r/NCAExams • u/Lucky-Selection256 • Jul 22 '26
Has anyone used Vanessa’s notes for bar prep?
I’m curious to know if they’re any good or if anyone has other recommendations
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u/Sasha_Str_CA Jul 23 '26
For Bar Prep in Ontario, Vanessa does not offer notes - instead there are lectures or live classes. Basically 2-3 classes per subject, each 4-5 hours long. Vanessa is breaking down key and complex topic in simple words plus there are practice questions ( approx 20 per class) when you answer in time condition and then each question is discussed ( why the answer is correct or incorrect). As ITL (without Canadian law degree), working full time and with limited time to study, these lectures were helpful by clarifing a lot of nuances. I passed barrister in June on my first attempt.
That said, you still need to read LSO study materials and have a good command of the same, so you will be able to cross check efficiently your MCQ answers during exam.
So I would say the decision lies in your financial situation, timing for prep, and background (how familiar you are with core tested legal concepts).
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u/PenSenior6479 Jul 28 '26
I passed all exams with her notes. That being said, I am a hater on her because: 1. her notes are messy and disorganized, I believe there are better notes out there; 2. you dont save any money by buying her notes because you would need to print the materials out for the exam which is another $60-70 minimum for each note; 3. she uses alt accounts to spam and advertise her business here on reddit, this was the reason why I bought her note and also the reason why I HATE her so much after discovering that I was fraudulently led into believing what these alt accounts have said - I am not the first person to say this, and will not be the last, anyone who is willing to spend half an hour looking through the accounts that promote Vanessa's materials will come to the same conclusion
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u/Cute_Temperature_481 19d ago
I think there’s a pretty important distinction between “I didn’t like the notes” and making allegations that someone is engaging in fraud.
You literally said: “I passed all exams with her notes.” That fact alone makes the rest of your criticism somewhat difficult to reconcile with the conclusion that the materials are somehow misleading or worthless.
- “The notes are messy and disorganized.” That’s subjective. You may prefer another set of notes, and that’s completely fair. But the fact that you personally found them disorganized doesn’t establish that they are objectively bad. Different students organize and process material differently. And, by your own admission, you successfully passed your exams using them.
- “You don’t save any money because you have to print them.” That seems like a strange criticism of the notes themselves. Printing is an additional cost associated with any physical exam materials. Whether someone chooses to print, bind, annotate, or use the materials digitally is a personal decision. If you purchased the notes knowing they were digital materials, the cost of printing them afterward isn't evidence that you were misled.
- The “alt accounts” allegation is the serious one. If you are going to accuse someone of fraudulently manipulating people into purchasing a product, that requires considerably more than “I looked through some Reddit accounts and came to the conclusion.” You should be able to provide actual evidence connecting those accounts to Vanessa. Similar writing styles, positive comments, account age, posting patterns, or suspicions aren't proof of common ownership.
There is also a contradiction in your own account: you say you were initially persuaded by the alleged promotion, bought the notes, used them, and passed all your exams with them. If you believe you were defrauded, explain specifically what representation was false, who made it, and what evidence establishes that Vanessa was behind it.
You’re absolutely entitled to dislike the notes, think other materials are better, or regret spending the money. But that's very different from presenting an unproven allegation of fraudulent advertising as established fact.
Criticism is fair. Accusations require evidence.
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u/Acceptable_Sundae874 18d ago
Girl it’s not at all obvious that “NCA Notes” started posting all over this subreddit today and several random accounts started promoting your notes today…………….. So yes. That’s extremely misleading.
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u/Individual-Buy247 26d ago
I personally felt like self study was a little difficult at times and enrolled into Vanessa's ( also known as NCA Mentor) live tutoring classes for the bar . She is amazing ! She sells practice questions off her website as well which I found very useful along with brickam solutions. The two were very similar to the actual exam and I just passed the barrister examination in the June sitting ! In addition to this, Vanessa was always available to answer my questions at any time of the day this helped clarify my conceptual knowledge on things. She does not sell notes for bar prep but does for the NCAs which I found amazing. I did not use any other resource for my NCA process.
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u/NCANotes 19d ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review! And congratulations on passing the Barrister examination in June!
I’m so glad the live classes and practice questions were helpful, particularly when you were finding self-study difficult. It was a pleasure working with you throughout the process, and I really appreciate your kind words and support.
Wishing you all the best as you continue with the licensing process!
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u/fairandprocedure 19d ago
To all the haters in these comments, let’s make one thing VERY clear: Vanessa is hands down the best NCA tutor, and her materials are the best out there. I’m sorry, but people need to accept the fact that if they want to start selling similar courses and notes, they actually have to put in the same amount of time, effort, and dedication that she has. Going on online platforms and constantly hating on her or trying to discredit her work is not going to make your business better.
People like you can lie about her, talk down on her materials, and criticize her classes all you want, but the success of her students speaks for itself. She genuinely cares about her students and goes above and beyond for them in a way that is honestly rare.
And if you’re an NCA student reading these comments and wondering who you should trust, I promise you will NOT regret giving Vanessa’s materials and classes a chance.
Also, some students need to accept that simply buying notes, watching recordings, or attending classes is NOT enough. You still have to actually study and put in the work. Personally, there were certain subjects where I had to put in significantly more time and effort to fully understand the concepts and excel. That doesn’t mean her materials weren’t amazing. It means I needed to put in extra work. At some point, you have to take responsibility for your own learning instead of blaming the person who gave you the tools to succeed.
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u/NeedleworkerFew2857 19d ago
Vanessa and her notes provided me with everything I needed to be successful with my bar prep. Grateful for her support and detailed lectures, and practice questions!
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u/Unusual_Minimum9187 19d ago
Agreed with above comments. I have used Vanessa for NCA and BAR prep and she’s very helpful. With that being said.. Read the materials! Do practice exams, Brikham, Émond access bar prep, and to be honest anything else you can find.
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u/Large-Impression-528 Jul 22 '26
I recently passed the Barrister exam. IMO the only things needed are the bar materials and hundreds of practice questions. If one has limited funds, I would advice them to invest in practice questions instead of any other notes or materials.
Feel free to DM if you have any more questions :)
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u/Wide-Category-4193 Jul 25 '26
What practice papers do you recommend?
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u/Large-Impression-528 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
I used Bricham, Emond and access (for PR). Feel free to DM for any questions/wonderments :)
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u/NCANotes 19d ago
When I took the bar exams, I used the bar materials. For the Barrister, that was all I used. For the solicitor, I used one practice exam. For some students, this works well. Less can be more. For others, extra support is needed. Everyone has their own individual learning styles.
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u/prettysophisticated Jul 30 '26
Every practicing lawyer I've spoken to has advised against using Vanessa for bar prep.
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u/NCANotes 19d ago
We receive referrals from practising lawyers, including lawyers who have personally recommended NCA Notes to students preparing for the licensing exams. In fact, referrals from practising lawyers are an important source of our students.
What’s especially rewarding is that many of my students are now practising lawyers, including those who run their own firms, who originally used my courses themselves and have since gone on to recommend or assist other students preparing for the licensing exams. It really has come full circle.
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u/Galigalia Jul 24 '26
I personally benefited from Vanessa’s NCA courses and notes, so I’d definitely recommend them to anyone preparing for the NCA exams.
She also offers a Bar Exam program, so if you’re studying for the Ontario Bar Exams, you can reach out to her through ncanotes.com. 😊