100+ Free ON Solicitor Exam Practice Questions

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A new client asks a solicitor to act on a complex commercial financing matter in an area the solicitor has never practised. Under the duty of competence, what should the solicitor do?

Accept and delegate the entire matter to a law clerk

Only act if able to become competent without undue delay, risk or expense to the client, or associate with or refer to a competent lawyer

Decline all unfamiliar matters permanently

Accept the retainer and learn on the job at the client's expense without disclosure

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ON Solicitor Exam Exam

160

Multiple-Choice Items

LSO Guide to Licensing Examinations

4 hr 30 min

Examination Length (single sitting)

LSO Guide to Licensing Examinations

Open book

Exam Format

Law Society of Ontario

$865 CAD

Examination Fee (2026)

LSO Payment and Fees Overview

3 sittings/yr

Summer, Fall & Winter

Law Society of Ontario

100+

Practice Questions Here

OpenExamPrep question bank

The Ontario Solicitor Licensing Examination is a self-study, open-book exam of 160 multiple-choice questions written in one 4.5-hour sitting and administered by the Law Society of Ontario. It tests entry-level solicitor competencies grounded in Ontario and federal law: real estate conveyancing (Land Titles, Planning Act, Tarion, title insurance, closings), business law (OBCA/CBCA, PPSA, shareholders' agreements), wills/trusts/estate administration and planning (Succession Law Reform Act, Estate Administration Tax, powers of attorney), plus ethical and professional responsibilities and practice management. The examination is criterion-referenced (pass/fail), offered in summer, fall and winter sittings, and candidates use the LSO's printed study materials in the exam room.

Sample ON Solicitor Exam Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ON Solicitor Exam exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A lawyer acting for both the buyer and the seller on a residential resale in Ontario discovers, mid-transaction, that the seller failed to disclose a known latent defect that materially affects value. The interests of the two clients are now in direct conflict. Under the Rules of Professional Conduct, what must the lawyer do?

A.Withdraw from acting for both clients on the matter, subject to limited steps to protect confidential information

B.Continue to act for the buyer only, because the buyer retained the lawyer first

C.Disclose the seller's confidential information to the buyer to ensure full and fair disclosure

D.Continue acting for both clients provided both sign a joint-retainer consent at closing

Explanation: Under the Rules of Professional Conduct (Rule 3.4), when a continuing conflict arises in a joint retainer that cannot be resolved with informed consent, the lawyer must generally withdraw from acting for both clients and cannot prefer one over the other, while preserving each client's confidential information. A conflict of this nature destroys the lawyer's ability to act impartially for both.

2A solicitor receives $25,000 in cash from a new client to fund a real estate closing. Under the Law Society of Ontario's cash transaction limits in the Rules of Professional Conduct, what is the lawyer permitted to do?

A.Accept the full $25,000 in cash because it relates to a real estate transaction

B.Refuse to accept $7,500 or more in cash in respect of any one client matter, subject to limited exceptions

C.Accept the cash only if the client signs a source-of-funds declaration

D.Accept any amount of cash provided it is deposited into the mixed trust account the same day

Explanation: The Law Society's cash transaction rules (By-Law 9 and Rule 3.6 commentary) prohibit a lawyer from receiving $7,500 or more in cash in respect of any one client file or matter, with narrow exceptions (e.g., from a financial institution or public body, or for professional fees). The $25,000 cash payment far exceeds this limit and must be refused.

3Before acting on a real estate transaction in Ontario, a solicitor must comply with the Law Society's client identification and verification requirements. When a lawyer engages in or instructs the receipt, payment or transfer of funds, which step is required?

A.Only basic client identification, because verification is optional for individuals

B.Verification only of corporate clients, not individuals

C.Both client identification and verification of the client's identity using independent source documents

D.A credit check on the client through a Canadian credit bureau

Explanation: Under By-Law 7.1, where a lawyer engages in or gives instructions in respect of the receiving, paying or transferring of funds (as in a real estate closing), the lawyer must both identify and verify the client's identity, using independent source documents, data or information. Real estate transactions trigger the heightened verification obligation, not merely identification.

4A solicitor is asked by a long-standing corporate client to prepare a will for the company's controlling shareholder, who is elderly and whose adult child (also a client of the firm) will be the principal beneficiary. The solicitor has never met the shareholder. What is the solicitor's primary professional obligation?

A.Take instructions from the adult child because the child is a current client of the firm

B.Decline to prepare any will for a person referred by a family member

C.Prepare the will as instructed and have the testator sign without an interview

D.Meet privately with the testator to confirm capacity and that the instructions are free of undue influence

Explanation: A solicitor preparing a will must take instructions directly from the testator, meet privately to confirm testamentary capacity, and ensure the will reflects the testator's free wishes without undue influence. Where a beneficiary arranges the retainer, the duty to guard against undue influence is heightened, consistent with Rule 3.4 and estate-planning competence requirements.

5In Ontario, most land has been converted to the electronic Land Titles system administered through Teraview. What is the principal legal advantage of the Land Titles system over the older Registry system for a purchaser's solicitor?

A.Title is guaranteed by the state, so a 40-year historical title search is generally unnecessary

B.It eliminates the need to obtain title insurance on any transaction

C.It allows the purchaser to take title free of all municipal property taxes

D.It removes the requirement to register a transfer to perfect the buyer's interest

Explanation: Under the Land Titles Act, the register is the conclusive record of title, backed by the Land Titles Assurance Fund, so the solicitor relies on the current state of the register rather than conducting a full 40-year chain-of-title search required under the Registry Act. This 'curtain' and 'mirror' principle is a defining feature of Land Titles.

6A purchaser's solicitor reviews an agreement of purchase and sale for a vacant lot and notes the seller created the lot by severing it from a larger parcel last year. What Planning Act issue must the solicitor confirm to ensure the conveyance is valid?

A.That the seller paid land transfer tax on the original parcel

B.That a consent to sever (or that the transaction is exempt) was obtained, so the deed does not contravene the Planning Act subdivision control provisions

C.That the lot has been registered under the Condominium Act

D.That the municipality has issued a certificate of occupancy

Explanation: Section 50 of the Planning Act imposes subdivision control: a conveyance of part of a parcel is void unless a consent to sever has been granted or an exemption applies. The solicitor must confirm proper consent or exemption, because a deed that contravenes s. 50 does not create or convey any interest in land.

7On a residential resale closing in Ontario, the purchaser's solicitor sends the seller's solicitor a letter listing title defects and objections that must be addressed before closing. By what name is this document known, and what governs the deadline for delivering it?

A.A statement of adjustments, due on the closing date

B.A direction re title, due upon registration

C.A letter of requisitions, due by the requisition date set out in the agreement of purchase and sale

D.A notice of rescission, due 10 days before closing

Explanation: The letter of requisitions sets out the purchaser's objections to title and other matters the seller must remedy before closing. It must be delivered on or before the requisition date specified in the agreement of purchase and sale; objections not raised by that date (other than those going to the root of title) are generally deemed waived.

8A client is purchasing a newly built freehold home directly from the builder in Ontario. The solicitor advises the client about statutory warranty protection. Which body administers the new home warranty program, and which statute creates it?

A.The Land Titles Assurance Fund, under the Land Titles Act

B.LawPRO, under the Law Society Act

C.The Financial Services Regulatory Authority, under the Insurance Act

D.Tarion, under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act

Explanation: New freehold and condominium homes in Ontario are covered by statutory warranties administered by Tarion under the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act. The Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) licenses builders/vendors, while Tarion administers the warranty (one-, two-, and seven-year coverages).

9On closing a purchase, the purchaser's solicitor obtains a title insurance policy from a title insurer. Which of the following risks is title insurance specifically well-suited to address, compared with a traditional solicitor's opinion on title?

A.Title fraud and certain off-title and survey-related defects discovered after closing

B.Future increases in municipal property taxes

C.The purchaser's ability to obtain mortgage financing

D.Physical defects in the home's HVAC system

Explanation: Title insurance protects the insured against losses from covered title defects, including title fraud, certain off-title issues, and survey problems, often without the cost of obtaining a new survey or municipal compliance letters. It supplements (and in practice often replaces) a solicitor's traditional opinion on title.

10A solicitor is closing the purchase of a resale residential property for $900,000 in Toronto. Which statement about land transfer tax is correct?

A.Only provincial land transfer tax applies; Toronto does not levy a municipal land transfer tax

B.Both Ontario land transfer tax and the City of Toronto municipal land transfer tax apply to the purchase

C.Land transfer tax is payable by the seller, not the purchaser

D.Land transfer tax does not apply to resale homes, only to new construction

Explanation: Property within the City of Toronto is subject to both Ontario provincial land transfer tax under the Land Transfer Tax Act and the City of Toronto's municipal land transfer tax, generally payable by the purchaser on registration. A first-time buyer may qualify for partial rebates of each.

About the ON Solicitor Exam Exam

The Ontario Solicitor Licensing Examination is one of two self-study, open-book, multiple-choice exams administered by the Law Society of Ontario as part of the lawyer licensing process. The solicitor exam comprises 160 multiple-choice items written in a single 4-hour-30-minute sitting and tests entry-level solicitor competencies: ethical and professional responsibilities, real estate, wills/trusts/estate administration and planning, and business law, plus practice management. It is grounded in Ontario and federal law. The companion barrister exam covers public, criminal, family and civil litigation law.

Questions

160 scored questions

Time Limit

4 hours 30 minutes (single open-book sitting), one day

Passing Score

Criterion-referenced pass/fail; no numeric score released

Exam Fee

$865 CAD (examination) + $100 CAD (study materials) (Law Society of Ontario (LSO))

ON Solicitor Exam Exam Content Outline

30%

Real Estate

Ontario conveyancing: Land Titles and Registry systems, Teraview electronic registration, title searching and sub-searches, requisitions, agreements of purchase and sale, condominiums and status certificates, Planning Act subdivision control, Tarion new home warranty, title insurance, land transfer tax, and statements of adjustments

25%

Business Law

OBCA/CBCA incorporation and governance, directors' duties and conflicts, the oppression remedy and derivative actions, shareholders' and unanimous shareholder agreements, PPSA secured transactions and priorities, partnerships, asset vs. share purchases, and corporate tax (s. 85 rollover, lifetime capital gains exemption)

25%

Wills, Trusts & Estate Administration & Planning

Succession Law Reform Act, formal and holograph will execution, intestacy and the preferential share, Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, Estate Administration Tax, powers of attorney under the Substitute Decisions Act, trusts (three certainties, prudent investor, Henson trusts), and estate/tax planning including the deemed disposition at death

12%

Ethical & Professional Responsibilities

Rules of Professional Conduct, conflicts of interest and joint retainers, undertakings, confidentiality, competence, client identification and verification under By-Law 7.1, and cash transaction limits under By-Law 9

Practice Management

Trust accounting and monthly By-Law 9 reconciliations, file and bring-forward systems, delegation and supervision of staff, retainers and fees, assessment of accounts under the Solicitors Act, closing or transitioning a practice, and LAWPRO real estate practice coverage

How to Pass the ON Solicitor Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Criterion-referenced pass/fail; no numeric score released
Exam length: 160 questions
Time limit: 4 hours 30 minutes (single open-book sitting), one day
Exam fee: $865 CAD (examination) + $100 CAD (study materials)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ON Solicitor Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Prioritize real estate and business law — these are the two largest solicitor subjects; master Ontario conveyancing (Land Titles vs. Registry, Planning Act consents, requisitions, title insurance, closings) and corporate law (OBCA/CBCA, PPSA priorities, shareholders' agreements) first

2Build a detailed, tabbed index of the printed LSO materials before exam day; with 160 open-book questions in 4.5 hours, fast look-up is as important as substantive knowledge

3Know the Succession Law Reform Act cold: will execution formalities, the beneficiary-witness rule (s. 12), intestacy and the $350,000 preferential share, anti-lapse (s. 31), and that marriage no longer revokes a will (effective Jan 1, 2022)

4For estates, be able to calculate Estate Administration Tax (nil on the first $50,000, about $15 per $1,000 above) and identify which assets pass outside the estate (survivorship, beneficiary designations, secondary wills)

5Treat professional responsibility as a constant thread: client identification and verification (By-Law 7.1), the $7,500 cash limit, trust accounting and monthly By-Law 9 reconciliations, undertakings, and conflicts in joint retainers appear throughout

6Practise timed multiple-choice questions to build pacing and to learn how the exam frames scenario-based, single-best-answer items applying Ontario and federal law

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the Ontario Solicitor Licensing Examination?

The solicitor exam is a self-study, open-book, multiple-choice examination administered by the Law Society of Ontario. It comprises 160 multiple-choice items written in a single sitting of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Candidates may bring and use the LSO's printed and tabbed study materials in the exam room, but no digital access to materials is permitted.

What subjects are tested on the Ontario Solicitor Exam?

The solicitor exam tests entry-level solicitor competencies: ethical and professional responsibilities; real estate; wills, trusts, and estate administration and planning; and business law, plus practice management. Real estate and business law tend to carry the heaviest weighting. Professional responsibility questions are woven throughout the exam, sometimes within substantive fact patterns.

How much does the Ontario Solicitor Exam cost?

As of 2026, the solicitor licensing examination fee is $865 CAD (examination only), and the current-year solicitor examination study materials cost an additional $100 CAD, which must be paid before registering. These fees are set by the Law Society of Ontario and are subject to applicable taxes and change.

What is the passing score on the Ontario Solicitor Exam?

The exam is criterion-referenced, meaning candidates are judged against a fixed standard of entry-level competence rather than on a curve. The Law Society does not publish a numeric passing score and reports results only as 'pass' or 'fail.' Candidate sources estimate the pass threshold sits roughly in the mid-60% range, and results are typically released several weeks after the exam.

How many times can I write the Ontario Solicitor Exam?

Candidates may write each licensing examination up to three times within their licensing term, and up to four times if specifically authorized under the Lawyer Licensing Process Policies. The exam is offered three times per year — summer, fall and winter sittings — at examination centres in Toronto and Ottawa.

Since the exam is open book, why is it still difficult?

Although candidates can bring the LSO study materials, the volume of content and time pressure make the exam challenging. With 160 questions in 4.5 hours, there is little time to read material from scratch, so success depends on knowing the law well, building efficient indices and summaries, and being able to locate answers quickly. Many questions are scenario-based and require applying Ontario law, not just looking it up.