UPDATED FOR THE NEW BAR EXAM FORMAT
Here are all of the past Quebec Bar exams (without annotations) with solution sheets I was able to find divided by topic. None are more recent than 2004, but here they are so that everyone has access to them to level the playing field. Although the exams are not fully representative of the style of the current exams, they will give you an idea of the types of questions which could be asked, so you can start practising against the different tricks which the Bar tries to use to catch you. I recommend you do as many of these exams as you can and correct them like a true bar exam – meaning no partial marks and if the article is wrong, you get 0. If you’re short on time and looking to try to cover as many subjects as possible in a limited amount of time, consider looking at Quebec Bar Past Equivalency Exams.
If you have any of the exams I’m missing, please send them to me.
Criminal / Pénal
These exams are relevant. Beware of statute changes regarding drug-related infractions.
Business / Affaires
These past exams are unfortunately based off of the Companies Act rather than the Quebec Business Corporations Act, so you need to double-check the answers in the new law. Also, don’t do the questions on bankruptcy; they are no longer on the exam.
Civil I: Family, Persons, Civil Liability / Famille, Personnes, Responsabilité civile
These past exams encompass different topics. Only do the relevant sections and skip all of the questions on estates as this topic is no longer on the exams.
Civil II: Obligations, Prior Claims and Hypothecs, Drafting / Obligations, Priorités et hypothèques, Rédaction
These past exams begin with a drafting component. They are a great way to prepare for your drafting and theory of a case exam (there are some small stylistic changes currently to the header due to the new C.C.P., but the important parts remain the same.) The rest of the exam encompasses the remaining two topics. As the solution sheets are all in French, I prepared some English drafted proceeding to match the French ones for several of the solution sheets. They can be found under the link “English Drafted Proceedings”.
Evidence, Procedure, Drafting / Preuve, Procédure, Rédaction
These past exams begin with a drafting component. It is only really necessary to prepare the entête and the conclusions; the rest of the drafting questions need not be prepared (there are some small stylistic changes currently to the entête due to the new C.P.C., but the important parts remain the same.) Be wary of the procedure questions as the new C.P.C. has changed some of the answers.
Administratif, Travail / Administrative, Labour
The administrative part of these exams are fairly relevant, although all questions on municipal taxes may be skipped as this is no longer an exam subject. The questions on labour law are sometimes based off of some of the predecessors to the Act Respecting Labour Standards which provides different answers than the current applicable statute.
I am extremely impressed with this website – it is a great tool for bar students and the only resource of this type available to help us through this challenging process. Thanks so much for doing this!
Thanks so much! Will be taking the bar exam next year, and I’m very nervous. This is definitely very helpful.
Merci, ces examens font certainement partie des raisons pour lesquelles j’ai passé du premier coup!
Hi! Do you know where I can find the equivalent articles of Loi sur les compagnies (now Loi sur les sociétés par actions QC)? Thanks so much for everything!
Hi Sam.
Many codes contain a cross-reference tables (concordance tables). That table will cross-reference the articles numbers from the different laws. If not, you can always look on the CAIJ website in their version of the law in question. Hope that helps.
Hello! Thanks for all the helpful information. I am wondering, do we have to opt for our choice of language before we start bar school or can we pick the language of choice on the day of the exam? I received my books in French, and I am aware that the classes are all in French. Does that mean I would have to take the exam in French? Thanks so much!
Bar School is only offered in French. The Collection de Droit is only offered in French. All of the books of laws are bilingual (for the annotated Criminal Code, you choose whether you want to buy the French version or the English one). As for the actual Quebec Bar Exam, it is a bilingual exam. You get all of the questions in both English and French, and you can answer in either language.
This is so far the most helpful website that helps Barreau students to pass the Bar, great job! The tutors are top-notch. Many thanks!
Can we skip all questions on municipal law or only municipal taxation since the Code municipal is not part of our codes that we are allowed to bring with us.
Yes, all municipal law questions can be skipped. Good luck with your preparation.
Are the answer sheets still relevant? As in, if an answer references CCQ 55, for example, would that answer still be valid today? What is the best way to use these old exams to study?
Although the exam format has changed since these old exams (now only multiple-choice questions), the types of questions has not really changed. The questions on the exam now are just as tricky as those on these old exams, so a good way to practise is to do these old exams as is, and once you get good at passing them, you are ready for your Applied Law Exam.