-Criminal Law and Procedure, Administrative Law, Problem/Issue Identification, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Litigation Process, and Practice Management Issues.
LSO's own exam format explicitly excludes "all/none of the above" answer choices — every question has exactly one best answer among four options. ExamHub's bank follows the same rule.
Ontario paralegals have a defined scope: Small Claims Court, Provincial Offences Act matters before the Ontario Court of Justice, summary conviction Criminal Code offences on the Law Society's list of permitted offences, and most administrative tribunals. Paralegals generally cannot appear in Superior Court or handle indictable criminal matters.
No. ExamHub is an independent, free study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by the Law Society of Ontario. Every question is original — never copied from LSO's Guide to Licensing Examinations sample questions or any other source — and checked against the Paralegal Rules of Conduct, the Law Society Act, and the governing statutes and rules the exam actually draws from.
Yes. All 221 practice questions are 100% free, with no account or signup required.