Upcoming Changes to Bar Admission Program

The adoption of the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP) in 2024 provided an opportunity for the Law Society to consider the current bar admission training course in BC. After more than 41 years of running the successful PLTC program, we recognize that the needs of law students and the competencies required to practice law have significantly evolved and updated training was required. The demands of today’s learners, shaped by technological advances, evolving pedagogical standards and the shifting needs of the public in the delivery of legal services, are very different from those of the past. The decision to retire PLTC was made after thorough review and consideration from Law Society Benchers and leadership.

After careful consideration of options to make required updates to our bar admission training program, the Law Society decided the best path forward is to join Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia in adopting CPLED’s established PREP course.

CPLED offers a level of reliability, including outcomes data, user feedback and established support networks. CPLED’s online model delivers meaningful, effective skills-based learning and assessment that meets the needs of today’s students, while ensuring that new lawyers entering practice meet the standard necessary to serve and protect the public.

PREP is built on best practices and helps future lawyers gain practical skills and competencies with a consistent, integrated approach that combines interactive, transactional learning and simulation. In addition, having an inter-provincial program allows for uniform standards for teaching and assessing entry-level competency and promotes lawyer mobility.

We are confident that PREP will be an enriching and dynamic education experience that will effectively equip future BC lawyers with the relevant skills and depth of knowledge they need to enter the profession practice-ready. 
 

The Law Society and CPLED are confident that there will be many benefits to adopting PREP in BC. Some of the highlights of PREP include:

• PREP is intentionally designed to support diverse learning styles and schedules. Students can choose to complete the four phases of PREP full-time over 11 weeks or part-time over nine months. Within the course, students complete a mix of self-study modules, live and interactive workshops with scheduling options, as well as interactions with Practice Managers and cohort members during the Virtual Law Firm portion. 

• The competency-based learning approach means that candidates will acquire the essential skills and competencies needed to successfully enter the profession.

• The Capstone Evaluation assesses core competencies through a series of oral and written assignments that reflect real-world legal tasks and provide a holistic picture of each student’s abilities. A three-tiered evaluation process that includes trained lawyer assessors, psychometric analysis and final review ensures the assessment is fair, reliable and defensible.

• CPLED has built a culture of continuous improvement in its learning programs, including PREP. Their team is well set up to respond quickly to the changing needs of students and emerging topics in the legal profession (e.g., ethical use of AI in legal practice, practice management, and well-being) and to align the course content to the WCCP.

• PREP delivers consistent training and assessment across its participating jurisdictions.
   

The key differences are structure, content and delivery format. 

Program structure and delivery

PLTC is a full-time, 10-week program taught by one instructor and occasional guest instructors. It was designed to be delivered in person but is now delivered in a virtual classroom setting, with students attending live on camera for all lessons. Students must pass four skills assessments and two law exams to complete PLTC.

PREP offers two flexible pathways: full-time over 11 weeks or part-time over nine months. Both options are designed for online learning with a mix of self-study modules, interactive live workshops with multiple lawyer-facilitators. A simulated Virtual Law Firm phase allows students to receive feedback on assignments from trained lawyer-assessors and access one-on-one meetings with practice managers chosen by the student.

Program design and content

PLTC consists of a series of practice modules delivered in the virtual classroom using a traditional instructional model. Course content emphasizes practical skills training, ethics, practice management and practice and procedure, with students completing classroom practice and assignments that tie into four graded skill assessments.

PREP is built on a competency-based framework, with content and assessments aligned to defined performance standards. Its program structure includes four phases—Foundation Modules, Foundation Workshops, Virtual Law Firm, and Capstone Evaluation. This format allows candidates to build on their foundational knowledge and practice key lawyering skills while receiving valuable feedback from practitioners, and ultimately demonstrating that they have achieved entry-level competency.

Final evaluation

PLTC students must pass four skill assessments and two law exams to complete the course. The law exams cover barrister and solicitor topics.

PREP culminates in a Capstone Evaluation completed over the final two weeks of PREP and covers oral skills and written skills.
 

PREP is offered in two formats: full-time Accelerated PREP over 11 weeks and part-time Standard PREP over nine months that can take place at the same time as articles if desired.
 

The 2026 PREP tuition fee will be announced in early 2026. The PREP tuition fee is not expected to be a significant increase from the current PLTC tuition fee.