Paralegal licensing webcast transcript
[Start of recorded material 00:00:00]
Peninah: Good morning and welcome to today's webcast on the paralegal licensing process. My name is Peninah Brickman and I am the Senior Counsel and Team Manager, Entry-Level Competence here at the Law Society.
Our goal today is to provide you with guidance on the paralegal licensing process. Specifically, we’ll address how to register for the licensing examination, what is involved in the licensing examination process, and what to expect on the day of the examination. We will also provide you with some tips for success in order to support your efforts to prepare for the examination.
I will be the moderator for today's session, and I have three people with me today to provide you with detailed information on today's topics. They are, Gina Haros, Team Manager, Licensing Process; Jessica Weiss, Counsel and Acting Team Lead, Licensing and Accreditation; and Elisa Mangina, Counsel, Licensing Process.
Before we begin with the substance of our presentation, let’s take care of a few administrative matters. The formal portion of our presentation is expected to last about 25 to 35 minutes and we’ll leave the remainder of the session for questions you might have. If you wish to submit a question, you may do so by the question-and-answer tab located on your screen which should appear below the window on the top left that says Conference. You should feel free to submit your questions at any time during the session.
We’ll attempt to answer as many questions as possible during our scheduled question-and-answer segment at the end of the presentation. If we don’t get to all of the questions that are submitted to us today and you still need more information about the licensing process, we invite you to reach out to us by email or phone. We will be providing you with the relevant contact details at the end of the presentation and contact information is also available on the Law Society’s website.
The larger window on the righthand side of your screen will display the presentation slides to which we will be speaking. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the Law Society’s website within a few weeks of today’s live webcast. You will find it posted in the section of the website entitled Becoming Licensed under the tab for Paralegal Licensing Process.
By way of introduction, I'd like to address the role of the Law Society in the regulation of paralegals and the requirements that have been established under our bylaws for the admission of new paralegal licensees to the Law Society. As you may be aware, the Law Society has been regulating paralegals in Ontario since 2007. The mandate of the Law Society is to regulate lawyers and paralegals in the public interest, ensuring that the public has access to competent legal professionals. There are approximately 9,000 licensed paralegals in the province.
Since 2010, paralegal licensure in Ontario has been comprised of three fundamental components. First, the applicant must have graduated from an accredited paralegal education program. Second, the applicant must successfully complete the Law Society’s licensing examination process. And third, the applicant must be of good character. While much of today's session is focused on the second component, that is the licensing examination, it’s important to be aware of all three aspects of paralegal licensure in Ontario.
The paralegal licensing examination is the means by which the Law Society assesses a paralegal candidate’s knowledge of substantive and procedural law, and the candidate’s understanding of the ethical and professional responsibilities that they must maintain throughout their practice. By assessing candidates’ entry-level competence, the Law Society determines whether candidates have sufficient knowledge and understanding of those aspects of the law within the paralegal scope of practice that have the most direct impact on the protection of the public and the provision of effective, ethical legal services in Ontario.
Accredited paralegal education is designed to provide students with a foundation for the development of paralegal competence. The licensing examination is used to gauge whether the minimum level of competence has been attained in order for the Law Society to grant a license to the paralegal candidate. This approach of implementing a robust pre-licensing system of training, coupled with a fair and defensible system for licensing examinations at the point of entry to the profession, is borne of the Law Society’s obligation to the public interest coupled with the paralegal profession’s desire to ensure that it maintains a strong reputation.
I'd now like to turn things over to Ms. Haros who is going to tell us more about the licensing process.
Gina: Thanks, Peninah. Welcome, everybody. I thought I'd briefly take everyone through some of the high-level information about the application process and things to keep in mind once you apply. At this time, many of you may have already applied last fall, but let’s go through how to get started and what happens next.
The application process begins online at LSO.ca and clicking on Becoming Licensed and selecting the Paralegal Licensing Process. There you’ll see an Application for Admission link and an Apply Now button at the bottom of the page. All documents and information referenced today can be accessed from this Becoming Licensed page, so I encourage everyone to bookmark this section of the website as it is a gateway of sorts to most of the information you’ll require through the licensing process.
A key document to access while applying online is the Completing the Paralegal Licensing Process Application document, which outlines some of the things to be aware of or items to have accessible while you’re applying. This document will also take you through all of the details on admissions and what is expected after the application process.
As I mentioned earlier, the application for the 2021 and 2022 licensing year was launched early October for applicants hoping to select the summer, fall or winter exam sitting this year.
The application is a two-part process. So part one consists of the online entry of your information and payment of the application fee. Once that is completed, you move on to part two which consists of the actual paper copy submission of your application, which has to be commissioned or notarized before it’s submitted to the Law Society.
When you apply online, you’ll be required to select an examination sitting, specify when you expect to graduate, what your full legal name is, and things of that nature. You’ll also be required to answer a section regarding what the Law Society calls good character and provide any necessary supporting documents. For more information on the good character process, please see our website. You can also preview the good character questions online when you look at the Good Character Amendment form under the Fees and Forms section. The form outlines should be disclosed to the Law Society at the point of application and thereafter if anything changes.
The application itself takes about 20 to 30 minutes to enter online. Once you finish part one of the application, you’ll be assigned a Law Society web account. This account is what you’ll log into to print out the PDF application file you just created in order to submit it to the Law Society and complete part two of the application process.
This web account is also where your grade results and the invoices for fee payment will be sent to you as you move through the licensing process. It’ll also be where you’ll be sent information on how and when to select your specific exam date and time slot from our examination provider.
It’s recommended that applicants check their account weekly after the application deadline, and even more regularly when preparing for the exams and up to the time that they’re licensed. The bulk of communication from the Law Society will be through your online account and the website. Once you’ve accessed and printed the PDF file of your application from your online account, begin collecting all of the required supporting documentation to complete part two of the process.
Once an applicant completes their paralegal program, they’re also expected to follow up directly with their school to ensure a final transcript is sent by the school directly to the Law Society. Also, applicants must complete and submit the Statement of Field Placement Form to the Law Society once they complete their placement. This form is not submitted by your school. Only the transcript is sent by the school, provided that the applicant makes the request. The fees, transcript and Statement of Field Placement Form are required in order to complete registration by the prescribed examination deadline.
Typically, there are exam sittings held in the summer, fall and winter of each licensing year. This year the exams are expected to be in July, October and next February, 2022. The initial exam and study material fee-payment deadline is posted online and all of the invoices that you’ve been sent if you’ve already applied.
If you wish to receive materials as soon as they’re released in May and write the July sitting, you must meet the deadline for payment and registration. This means that final official transcripts must be sent by your school on or before the posted registration deadline and that you yourself submit the completed Statement of Field Placement Form to the Law Society before this deadline.
To those who meet the registration deadline, the licensing examination materials, as I mentioned, will be available in late May. I believe the release date this year is May 25th, just after the long weekend. When the materials are released, candidates may choose to download and print the study materials from their Law Society account under the heading of My Examination and Study Materials.
Or, they may elect to place a shipping order for the printed materials to be shipped directly to them. For this licensing year, the LSO will cover the cost of shipment to candidates who place a shipping request, and that includes anyone in the regular GTA area, outside of the province or outside of Canada as well. More information on how and when you can place your shipping request will be sent to your online account once the materials are released and you’ve made payment. Once again, please refer to the distribution period dates posted in the Dates to Remember section of the website for more information on payment and registration deadlines.
In addition to the study materials, candidates will also be provided with a Law Society candidate identification card once they pay their examination and study material fees. The identification card will be what you will show on exam day to your proctor in order to check in and begin your exam. It identifies you as a candidate in the process and includes your confidential candidate ID number, which is unique to you so please ensure you keep in a private and secure place.
We intend to mail candidates their candidate card next month to anyone that’s writing in the ‘21/’22 licensing year. Shortly, we’ll be sending you reminders to update your personal contact information if you’ve moved recently so that we can ensure your card gets to you in time for your examination.
While you’re waiting for your materials and candidate card, you’ll begin to prepare for your exam with the online materials available in your online account. More information on that, how to prepare for the four-online exam will be provided in a moment. But keep in mind that you will have access to the online reading materials once the materials are released so that you don’t delay your preparation.
As mentioned earlier, important dates relevant to your progress in the licensing process are posted on the Dates to Remember page as well as the examination section of the website. You’ll see a section called Licensing Examinations online, and this section is your gateway to all things examinations. We’ll get into this further, as I said, in a moment, but bookmark this section as it outlines a whole host of information and requirements that must be met by any candidate writing an online examination.
In terms of registration, I mentioned earlier that a final official transcript must be sent by your school and that you must submit your Statement of Field Placement and pay all applicable fees by the deadline. Once you submit all of these things by the required deadline, you will be sent further messaging by our office with the instructions on how to actually select a specific date and time to write your exam with the examination provider.
So, only if you provide the required documentation and fees and meet the registration deadline, the LSO will provide you with the information to schedule yourself with the exam provider. The message that will be sent to you will include the link where you schedule yourself with the provider. Any scheduling in terms of a specific date and time for your exam is done exclusively through the provider and not the LSO, and has to be completed by a certain deadline indicated online. And again, we will provide you more information and guidance on that when the time comes.
If you’re having difficulty in paying the required materials and exam fees, please review the Candidate Support section online for information on the monthly payment plans that are available to you. The monthly payment plan allows candidates to make four equal payments over a prescribed term in order to pay off their fees. Please ensure that enrollment is done by the applicable deadline for your selected examination sitting.
And now I'll hand it over to the rest of the panel to provide some important information on what everyone really wants to talk about, exams.
Peninah: Thank you Gina, for that information on the application and registration process. I just want to take the opportunity to remind everyone that questions can be submitted through the question-and-answer tab located on your screen. I do see that some questions have already popped in for us to answer later.
We’re now going to talk about the examination itself. And to do that, I'm going to turn things over to Jessica Weiss who is our Counsel and Acting Team Lead, Licensing and Accreditation. Jessica?
Jessica: Thanks, Peninah. I'm going to discuss the format and content of the paralegal licensing examination. I first want to emphasize that we have extensive materials on the Law Society website setting out this information. I recommend that all applicants review all the materials closely before beginning to study for the examination.
The examination is designed to assess whether a given licensing candidate demonstrates the minimum level of competence required of an entry-level paralegal. The licensing examination test competency is required for entry-level practice. It focuses on the competencies that have the most direct impact on the protection of the public and on effective and ethical practice.
The Law Society engages experts across the legal profession to establish the entry-level competencies that are assessed in the exam. A competency is defined as the knowledge, skill, ability, attitude or judgement required for entry-level practice. The paralegal competencies are divided into the following categories: ethical and professional responsibilities, Canadian law, civil litigation, criminal and quasi-criminal law and procedure, administrative law, problem and issue identification, analysis and assessment, alternative dispute resolution, the litigation process, and practice management issues.
The entry-level paralegal competencies have undergone a rigorous development and validation process. They are all listed on the Law Society website and I would strongly encourage you to review each competency as part of your preparation. It’s worth noting that every question you will see on the licensing examination is associated with one of the listed competencies and is related to information that appears in that year’s licensing examination study materials.
Practitioners representing all the relevant practice areas develop licensing examination questions, which we refer to as items, under the guidance of psychometricians with expertise in professional licensing test development and validation. All licensing examination items undergo a rigorous review and validation process. A Paralegal Advisory Group comprising exemplary practitioners from a cross section of practice areas and firm sizes in Ontario sets the examination according to specific parameters. Setting a licensing examination involves approving the items that will be assessed.
The licensing examination is self study. You are provided with the study materials which support the competencies assessed on the examination. The licensing examination is in an open-book format. You are permitted to bring into the testing area any materials prepared for the purpose of assisting you in completing the examination, including any study materials, notes and textbooks.
All items on the licensing examination are in a multiple-choice format. You must choose the best answer from four possible options provided. Each item has only one best answer and you will receive credit only when you have selected the best answer. The licensing examination if four hours in total length and is comprised of a total of 160 multiple-choice questions. Each examination is comprised of two parts, each of which is two hours in length. There is a 30-minute break between part one and part two.
The items on the licensing examination assess three different levels of cognitive ability; knowledge and comprehension, application, and critical thinking. The examination will include items in both independent multiple-choice and case-based multiple-choice format. Independent multiple-choice items are independent of each other. Case-based multiple-choice items are associated with a case scenario. That scenario applies to the specific items that are part of that case.
However, each item within the series of items associated with the case scenario is derived directly from the case scenario and is independent of all the others. In other words, determining the correct answer to item number three in a series of case-based items is not dependent on answering either of items number one or two correctly. There are no all-of-the-above or none-of-the-above multiple-choice options in examination items.
A small number of new items are piloted on each licensing examination as experimental items. These experimental items are not counted toward a candidate’s score and therefore do not contribute to a pass or fail result. A majority of examination items are “operational” items, and those are on the items on which the candidate score is based. To achieve the piloting objectives and consistent with best practices for professional licensing examinations, there are no indications on the licensing examination to identify a given item as either and experimental item or an operational item. The administration of non-scored experimental items is an essential step in developing future licensing examinations.
The examination is marked on a pass/fail basis. Scores equal to or higher than the established passing mark receive a pass result. Scores lower than the passing mark receive a fail result. A candidate’s score is based on the number of correct answers chosen. There are no penalties for failure to choose an answer or for choosing an incorrect answer.
At the same time that it sets a licensing examination, the Paralegal Advisory Group also sets and approves the passing mark for that examination. The passing mark represents a single overall score for the examination. Candidates are not required to individually pass separate sections on the examination.
The passing standard represents the expected performance of a minimally competent entry-level paralegal. To ensure consistency between each sitting of the licensing examination, the Paralegal Advisory Group applies the same standard to the particular set of items on each examination. The setting of a passing mark is based on the informed judgement of the subject matter experts and is determined through rigorous consultation and dialogue.
This approach to setting the pass mark helps to ensure that the same performance standard is applied consistently for each licensing examination, so that only those candidates who meet or exceed that standard will pass the examination. Only an individual candidate’s performance compared to the standard determines whether the candidate passes the licensing examination. There is no bell curve and no predetermined rate for the proportion of candidates who will pass the licensing examination.
I'm now going to turn things over to Peninah to discuss the rules and protocols. Peninah?
Peninah: Thank you, Jessica. Candidates must review the rules and protocol to understand the technological requirements to write the licensing examination and the relevant rules of conduct expected of candidates before, during and after the licensing examination. It is important to participate in a precheck process to ensure that your Internet and equipment are sufficiently stable and up to date, so that you do not experience technological concerns when you seek to connect to the licensing examination or during the examination.
It is also important to note that you must meet the testing area requirements that are posted, which includes having clear walls and only the permitted items available. Please pay careful attention to prohibited actions as the consequences for not meeting the requirements can be quite serious. Finally, a note on the process for deferrals. If close to the day of exam you find you are unable to write, you must defer your examination by sending a deferral form to our office by the posted deadline for deferrals.
Now I'm going to turn matters over to Elisa to discuss preparing for the licensing examination. Elisa?
Elisa: Thank you, Peninah. Before we get into examination preparation, let me begin by saying just a few words about examination preparation courses. You may be aware of the paralegal exam preparation courses offered by various providers. Although it is certainly up to you whether you wish to take these courses, we want to ensure that you are aware of two things. First, none of these courses are endorsed by the Law Society. And second, all of the material you need to know for your examination is contained in the paralegal study material.
As you are aware, the licensing examination is open-book. There may be a misconception that you don’t need to study as much for open-book exams since you can bring your materials into the exam. However, this type of examination requires you to analyze information and apply it in these situations. So, you do need to fully understand the content and be very familiar with the study materials before you write the exam. You don’t want to waste your valuable time doing the exam searching through your study materials or other documents you bring with you. Rather, you want to devote your time to carefully reading each question and choosing the best answer.
So, what will help you succeed? First, having a solid understanding of what is in the paralegal study material is absolutely essential. If there’s any portion of the material that you don’t understand as you are reading, reviewing and taking notes, take the time to ensure that you understand that area prior to writing the examination.
It takes time to adequately prepare for the examination. There are no shortcuts. While study tips and examination writing tips can help you prepare, there is no replacement for building a solid base of knowledge of the entire study material.
Let’s take a look at study strategies. Although each of us learns and studies differently, there are some techniques that research tells us work better than others. Consider taking a systematic approach that includes, number one, a study schedule so that you can organize your study time efficiently. Number two, effective reading and notetaking so that you will remember what you’ve read when you are writing the exam. Number three, organization of your materials in light of the open-book nature of the exam. And lastly, practice questions. There are some practice questions available through the online examination software. You may wish to create some for yourself.
Let’s start with the ways to organize your study time. First, it’s always a good idea to begin studying early. Research suggests that studying in short, manageable increments based over time is more beneficial than cramming all the material in a long study session just before the exam.
Second, consider setting up and maintaining a regular study schedule. You may want to set aside a specific time of day for studying. Ideally, try to schedule study time when you are wide awake and alert. In most but not all cases, this means not scheduling study time late at night. You are less likely to retain material when you are mentally of physically tired. So it’s helpful to synchronize study time when you are most likely to be ready to learn. And don’t forget to leave room in your study schedule for unanticipated events that may require your time.
Next, to help focus your study sessions, consider setting specific goals for each session. For example, you might decide to study a specific chapter or review the rules and guidelines relevant to a particular topic during a designated block of time.
Taking breaks during study sessions is also a good idea. Studying requires a mental effort, so take breaks as part of your study session. Here’s an example of what I mean. After studying for let’s say 50 minutes, you might plan to take a 10-minute break. And then, after three consecutive one-hour blocks, you would take a longer break, perhaps an hour, and then you would start the study cycle again.
If a given section of material is more difficult for you, you might shorten each of the study sessions for that topic but have more of them and take more frequent breaks. So, for the more challenging material, you might want to study for only 20 or 30 minutes followed by a five-minute break. When you’re studying the more challenging material, you may also want to take your longer break after only two study blocks instead of three.
Next, it’s a good idea to start each study session by reviewing the material you’ve previously learned. Reviewing material you have learned will help you keep knowledge fresh in your mind. If you wait too long to review the material, you may waste time trying to relearn what you knew but forgot. Also, try to use the week just before the examination to review, integrate and reinforce your understanding of the content.
Turning now to reading and notetaking for open-book exams, let’s consider how best to review the paralegal study material so that you understand and retain what you have read. This usually involves careful active and systematic reading. In most cases, this will mean reading the material more than once to really understand the content.
To build a solid base of knowledge, you may need to read the material once to gain a general understanding and overview of the content. And then a second and a third time to reinforce important concepts or to fully understand more challenging concepts. You may want to take the opportunity during these subsequent reviews to consider what types of questions could be asked about each concept and competency, and to consider how different concepts and competencies interact and overlap with other content.
It’s a good idea to begin highlighting and taking notes only once you have a general understanding of what you’re learning. If you start too early, you may end up highlighting or writing down too much information. Research suggests that reviewing material on a regular basis can help you retain information in your long-term memory.
So what are some of the things you can do to prepare materials for use during the exam? The goal is to organize your material so that you can quickly access relevant information. Prior to the examination, take some time to make your study materials as user-friendly for you as possible.
We have three suggestions for organizing your material. One, use tabs or a colour-coding system to delineate certain subject areas and key topics. Two, prepare short, manageable summaries on selected topics. Finally, create an index or a table of contents listing key topics in corresponding pages.
The point of these strategies is to help you quickly find information in your materials during the exam. So choose the method that works best for you. As you are organizing materials in the way that suits you best, bear in mind that some concepts cut across several areas of law.
Lastly, don’t forget to take some time to review the sample questions available on the software. Those sample questions will give you an idea of the types of questions that will be asked, the type of thinking required, and the degree of difference between correct and incorrect answers. Once you’ve reviewed those sample questions, you may want to try to create some for yourself as you pass through various sections of the material.
We’ve just discussed being intellectually ready for the licensing examination. But please don’t forget about being technologically, psychologically and physically prepared. As Peninah discussed, it’s important to conduct the technical pretest so that you are less likely to encounter serious technological issues prior to the licensing examination.
It’s also important to prepare psychologically for the licensing examination. It’s common to feel some anxiety before, during and after the exam. If you start to feel overwhelmed, consider taking slow, deep breaths to relax. Calming yourself physically will help calm you emotionally. The calmer you are during the examination the better you’ll be able to concentrate.
Also, don’t forget the basics, getting enough sleep and exercise, maintaining good nutrition, and being active in other areas of your life, whether socially, physically or intellectually. Knowing your material thoroughly and being well prepared will likely prove to be key features for a successful attempt at the licensing examination.
I also want to note for you that the website contains information on the steps to take on the day of the licensing examination. If you review the information in advance and ensure that you meet the various technological requirements, you should reduce the chance of any technological challenges on the day of the licensing examination.
It’s important to be aware that the Law Society has obligations under the Human Rights Code to ensure that it does not discriminate based on the grounds listed in the code. If you’re a person who requires accommodation during the licensing examination, please submit the necessary forms by the deadline set out on our website. The Law Society offers a range of accommodations for candidates based on listed grounds, both for the licensing examination and for other matters that may arise during the licensing process.
I'll turn this back over to Jessica to discuss results. Jessica?
Jessica: Thanks, Elisa. Inevitably, as soon as each exam ends, candidates begin wondering about how they performed. Please note that the anticipated timing for the posting of results is set out on our website. We will send your results to your confidential online licensing account and you will receive an email notifying you that it is there. There is no need to call and check whether the results are out yet.
Remember that many candidates are not successful on their first attempt at the licensing examination. If you’re not successful, you’re also not alone. If you are unsuccessful on a licensing examination, don’t panic. You can reregister for one of the subsequent scheduled sittings. Candidates are permitted a maximum of three attempts at the examination within their three-year licensing term. The licensing process policies also contain information on requesting a fourth attempt where there are extraordinary circumstances.
Please feel free to contact our Licensing and Accreditation Department if you have questions on the next steps for writing a second or third time. Note that if you are unsuccessful on a licensing examination, you will also receive a report that provides you with a visual representation of your performance on the licensing examination. That report may provide you with guidance on the areas you can work on to improve your performance for your next attempt.
It’s also worth noting that, currently, the Law Society offers up to five hours of tutoring at no additional cost to candidates who are unsuccessful on a licensing examination. If you are unsuccessful, please do review the information available on our tutoring web page.
And now, let me turn this back over to Peninah for some concluding remarks and answers to any questions. Peninah?
Peninah: Thank you very much, Jessica. As a reminder, questions can be submitted through the question-and-answer tab located on your screen. We have received quite a few questions so far which is great. Please keep in mind that, if we do not answer your question today during this webcast, you can contact us at anytime and we will do our best to assist you. In some cases, if your question relates to your personal or highly-individual circumstances, we may not answer it during this group session but you are welcome to reach out to us directly after the webcast.
Now I'd like to turn to some of the questions that we have received. I may start at the sort of earliest questions, some of which I believe have already been answered through the presentation. Just beginning with some of the questions related to process, having to do with transcripts and when you can register for what exam, I'm hoping to turn this over to Gina to provide some answers to some of those questions. Maybe just a quick overview of how the process works in terms of application and when their first opportunity to write a licensing exam would be.
Gina: Sure, Peninah, thank you. As Peninah mentioned, there are several questions on how and when to submit transcripts. One of the things I wanted to note, because we did get multiple questions on this, is the Statement of Field Placement Form can indeed by accessed by our Fees and Forms link on the website, and can be submitted by candidates through their online account. It’s the transcript that needs to come directly from the institution, but the Statement of Field Placement can be submitted within their account.
We also, Peninah, have several questions about scheduling or rescheduling the examination if you don’t mind that I dive into a couple of those? The questions that we’re seeing coming up are for candidates who initially selected a July sitting perhaps and wanted to push off their sitting to the fall. As was mentioned during the presentation, we do have a rescheduling form. It’s a deferral form that’s available on our website that you’ll have to submit to Licensing and Accreditation to ensure that your sitting is moved to the future sitting that you elect to do. And any fees paid therein will be transferred to that future sitting if you do that by the deferral deadline.
So Peninah, I have a couple of questions here that maybe the group can jump in on.
Peninah: That sounds great.
Gina: Great. One of the questions that came up frequently in our Q&A section was regarding the digital materials and whether students would have access to those materials during the exam.
Peninah: Students do not have access to the digital materials during the licensing examination. They do have access to their paper materials during the licensing examination. The examination software will lock down your computer so the only thing that you will be able to access is the licensing examination itself.
I also notice that there were some questions about the licensing examination software, and you can practice with that software right now. There’s a link to it on our website. In addition, about two to three weeks before your licensing examination you’ll be given the opportunity to do a pre-exam check. There you’ll be able to assess how things are working with your technology and the licensing examination software before you actually begin your licensing examination. So you’ll receive that information a couple of weeks or a few weeks before through your online account, and then you’ll do your precheck.
You really have two ways of working through the software. I strongly recommend that candidates practice with the link that is available on our website now to see how the software works. There are many aspects of the software that I recommend that you practice with, including the question review feature, the Next button, tabs across the top. It’s very important to look at all of the features that are available to you and practice with them.
Gina: Great, thanks, Peninah. We have a question here on whether or not the examinations will be online or in person in 2022. I don't know if you want to take that or if I can jump in on what’s being planned for now.
Peninah: I'm happy to say that currently the expectation is that the licensing examinations will be online for some time in the future. Obviously, it’s impossible to always predict everything that will happen in the future, and I think we all have had that experience over the past year. But currently it is anticipated that examinations will continue to be online for some amount of time. Gina, if you want to add to that, feel free.
Gina: No, that’s the information to share at this point. I do see a couple of questions here about timing for application, and I'll just generally address that. Candidates, please feel free to message us through your online account or to call in to licensing and accreditation for specifics. But some of the questions were surrounding when do I apply? I'm in my second year or first year of the paralegal program.
I would say a safe bet would be to apply about six months, five or six months before the end of your paralegal program. Or failing that, just have a look at some of the deadlines of the sitting, and that will give you some indication on which sitting you can select and qualify for. Again, specifics can be brought up with our reports that are available to you if you just call in and give them an indication of what your certain circumstances are.
Peninah: Gina, there was a question about whether the exams were open-book. I thought Jessica might want to address that question.
Gina: Jess, go ahead.
Jessica: Sure, I'd be happy to.
Peninah: Thanks.
Jessica: Yes, the examinations are open-book. The examinations are based entirely on the paralegal licensing examination study materials, and so those are your source for studying for the licensing examination. You can refer to those paper materials during the licensing examination.
Gina: Thanks, Jessica.
Peninah: And Elisa, I noticed there was a question about accommodations and what the process would be. I wondered if you might want to speak to that.
Elisa: Yeah. So for accommodations, the first step would be to visit the Accommodations page on our website which sets out the application process in some detail. It’s important to pay attention to the posted deadline for requesting the accommodation. Broadly speaking, there’s a form that needs to be submitted with every accommodation request which is filled out by the candidate.
For some types of accommodation requests, we also require information from a doctor or other health professional. If that applies in your case, there’s also a separate form for that purpose which the doctor would complete and submit to us. Correction, the doctor I believe gives the form to you and you submit it to us. But it’s our way of getting information ultimately from the doctor. Getting both of those in, in a timely way is really the crucial thing, because that gives our team the chance to give your application the careful consideration it deserves.
Peninah: Thank you, Elisa. Gina, do you have some questions that have popped in for you?
Gina: Yes, a couple of questions regarding the timing of the release of the study materials. A couple people have asked, if they’re writing at a later sitting, say in October or next February 2022, they’re inquiring when the materials will be released for them. The materials for this upcoming licensing year, which is ‘21/’22, will be released, as I said, towards the end of May.
Any candidate that has selected an examination within the licensing year – so that would be a July exam, an October exam or next February – will have access to the study materials for the licensing year, for the current licensing year. So, if they pay for the materials, they will have access to them to prepare for their later sitting.
Just going through some more questions here, Peninah and …
Peninah: I can address a few of them that I've seen if you’d like, while you’re looking.
Gina: Absolutely.
Peninah: There is one question about really the difference between experimental and operational questions. Jess, do you want to answer that question?
Jessica: Yeah, I'd be happy to. Operational items are the items that are scored on the licensing examination. They are the vast majority of the items or questions – items is just a different way of saying the questions – on the licensing examination. So really, the vast majority of the questions on the exam are operational items. That means that they are scored. They are counted towards whether a candidate passes the licensing examination.
Experimental items are items that the Law Society is testing, essentially, for use on future licensing examinations before they become operational items. There are only a few on each exam. There is no indication on the exam which items are operational or experimental. That is in line with best practices for professional licensing examinations. it is also best practice for licensing examinations to have this process of testing experimental items before they become operational items.
I hope that was clear, Peninah. Do you have anything you want to add to that?
Peninah: No, that was excellent, thank you, Jessica. I did want to mention too that I've seen some questions on whether you can use electronic materials during the licensing examination, and the answer to that is no. You can use printed materials. So, if you believe that you will want to be referring to a textbook that you used in your educational program and that textbook was an online textbook, you would not be able to access that if it’s only available to you online during your licensing examination. I saw a few questions on that.
Gina, have you seen any further questions that you wanted to answer?
Gina: A couple of questions, Peninah, coming in about practice exams and past exams. I know you’ve addressed the issue with the sample exam software. I don't know if there’s anything else you’d like to add on that front.
Peninah: No, that will give you the nature, the concept of the questions that you are asked. You will see certain types of questions and that will give you the idea of the type of question. One of the best ways to prepare for your licensing examinations is to ask yourself questions as you’re reading through the materials. Read over the questions that are on the sample software for you, and then think of similar types of questions as you’re reading through the materials. Maybe make them up as you’re reading. And then, later on when you go back a day or two or three or four later, see if you actually can recall the answer to them.
I noticed actually that one of the questions that had popped up had to do with whether there’s an index or table of contents to the materials. There is, but I would mention that some people choose to make themselves more detailed tables of contents or indices to be able to refer to during the licensing examination itself.
There’s also a question about what happens if you’re unsuccessful after three attempts at the licensing examination. Gina, did you want to address that?
Gina: Absolutely. Thanks, Peninah. If you do find that you are unsuccessful on your examination, you do have the ability to reregister for a future sitting. And you would do that with the Registration and Deferral Form that I mentioned earlier which is on our Fees and Forms page. You would have to submit that by the required deadline for your rescheduled exam. You do have three attempts at the examination during your licensing term.
What that means is, you don’t have to write the very next sitting that’s available to you. You can take your time to prepare and afford yourself the luxury of reviewing the materials in great detail, seeing as that you’re reattempting the examination. You would have up to three attempts during your three-year licensing term to do that.
Peninah: Thank you, Gina. And I'm just going to open it to Jessica and Elisa to find out if there were any questions they had seen popping up – and I think it’s wonderful how many questions we’re seeing – that they wanted to answer. So let’s start with Jessica. Is there anything that’s popped up that you wanted to answer?
Jessica: I saw two questions about the materials that I would cover off quickly. There was a question about whether candidates should be bringing in the paralegal rules of conduct with them to the exam. I just wanted to let candidates know that the rules are included in the materials, as are the guidelines and a few of the Law Society’s bylaws made under the Law Society Act. That will be available to candidates when they receive their licensing materials.
The second question I saw was whether the licensing materials change year over year or for each exam. The license materials updated versions of the study materials for the paralegal licensing examination are released by the Law Society every year in May and they are updated once per year in May. The May study materials will be the study materials that are the reference for the next three licensing examination periods, the spring ones, summer one in July, and the fall one in October or November – I apologize, I don't know the month off the top of my head; there were some changes recently – and the following winter ones. And then, updated study materials will be released once again the following May.
That was it for me.
Peninah: OK. Elisa, were there any questions that you had seen coming up on the Q&A tab that you wanted to respond to?
Elisa: I saw one or two questions about technological matters, for instance, what’s required in terms of equipment. For anything like that I would direct you to our website again, to the section called Rules and Protocol which is under Licensing Examination. The rules and protocol I believe include details about exactly what equipment is required. Also, keep in mind that there’s a method for testing your set up in advance to minimize the risk of any technological issues on the day of the exam.
Peninah: Thank you, that’s great.
Gina: Peninah?
Peninah: Yes.
Gina: We are seeing some questions asking about the fees for study materials and for exams as well as the scheduled dates. I would direct our listeners to the website under the Licensing Examination link. They’ll be able to get to the information on fees, on dates, on deadlines. Currently, we don’t list a specific date because obviously we’re offering the examinations online this licensing year, and so you’ll see a test window. What that means is that will be the week that you’ll be able to write your examination. Once again, we’ll send you information on when the time comes for you to select a specific date and time with the provider.
We also had another question from a couple of people regarding the provider that I've mentioned a couple of times during the presentation. Our provider is the organization that actually administers and schedules your examinations. They’re the Law Society’s examinations but they are scheduled through a third-party provider who will be doing that service for us while we are administering online exams. Anything to add on that, Peninah or anyone?
Peninah: No. There were some questions though on proctoring. So, just to be clear, the proctoring is done through the provider. It’s remote or online proctoring. There was a question whether proctoring could be done through the school, and the school does not proctor the licensing examination. However, for people who do not have an area, for example, within their home where they can write, they can write in another location as long as it meets the requirements that are set out in the rules and protocol.
So there cannot be other people in the room and you must have clear walls, and you must be able to ensure that the door is closed so that people are not coming in and out. If that’s something that a person’s school is able to provide to them to write the licensing examination, then they can write it within the school. But the proctoring is done through our proctoring service provider.
I also noticed, Gina, some questions about when they can select the specific date for the given licensing examination. I wondered if you might want to address that question.
Gina: Sure. What will happen is, once the registration deadline passes and you’re all registered for your examination. Roughly about seven to 10 days after that registration deadline we’ll begin pushing out messaging to you through your online account. That will kind of set your expectations on when you’ll be able to select your specific date and time with the provider. So, you don’t have to guess. You don’t have to do it through the LSO. But we will be the ones that will be messaging you that information about a week to 10 days after the registration closes for the particular sitting.
Peninah: Thank you, Gina. And just to add to that, I'm seeing some more questions on booking the precheck. Again, you will receive a message through your online account about when you’re able to begin booking. So, you will not be seeing it right now because we do run several licensing examinations per year. Right now we are working through that process on a different one of our licensing examinations. The time will come when you will receive that message or you will see something posted online and you will know that it’s your turn to go through the precheck process.
There’s a question as well about the language of the licensing examination. The licensing examination can be taken in either French or in English. If you would like to write it in French you select French, and if you would like to write in English you select English.
Gina: Peninah, I see a couple of questions regarding unexpected tech issues during the test and what to do. Maybe you can talk about some things to do and be aware of before their examination and the information available online on that.
Peninah: Sure. Thank you, Gina. Yeah, so it is important to review the information that we have posted about maximizing your Internet for example, making sure that you’re close to the source of the Internet. Some of that information can also be provided by your Internet service provider in terms of maximizing the situation for you. Also, ensuring that you do not have a lot of people drawing on your Internet while you are writing the licensing examination.
It’s also important to remember that, as long as you’re prepared mentally for the prospect that you might experience a small blip in your Internet and that you can go right back into your licensing examination. The time in the upper righthand corner of the licensing examination should pause when you’re out of the licensing examination. When you get back in, the time will begin again. So, this is something that is very much something that you can prepare for psychologically, and then it will not cause you to be too concerned. So, if you do have an electrical outage – that was one of the earlier questions that I had seen coming in through the Q&A – then what will happen is the examination will stop because you won't have access, and then you’ll be able to go back in.
Now, if your electrical outage lasts for a half an hour, that may be not something that is too difficult and you can go back into your licensing examination. If your electrical outage lasts for four hours or five hours, that may be more difficult. What I would recommend in that case is that you send a note immediate through your online account indicating that your electricity has gone out and you’re unable to continue to access the licensing examination, and then someone will be able to get in touch with you about that.
In addition, I would suggest that, if your exam is scheduled for a certain day and that day you happen to be experiencing an extreme storm, for example, and power is going on and off, when you connect to your proctor, let them know what the situation is that you’re experiencing. Ask them what they recommend that you do. Because if it’s something like that and you’re booked for one of the earlier days within the window, there may be an opportunity to adjust. For example, if you’re experiencing a very significant unanticipated storm, the electricity, the power is going on and off, and you’ve booked your exam for the first day within the window, then it may be that you might be able to reschedule for another day within the window. OK?
I definitely recommend that you stay in touch with your proctor and let them know what the situation is. It may not be possible to rebook and it may be that you’d have to wait until the next sort of season of licensing examination happens. But this is something that, definitely, if you stay in touch with your proctor, you may be able to take some steps to mitigate the situation.
Gina, I see there’s also some questions about fees and dates. I just wanted to remind everyone that fees and dates are posted on the website. So that’s very much a great source of information for you.
There was one question that was asking us to explain part one and part two. I thought I'd just take a quick moment to clarify that. You start part one of the licensing examination and you have your 80 questions. Then you can take up to a 30-minute break and then part two is what begins after that. So, they’re very separate and apart. You cannot go back into part one once you’re in part two. You cannot access part two when you’re in part one. So I hope that answered that question.
Has anyone else seen questions as they are popping in that they might want to answer? I'll start with Elisa.
Elisa: I'm seeing a question asking where to locate the detailed requirements for the testing area, that is what you can have with you and around you as you’re writing the exam. Those would also be found in the rules and protocol on the website under Paralegal Licensing Examination. That gives a very detailed breakdown of exactly what the requirements are.
Peninah: Thank you. Jessica, was there anything that you had seen in there?
Jessica: I saw someone asking about the entry-level paralegal competencies. I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware that those entry-level paralegal competencies are available online. Those categories that I mentioned earlier are online on the Law Society’s website under a tab Entry-level Paralegal Competencies. Each of the categories is broken down into a significant amount of detail and I would highly recommend that everyone who is intending to write the paralegal licensing examination take a look at those online entry-level paralegal competencies. That’s it for me.
Peninah: Thank you, Jessica. I noticed a question about people who are seeking accommodations. Just a reminder, as Elisa had mentioned earlier, that if you’re seeking an accommodation, you must meet the posted deadlines to seek that accommodation, and you must submit the required forms. Form A is always required and typically Form B will be required as well if it’s an accommodation that’s required on the basis, for example, of a medical need.
So please do ensure that you look at the website and meet all of the posted deadlines and submit all of the required documentation, including supporting documentation, on or before those deadlines. Indeed, I recommend that you submit the information as early as possible, because you want to ensure that you have a complete application before the deadline.
Gina, are there any questions that you’ve seen?
Gina: Yes, absolutely. A couple of questions on rewriting the examination once again, and what that means in terms of the fee. If a candidate is unsuccessful and they need to rewrite their examination, they would pay the rewrite fee which is on our Fees and Forms section of the website. Depending on when they write, they may have to purchase the revised set of materials for that licensing year. But yes, there certainly is a rewrite fee and candidates have up to three attempts to pass the examination.
Peninah: Great, thank you. I did see one question earlier about whether there’s a specific GPA that is needed to write the licensing examination. What you need is to graduate from the paralegal education program and submit the Statement of Field Placement. We do not look for a specific GPA in order to determine whether you’re eligible for the licensing examination.
I saw in addition that there were some questions about the results and the information and what constitutes a pass. Just so you’re aware, each question that you answer correctly counts for one mark. You are not negatively impacted if other people who wrote the licensing examination at the same time as you did did really well. It’s possible for everyone to do really well on the licensing examination. The standard that is set for passing is that entry-level competence standard. A lot of that information is available on our website in the Guide to Licensing Examinations.
There was another question that came up about whether all of the questions appear at one time. If you go look at the software, you will see that the questions are there and you can pass through them. You’re also able to bookmark a question if you want to go back to it later should you have additional time to look at it later. And there’s also a Question Review button. I definitely encourage you to use that button and to ensure that you practice with it, because that will help you ensure that you have answered all of the questions that are in that part. It will show you if there are unanswered questions.
I definitely recommend really practicing with the software. I know that some of you in your educational programs are currently working with online licensing examinations, but the software might be different. Please do practice with it and make sure that you are familiar with all of the different features that are available.
I did notice there were some other questions about technology again. So just to encourage you to maximize your technology. Do the precheck process so that you’ve assessed your technology in advance. Try not to panic. If you do experience a brief outage, if there’s a small glitch, please don’t panic about it. Work with your proctor and they will take the steps necessary to ensure that you’re back within your licensing examination very quickly, even if your Internet or your electricity has a brief outage.
In terms of receipt of the materials, just a reminder that the materials apply for the year. Gina, are there other questions that you saw that you wanted respond to?
Gina: A couple of questions, Peninah, regarding highlighting during the examination and writing anything during the examination, and basically permitted items. So I don't know if you or one of our colleagues want to speak to what’s permitted in the exam once again and where to get the information.
Peninah: Sure. Within the licensing examination software there’s a feature that can allow you to work within the software to either write notes or to highlight segments of the questions. But you are not permitted to have writing implements in the licensing examination itself. So you can't bring in pens and highlighters, but you can bring in materials that are already highlighted, tabbed etcetera the way you want them to be. It’s all about preparing for the licensing examination before the examination starts. I hope that assists with that question.
Gina: Thanks, Peninah. I'm just going through a few more here.
Peninah: Just a reminder as you’re looking, Gina, that no, you cannot use the digital study materials while you’re writing the licensing examination. You can use them in advance but you cannot use them during the licensing examination. You can only have the computer that you’re doing the licensing examination on, and that computer will be locked down to prevent you from accessing other materials.
There was also a question about having clear walls. The proctor will work through that with you in your precheck process. But it’s always a good idea to have some solid-coloured sheets or blankets or towels hand, because if there is something that they ask you to cover up because it to them appears to be a security risk, then you’ll be asked to cover that up.
Gina: Peninah, we had a couple of questions regarding the competencies that we touched upon during the presentation. I'm wondering if I could just quickly answer that. The competencies, you don’t have to furiously write them down right now. They are all available on our website under the licensing exam section. You’ll be able to review all of the entry-level competencies that are tested. And I encourage everyone to thoroughly read the information that’s available there as you prepare for your examinations.
Peninah: Great. There was …
Gina: Scrolling through.
Peninah: Sorry?
Gina: Sorry, go ahead, Peninah. I'm just scrolling through for additional questions we haven't addressed.
Peninah: OK. There was one question about ethics and the ethics – it says the ethical review segment. I'm thinking this might refer either to the good character requirement or to the sort of ethical and professional responsibility questions on the licensing examination. So, I will address both of those.
The questions on ethics and professional responsibility appear on the licensing examination itself, not before or after. A good character requirement arises when you complete your application and you are required to update that throughout your period as a candidate. And that’s where you would answer certain questions that are called the good character questions. And that is reviewed, as we receive that information that information is reviewed, assessed and you receive information accordingly.
Gina: Peninah, we’re seeing a few questions from students asking whether or not, while they’re writing their examination, whether they’ll be able to see all of the questions in a section or just one question at a time. I'm wondering if someone could address navigating through and what they’ll see on the day of the exam.
Peninah: Sure. I'll see if Jessica wants to answer that question. If not, I'm happy to. Jessica, do you want to answer that?
Jessica: I can give it a go. So, when you are writing the licensing examination, you see one question at a time. However, you can go back and forth between the different questions as much as you want while you’re in that part of the exam. While you see only one question at a time, you don’t lose the previous questions as you move forward to a later question. Peninah, is there anything you wanted to add to that?
Peninah: No, I think that’s perfect. You can manipulate through. You’ll pop up one question and you can manipulate through the examination within the given part. That’s the one important feature remember is you’re only allowed to see the questions that are within part one when you’re in part one, and you’re only allowed to see the questions within part two when you’re in part two.
I am seeing a number of questions about the passing score. As a reminder, it’s a passing standard. We don’t disclose a specific score that you have to meet. Sometimes we do speak with candidates who really want to know what that score is, but what we encourage candidates to do is to study to the extent possible to ensure that they’re very familiar with the materials and feel very confident in their ability to answer the questions.
It’s best if you don’t stop studying with the idea in mind that I think I know enough. Your goal should be to learn the materials as well as they can be learned. Think about that as your goal. Learn the materials really, really well. Understand how the different paragraphs and sections interconnect with each other. Practice, highlight, tab etcetera. Learn your materials as well as you can and aim for knowing as much as possible, and hopefully that will assist you.
I see that there are some questions about what to do if you’re unsuccessful on the licensing examination and whether you have to pay a new fee and you do. It’s great if you can learn as much as possible before your first attempt. Some candidates do wait before writing their first attempt, because the materials are lengthy; there’s a lot of material to read. Some candidates find that they really do want to wait until the next licensing examination using those materials. They don’t want to write the first one because they want to take the time to really review and understand the materials. That way they hope to become successful on their first attempt.
I definitely would encourage you to take the step that works best for you. If you feel that you can learn the materials very quickly and know them well enough, that’s great. If you feel that you want to take a little bit more time to ensure that you’re as successful as possible, then definitely take that additional time if you so wish.
Gina: Peninah, I'm just going to jump in here and say we’ve seen a couple of questions in terms of what happens after the exam. I'd like to answer that if you don’t mind.
Peninah: Absolutely.
Gina: Once you’ve completed your examination, typically we will send you your results within six to eight weeks. We’ll be posting the precise timelines on the website as to when you can expect to receive your results. Once you receive your results, the email that we send you within your online account will include instructions on a) how to reregister if you need to rewrite the examination; or, if you have been successful, what the next steps are towards licensure. All of that information will be contained in that message about six to eight weeks after the end of your sitting, your examination sitting.
And I …
Peninah: Gina, I see …
Gina: Yeah, go ahead, Peninah.
Peninah: No, I was going to say that I see that there are some questions about the February licensing examination and which application one would submit that would allow one to write the February, for example, the February 2022 sitting. I wondered if you might be able to address that.
Gina: Currently you are able, if you’ve already applied, you are able to get into that February 2022 sitting. But it’s usually recommended that candidates wait until the next intake period, which typically launches in October of this year. Right now, if you’re applying to the current application, you will see you’ll be charged a late fee because of course the application deadline for this licensing year was last fall. But if you know for sure that you’ll be writing, you’re not going to be writing until February of next year, or potentially July, then certainly I would recommend that you wait to apply in the fall.
All of this also depends when you’ll be finishing up your degree or diploma requirements and when the school can provide a transcript to the Law Society. So, keep all of that in mind. But yes, it is recommended that if you want to write in February, you can apply in the next term. Now, of course, if you would like more time with the materials, then I would encourage you to apply now so that you can have access at the end of this month in order to prepare for your February 2022 sitting.
Peninah: Thank you, Gina. I see that there’s also some questions about the browser that is downloaded. I'll just say that that information is on the website. You’ll just link through and so you will see sort of a click button. That will help you with knowing what you have to download.
There was another question about not being able to write and how one does a calculation. So there is a calculator function on the software itself. Again, if you go into the software and play around a little bit, you’ll see the different features and functions that are within it. There’s also a notetaking function. You can do the math using a calculator or, if you prefer to sort of type it out you can do that.
Gina, there was also a question, another question about the good character requirement and how that process works and the extent to which it’s interconnected with other processes. I wondered if you might be able to just speak to that very quickly.
Gina: Sure. I think the question you’re referring to sort of asks how their exam registration is affected by their good character review, if any. Just to let everyone know that if you have answered in the affirmative to any of the questions in the good character section and have provided the requested information, that process of review is entirely separate to the examination writing process.
You are required to submit the required documentation for the good character questions, however that won't prevent you from necessarily enrolling for an examination, selecting a date, writing your examination, getting your materials. Those are two distinctly separate processes. And so, yes, if you have any questions specifically to your matter, you can certainly circle back to us and message us through your account. But having a good character matter and submitting documentation doesn’t necessarily prevent you from proceeding with writing the examination.
Peninah, I have a question here, a couple of questions from individuals who are asking about how they would ensure that their transcript, their final official transcript is sent directly to Licensing and Accreditation, and I'd like to take that on if you don’t mind. What you would be required to do is, upon completion of your program, you need to make the request to your institution to have a final official transcript sent to the Law Society.
Now I know there’s a couple of questions that I've seen in terms of how those things are sent, whether they’re physically mailed to us, whether they’re electronically mailed to us. We do have a process set up with most of the schools so that we can accept transcripts electronically through a secure format from the school. I believe that the first step that you would need to take is to make the request in writing to your institution to send it to us as you’re nearing completion of your program.
They will work with us to get those transcripts to us by the deadline if they can. If not, then you’ll be allowed to register for the next available sitting. Make sure to ask for those transcripts to be sent before our registration deadline which is, again, posted on the website.
Peninah: Thank you, Gina. I saw that there was a question about the format of the study material. The materials are available in a PDF format or they’re available in a printed format. If an individual wants to listen to the materials, typically, the software through the PDF is able to run. The software that people have that is sort of a text-to-speak software will be able to read the materials to them if that’s a functionality that they are accustomed to or that they prefer.
Just looking to see if there are other questions that we haven't answered. There was one question about studying with other people. One can study with other students or candidates but one cannot discuss the content of the licensing examination. Before you write the licensing examination, you can absolutely meet with other people, talk with them, go over things, practice together, work on materials together, divide up segments of the materials and write summaries that you share etcetera. That is all permitted.
After you’ve written the licensing examination, you can study with other people but you cannot disclose to them anything about the licensing examination that is not publicly available information. So, if it’s, for example, not on our website then it’s not information you could discuss or disclose with others. This information is set out in the rules and protocol.
Jessica: Peninah, I saw a question about tutoring that I'm happy to address. There was a question about whether tutoring is available before a first attempt at an exam. The Law Society provides tutoring once someone has been unsuccessful on a licensing examination. I would encourage anyone who has been unsuccessful on the licensing examination, and who is interested in kind of receiving up to five hours of tutoring, to look at the tutoring section on the Law Society’s website. There are deadlines that need to be met if one is applying for tutoring through the Law Society. That is all explained on the tutoring page of the Law Society’s website.
Peninah: Thank you, Jessica. There are also some more questions about what happens if somebody is unsuccessful on the licensing examination and what information they receive. If you’re unsuccessful, you will receive the profile report that was mentioned. That report will provide you with some guidance or information as to how you performed in the different competency categories.
In addition, if you have any challenges understanding or interpreting that document, you are able to send a message through your online account requesting a telephone call to review that information. The individual who you will be talking with does not have access to your particular licensing examination, but they are able to speak with you about the information that you see on that profile report.
There was one question about grading on the licensing examination. As mentioned, each correct answer is worth one point. We definitely encourage candidates not to submit or allow the system to submit their answer if they’re out of time without at least selecting an answer for each question. Because, even if you don’t know the correct answer, let’s say you have it down to two that you think are possibly correct, pick one of them because you do not lose marks when you’ve picked an incorrect answer. You only gain marks by picking a correct answer.
So, even if you don’t have it narrowed down, I still would recommend that you select an answer because maybe you’ll get it right. Also, maybe you really do have a sense that you have the correct answer and you’re just sort of uncertain. So, definitely pick an answer. The way that the examination is graded is the number of correct answers is what your score is.
I'm not sure if anyone sees any further questions that are not overly specific. I'll open it up. We’ll start with Gina.
Gina: No. Most of the questions are similar to what we’ve already spoken about so nothing for from me.
Peninah: OK, Elisa?
Elisa: We had a question about timing and whether basically you’re allotted only a given amount of time for each question. And the answer is no. How you allocate your time among the questions is entirely up to you. If you find one question very easy and can breeze right through it, the software lets you do that. If you have to spend more time on another question, the software lets you do that too. The only exception being that, as was mentioned, during part one you can only access the questions in part one, and the same for part two during part two.
Peninah: That’s right, and a time limit applies to that part. Be aware of the time in the upper right corner of your licensing examination. If you see that you’re falling behind, then try to work a little bit more quickly. If you can give yourself some extra time at the end to review or to check the bookmarked questions that’s great, and that gives you an opportunity as well. Jessica, did you have any final comments?
Jessica: I'm seeing a number of questions asking us to repeat information that students may have missed that we stated earlier. I just wanted to remind everyone that an archived version of this webcast will be available in a couple of weeks on the Law Society’s website, so don’t worry. If you missed anything you can listen again in a few weeks when it gets posted.
Peninah: There was one question I'll just address before we close this which is what happens if someone is unsuccessful on three attempts. The information for that is available in the licensing process policies in terms of a potential fourth attempt etcetera, so that information is available there. You can also send that request through your online account with the Law Society.
That concludes the question-and-answer period of this webcast. I would like to thank all of our panelists for their comprehensive information that they’ve shared today and for answering the questions that we received. I'm very pleased to answer any additional questions that people might have if they submit it through their account, by email, by phone, etcetera.
I would like to thank all of you who have been listening. I thank you very much for your enthusiastic participation, your great questions. I really appreciate that. As a reminder, an archived version of the presentation will be available in a few weeks’ time on the Law Society’s website.
In closing, we would like to wish all of you the best of luck with your paralegal education studies as well as with your licensing examination. On behalf of the Law Society, I look forward to having the opportunity and the privilege to welcome you to the paralegal profession. Thank you very much and have a great rest of your day. Bye, bye.
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