Examination Information
Examinations are held in March and September each year, at the end of each respective Session. Students who are in doubt as to their progress through the course should contact the Board.
Information about the format of exam papers and the list of permitted examination materials will be posted on this site approximately six weeks prior to the commencement of the exam period. REMEMBER: Do not assume that the format or materials which were permitted in the previous semester's exams will be the same as for the current semester.
State legislation and some Commonwealth legislation can be purchased from Salmat Print on Demand, Lv 3, 2 - 24 Rawson Place, Sydney. Telephone: 1300 656 986. Commonwealth legislation can also be purchased through Canprint Info Services on 1300 656 863.
Relevant information and directions regarding permitted exam materials can be found in the Current Course Information handbook and on this site and cannot be contradicted by others including lecturers.
You MUST be in possession of an acceptable means of identification when attending the examination centre. This should preferably be your Student ID/Library card. If the card has been lost or mislaid, you should obtain a replacement from the University of Sydney Card Centre prior to the exam. If this is impossible, you must bring either a current driver's licence or passport to the exam centre. Any student without appropriate ID will not be permitted to sit the exam. Please note this policy will be strictly enforced.
Please make sure that you arrive at your nominated exam centre at least 20 minutes prior to the commencement of the exam and, to avoid disruption to your fellow examination candidates, leave your mobile phone at home/work - alternatively, please ensure that it is turned off.
Examination Information
Eligibility to sit
Rule 73 of the Legal Profession Admission Rules provides that a student who has enrolled for and undertaken a course of instruction in a subject of examination conducted by the Law Extension Committee and who has completed the requirements of the course, may sit for the examination in that subject unless the Law Extension Committee notifies the candidate and the Examinations Committee, prior to the examination, that the candidate has not completed the requirements of the course to the satisfaction of the Law Extension Committee.
The course requirements for each subject are set out in the relevant Law Extension Committee Subject Guide.
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Examination Times
Unless otherwise advised by the Board, at all examination centres, the morning examinations will commence at 9.00am and the afternoon examinations will commence at 1.45pm. The duration of each exam is 3 hours preceded by 15 minutes reading time. Candidates should report to their nominated examination centre at least 20 minutes prior to the commencement of an examination to ensure they are present for important announcements.
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Identification
Each candidate must be in possession of acceptable means of photo identification when attending the examination centre, and must produce the identification upon request to a supervisor or a member of the Legal Profession Admission Board staff.
Acceptable forms of ID are LPAB Student ID/Library card, current driver's licence, passport or proof of age card. Any student failing to present acceptable ID will not be allowed to sit the examination.
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Late Arrival
Candidates should arrive at the examination centre on time so that they are aware of all announcements regarding examination protocols. A candidate who arrives at the examination centre after the commencement of an exam may not be permitted to enter the examination room as per above conditions, but if so permitted, will not be allowed additional writing time at the end of the examination.
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Examination Attendance
Each candidate must remain in the examination room for at least one hour after the commencement of the examination, and must not leave the examination room until his or her answer booklets have been collected and other permitted materials checked. A candidate who enters the examination room, stays for one hour and hands in an answer booklet with his/her student number but does not attempt any questions will be deemed to have sat for the examination. Candidates scheduled to sit, but for any reason unable to attend an examination at either the Armidale, Broken Hill, Dubbo or Lismore venue, are requested to contact the venue, on the day of the exam, and preferably prior to the start of the exam, to advise of their non attendance.
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Personal Items in Examinations
Students may take in pens, small sweets and a bottle of water in a clear container, but not fruit, biscuits, soft drinks or food generally. A small fruit juice may also be taken in by people with diabetes. Mobile phones or any other pre-programmable electronic devices must be switched off and will be stored in a location specified by the Examination Supervisor. The Board can accept no responsibility for the loss of students’ personal property. Anything taken into the examination room must be made available for inspection by the examination supervisors or other Board staff. Students are reminded that they must comply with the Board’s examination protocols.
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Students with Disabilities
A candidate may apply to the Board for special examination conditions if he or she has a medical, physical, sensory or psychiatric condition or impairment, or a documented learning disability which will prevent him or her demonstrating the extent of his or her knowledge in an examination. A candidate must supply recent relevant documentation in support of his or her application, which should be made as soon as possible after enrolling but no later than the date specified on page 42 of the current course handbook. The medical documentation should describe the condition, its likely developmentover time, and the type and extent of special examination conditions which would permit the student to perform on his/her merits. Special examination conditions are approved for a specified examination session only and Students should not assume ongoing approval and must reapply each session.
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Illnes or personal problems at examination time
Each Examiner is required to mark papers strictly according to their merits, without regard to candidates' medical or personal problems. A candidate whose examination performance is likely to be adversely affected by personal circumstances may be better advised not to present himself or herself for examination. Under no circumstances should a candidate attach a medical certificate to an examination booklet, or otherwise communicate with an Examiner seeking special consideration in relation to his or her examination performance.
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Permitted Materials in Examinations
Prior to the examinations, the front page of every examination paper including the list of permitted materials for each subject, will be published on the Board’s website: Click Here to access page
Current examination format includes open book, open book with conditions and closed book.
Students-at-Law are requested to pay particular attention to the list of permitted materials so that they do not inadvertently take unpermitted material into an examination. You should rely only on information from the Board in relation to permitted materials. You should not rely on remarks by teachers or students.
The Examinations Committee has resolved that supervisors in the Board’s examinations should confiscate unpermitted material and forward it securely to the Board’s Examinations Officer for report to the Examinations Committee.
If a supervisor believes that you are in possession of unpermitted material the supervisor is instructed to:
tell you that it is unpermitted; report the matter to the senior supervisor; confiscate the material and forward
it to the Examinations Officer with an incident report form. In the unlikely event that there has been a mistake the material is to be returned to you as quickly as practicable.
The supervisors will check written materials as soon as practicable after reading time commences. If a Student-at-Law has inadvertently taken unpermitted material into an examination it would be in their interests to surrender the material at the earliest practicable moment.
Other than the materials supplied by the Board, candidates are themselves responsible for providing all permitted materials.
Some instances of cheating and of bringing unauthorised material into the examination room in previous examinations have come to the notice of the Board. Candidates are warned that such conduct may result in instant expulsion from the examination, and exclusion from all further examinations.
Candidates are also requested to bring swiftly to the notice of examination supervisors any cheating of which they become aware.
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Handwriting Legibility
Candidates are cautioned that handwritten exam answers must be clear and distinct.
If an Examiner finds it impossible to interpret a candidate’s handwriting the Board will inform the candidate who will then be required to lodge an application for arrangements to transcribe his/her answers into a typed version. The candidate will be required to meet the costs of these arrangements.
Withdrawal from an Examination
Candidates are not required to give notice that they are withdrawing from subjects in which they are enrolled. A candidate who does not present himself or herself for examination will not be recorded as having failed the examination.
In ceasing to prepare for an examination, however, a candidate should be mindful of the progression and exclusion rules to which reference is made on pages 12-13, and to any special conditions which may have been imposed on him or her by the Examinations Committee.
Enrolment fees are not refunded, or carried forward to a later session, in cases where a student withdraws.
A student who has completed tuition in a subject in a given session, however, may under certain prescribed circumstances be eligible to apply for exemption from tuition in that subject in the session immediately following.
Changing Examination Centres
A candidate wishing to apply to sit at a scheduled examination centre other than the centre nominated at the time of enrolment must make special arrangements with the Board no later than the date specified at page 47 of the current course handbook.
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Unscheduled Examination Locations
In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may be permitted to sit for an examination at an unscheduled location in Australia or overseas. Written applications explaining these circumstances, must be forwarded to reach the Board's office at the dates specified in the current course handbook. Students must not delay their application until assignment results are known. Within an application to sit an examination at an unscheduled location, a student may suggest a particular location and provide contact details for it. The choice of location, however, is entirely the Board's. A student should not assume that the Board will arrange a convenient, unscheduled location.
Residency outside New South Wales is not considered to be an exceptional circumstance and does not guarantee a request will be accommodated.
The Board is currently reviewing its policy in relation to unscheduled examination locations and students should not assume that the current policy allowing students to sit examinations at venues other than scheduled locations will continue.
Additional fees, which are substantial, are payable in advance. Enquiries should be directed to the Board's Examinations Officer on (02) 9338 3506. See the Board's Third Schedule under forms and fees for the current fees. A candidate who has been granted permission to sit for examination(s) in an unscheduled location should advise the Board's Examinations Officer if they decide not to sit for an examination.
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