For exam candidates
A TOLES certificate can help you succeed in your law career.
Study for an exam
To get a good grade in a TOLES exam, the first step is to choose your level carefully. When you are sure which level is right for you, you can begin to study.
To prepare for a TOLES exam by yourself is easy. We have several online courses and textbooks to help you, and all of them are designed for self-study. You can choose your path to TOLES success according to what is best for you.
You will find online legal English grammar and vocabulary courses on the Cambridge Law Studio website, or you can buy a textbook from our online store. If you want to, you can do both.
The only study material which is recommended for TOLES is published by either Cambridge Law Studio Limited or Global Legal English Limited. We have not checked any other study material and therefore we cannot endorse it.
Some TOLES exam candidates like to have the help of a teacher in their own country before taking an exam. We have Registered Exam Centres all around the world.
If you would like to find an exam centre in your country then you can view a list of registered centres here.
If you’re a teacher who would like to start teaching legal English, please email info@toles.co.uk and we’ll be pleased to help you.
See a TOLES exam
The majority of questions on all three TOLES exam papers are multiple-choice.
You can see a sample Foundation, Higher or Advanced exam and have a look at the types of question on each paper.
Please, choose your level carefully. We do not recommend that you start at too difficult a level and we recommend that you also study some grammar from a good grammar book as you study legal English.
The three TOLES exams are carefully planned steps towards reaching your legal English goals. You will need to study in between the different levels to get a good score.
Take a Practice TOLES Exam
If you would like to try a Practice TOLES Exam paper before you try the real thing, you can do so. There are Practice Exam papers available to you for each level.
The cost of taking a Practice TOLES Exam is £25 for each of the papers. This is a pdf Practice Exam which you will be able to download once purchased.
The Practice Exam comes with an answer key.
TOLES exam dates and prices
The TOLES exam dates and prices are:
- 27 January 2022
- 24 March 2022
- 26 May 2022
- 30 June 2022
- 25 August 2022
- 24 November 2022
The price for the online TOLES exams in 2022 are:
The TOLES Foundation exam
£210.00
The TOLES Higher exam
£235.00
The TOLES Advanced exam
£275.00
The TOLES Foundation Exam
- 20 August 2026
- 19 November 2026
- 21 January 2027
- 18 March 2027
- 20 May 2027
- 24 June 2027
- 19 August 2027
- 18 November 2027
Price £150.00 for 2026 exams
Price £170.00 for 2027 exams
The TOLES Higher Exam
- 20 August 2026
- 19 November 2026
- 21 January 2027
- 18 March 2027
- 20 May 2027
- 24 June 2027
- 19 August 2027
- 18 November 2027
Price £165.00 for 2026 exams
Price £185.00 for 2027 exams
The TOLES Advanced Exam
- 20 August 2026
- 19 November 2026
- 21 January 2027
- 18 March 2027
- 20 May 2027
- 24 June 2027
- 19 August 2027
- 18 November 2027
Price £195.00 for 2026 exams
Price £205.00 for 2027 exams
Register for a TOLES exam
- Register for a TOLES exam in August 2026
- Register for a TOLES exam in November 2026
- Register for a TOLES exam in January 2027
- Register for a TOLES exam in March 2027
- Register for a TOLES exam in May 2027
- Register for a TOLES exam in June 2027
- Register for a TOLES exam in August 2027
- Register for a TOLES exam in November 2027
How TOLES is scored
Results for all three of the TOLES exam results are expressed as a percentage.
An exam certificate is issued providing a candidate’s score as a percentage and comes with an explanation of what that score means within a score band.
TOLES is not a ‘pass or fail’ exam but acts as a genuine guide to each candidate’s level of legal English at the time of taking the exam.
BAND ONE
81 – 100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- can deal confidently and ably with all of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus;
- is competent to understand written legal English at Foundation exam level and has good strategies for coping with new language;
- has an excellent understanding of key legal English vocabulary within certain authentic legal documents;
- is ready to progress to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND TWO
61 – 80% This candidate is assessed as having VERY GOOD legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- can deal competently with many of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus and would benefit greatly from more
practice in their legal English studies; - has made some excellent progress at understanding written legal English at this level;
- has a good understanding of key legal English vocabulary within certain authentic legal documents;
- is almost ready to progress to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND THREE
41 – 60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- is quite challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus. They have a basic grasp of the skills tested in the
examination but need to focus on developing a good legal English vocabulary and on achieving better accuracy in use of grammar - has made a start at understanding legal English at Foundation exam level but requires a significant amount of further study;
- has a basic understanding of legal vocabulary at this level but some key terminology is lacking.
- requires significant further study at Foundation exam level before progressing to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND FOUR
1-40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- is seriously challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus. They have a poor grasp of the skills tested in the
examination and need to focus on making a start in acquiring legal vocabulary and being more accurate in their use of grammar - needs to make a better start at understanding legal English at Foundation exam level and requires a significant amount of further study;
- has a poor understanding of legal vocabulary at this level with most key terminology lacking.
- requires significant further study at Foundation exam level before attempting the TOLES Foundation examination again.
BAND ONE
81 – 100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal confidently and ably with all of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus;
- is competent to deal with written or spoken legal English at intermediate level, and has good strategies for coping with new language;
- with support, can deal well with certain authentic legal documents, professional emails and carefully conducted conference situations, such as telephone or video conversations;
- is ready to progress to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND TWO
61 – 80% This candidate is assessed as having GOOD legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal well with many of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus and would benefit a lot from the opportunity for further practice;
- has made very good progress in dealing with written or spoken legal English at an intermediate level;
- is close to being able to deal with certain authentic legal documents and professional emails, and has a strong understanding of the language used in conference situations, such as telephone or video conversations;
- is almost ready to progress to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND THREE
41 – 60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- is challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus but is definitely on the way to reaching intermediate level skills;
- has a fundamental understanding of written and spoken legal English at intermediate level, and will continue to improve with practice;
- has some understanding of certain authentic legal documents and the language used in conference situations, but continues to require a lot of support;
- requires significant further study at intermediate level before progressing to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND FOUR
1 – 40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal with a few of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus but is weak in some, or all, key areas;
- needs to make a better start at understanding and actively using language at Higher exam level; and requires a significant amount of further study;
- requires considerable support when dealing with authentic legal documents and the language used in conference situations;
- requires considerable further study at Higher exam level before progressing to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND ONE
81-100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a near-native knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and is likely to be up to date on ideas for reform and modernisation in the field of legal English;
- has an excellent awareness of the appropriateness of different styles/register, and is able to actively use this knowledge in everyday work situations;
- is likely to be an excellent translator of legal documents from English into their own native language;
- produces excellent written work, which is highly accurate and grammatically correct, even under intensive time pressure.
BAND TWO
61-80% This candidate is assessed as having VERY GOOD legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a well-above average knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and a very good understanding of how to use legal terminology in written documents
- has a strong awareness of different styles/register and is able to recognise essential differences in the appropriateness of style in a variety of legal documents;
- is a very good and reliable translator of legal documents from English into their own native language;
- produces written work of a very high standard under intense pressure of time, with few errors.
BAND THREE
41-60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a good knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and has successfully made the challenging jump from intermediate to advanced level legal English;
- has a good awareness of appropriateness of different styles/register and is unlikely to make significant style errors in legal drafting;
- is a promising legal translator, and is often able to self-correct errors in writing and speaking;
- produces good written work under intense pressure of time but needs some support, as there are likely to be some errors.
BAND FOUR
1-40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has some basic knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and a basic understanding of how to use terminology in written legal documents;
- has an awareness of appropriateness of different styles/register in written and spoken legal English, but needs more experience in order to be able to put this knowledge to active use
- is sensitive to the requirements of translating accurately but does not yet have the skills to be able to do so;
- cannot yet produce accurate written work under intense time pressure and needs more time to learn about the structure, style and accuracy required for legal documents.
TOLES Foundation Exam score bands
TOLES Higher Exam score bands
TOLES Advanced Exam score bands
TOLES Foundation Exam score bands
BAND ONE
81 – 100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- can deal confidently and ably with all of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus;
- is competent to understand written legal English at Foundation exam level and has good strategies for coping with new language;
- has an excellent understanding of key legal English vocabulary within certain authentic legal documents;
- is ready to progress to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND TWO
61 – 80% This candidate is assessed as having VERY GOOD legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- can deal competently with many of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus and would benefit greatly from more
practice in their legal English studies; - has made some excellent progress at understanding written legal English at this level;
- has a good understanding of key legal English vocabulary within certain authentic legal documents;
- is almost ready to progress to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND THREE
41 – 60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- is quite challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus. They have a basic grasp of the skills tested in the
examination but need to focus on developing a good legal English vocabulary and on achieving better accuracy in use of grammar - has made a start at understanding legal English at Foundation exam level but requires a significant amount of further study;
- has a basic understanding of legal vocabulary at this level but some key terminology is lacking.
- requires significant further study at Foundation exam level before progressing to the TOLES Higher examination.
BAND FOUR
1-40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Foundation exam level. This candidate:
- is seriously challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus. They have a poor grasp of the skills tested in the
examination and need to focus on making a start in acquiring legal vocabulary and being more accurate in their use of grammar - needs to make a better start at understanding legal English at Foundation exam level and requires a significant amount of further study;
- has a poor understanding of legal vocabulary at this level with most key terminology lacking.
- requires significant further study at Foundation exam level before attempting the TOLES Foundation examination again.
TOLES Higher Exam score bands
BAND ONE
81 – 100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal confidently and ably with all of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus;
- is competent to deal with written or spoken legal English at intermediate level, and has good strategies for coping with new language;
- with support, can deal well with certain authentic legal documents, professional emails and carefully conducted conference situations, such as telephone or video conversations;
- is ready to progress to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND TWO
61 – 80% This candidate is assessed as having GOOD legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal well with many of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus and would benefit a lot from the opportunity for further practice;
- has made very good progress in dealing with written or spoken legal English at an intermediate level;
- is close to being able to deal with certain authentic legal documents and professional emails, and has a strong understanding of the language used in conference situations, such as telephone or video conversations;
- is almost ready to progress to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND THREE
41 – 60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- is challenged by the examination requirements listed in the syllabus but is definitely on the way to reaching intermediate level skills;
- has a fundamental understanding of written and spoken legal English at intermediate level, and will continue to improve with practice;
- has some understanding of certain authentic legal documents and the language used in conference situations, but continues to require a lot of support;
- requires significant further study at intermediate level before progressing to the TOLES Advanced examination.
BAND FOUR
1 – 40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Higher exam level. This candidate:
- can deal with a few of the examination requirements listed in the syllabus but is weak in some, or all, key areas;
- needs to make a better start at understanding and actively using language at Higher exam level; and requires a significant amount of further study;
- requires considerable support when dealing with authentic legal documents and the language used in conference situations;
- requires considerable further study at Higher exam level before progressing to the TOLES Advanced examination.
TOLES Advanced Exam score bands
BAND ONE
81-100% This candidate is assessed as having EXCELLENT legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a near-native knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and is likely to be up to date on ideas for reform and modernisation in the field of legal English;
- has an excellent awareness of the appropriateness of different styles/register, and is able to actively use this knowledge in everyday work situations;
- is likely to be an excellent translator of legal documents from English into their own native language;
- produces excellent written work, which is highly accurate and grammatically correct, even under intensive time pressure.
BAND TWO
61-80% This candidate is assessed as having VERY GOOD legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a well-above average knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and a very good understanding of how to use legal terminology in written documents
- has a strong awareness of different styles/register and is able to recognise essential differences in the appropriateness of style in a variety of legal documents;
- is a very good and reliable translator of legal documents from English into their own native language;
- produces written work of a very high standard under intense pressure of time, with few errors.
BAND THREE
41-60% This candidate is assessed as having SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has a good knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and has successfully made the challenging jump from intermediate to advanced level legal English;
- has a good awareness of appropriateness of different styles/register and is unlikely to make significant style errors in legal drafting;
- is a promising legal translator, and is often able to self-correct errors in writing and speaking;
- produces good written work under intense pressure of time but needs some support, as there are likely to be some errors.
BAND FOUR
1-40% This candidate is assessed as having LESS THAN SATISFACTORY legal English skills at Advanced exam level. This candidate:
- has some basic knowledge of specific, commercial legal vocabulary and a basic understanding of how to use terminology in written legal documents;
- has an awareness of appropriateness of different styles/register in written and spoken legal English, but needs more experience in order to be able to put this knowledge to active use
- is sensitive to the requirements of translating accurately but does not yet have the skills to be able to do so;
- cannot yet produce accurate written work under intense time pressure and needs more time to learn about the structure, style and accuracy required for legal documents.
Getting your TOLES result and your
TOLES certificate
You will get your TOLES exam result within 7 business days of taking an online exam.
You will get your TOLES certificate sent to you within 30 days of taking an online exam.
Requesting a review
of your score
If you are disappointed with your TOLES exam result you can ask us to review your result.
However, because the majority of TOLES exam questions are multiple-choice, your result is unlikely to be wrong. What is more likely is that you chose the wrong level of exam for your current knowledge of legal English.
If you do decide to request a review of your TOLES exam result, you must do so within 28 days of the date of receiving your score by email. Your result will then be reviewed by a senior member of our staff. The decision about your review will normally be sent to you within seven business days.
There is a fee of £100 for a review of your result. This will be fully refunded to you if the review ends with your score being upgraded to a different score band.
You can take a TOLES exam again as soon as you want to. However, your result is unlikely to be significantly different unless you have studied both grammar and legal vocabulary in the time between exam sessions.
We will always do our best to make sure that you are completely happy with your experience of studying for and taking a TOLES exam. However, if you are unhappy with anything, please inform your registered exam centre or email us at email address here and we will do our best to solve any problems.
If you feel that we have not solved your problem to your satisfaction, please make a formal complaint here.
We will deal with your formal complaint as being confidential acting at all times in compliance with our Privacy Policy. We will only share information about your complaint within our organisation with our own members of staff, and only as far as we need to in order to investigate your situation. We will only share the details of your complaint with third parties with your written consent, or where UK law requires us to do so.
These are our terms and conditions concerning postponements, cancellations and refunds for exam candidates who register with us directly.
If you are taking a TOLES exam online or on paper with a registered TOLES exam centre in your own country, please contact that exam centre for further information about postponements, cancellations, and refunds. Their policy may be different from our own.
POSTPONING YOUR TOLES EXAM DATE
You can postpone your TOLES exam date as long as you let us know at least ten calendar days before your scheduled exam. You should inform us of your request to postpone by contacting us at info@toles.co.uk. Any request for postponement within ten calendar days of the date of your scheduled TOLES exam will be deemed to be a cancellation.
If you postpone your scheduled TOLES exam, you must choose a new exam date from those available within six calendar months of your original exam date. If you do not register for another exam date within six months of your original date, this will be treated as a cancellation.
You can only postpone your exam date once. A second request for postponement will be deemed to be a cancellation.
CANCELLED OR MISSED EXAMS AND REQUESTS FOR REFUNDS
You can cancel your TOLES exam date as long as you let us know at least seven calendar days before your scheduled exam. You should inform us of your request to cancel by contacting us at info@toles.co.uk.
If you miss your exam and think that, due to exceptional circumstances, that you may be due a refund of your exam fee, you should inform us within seven calendar days of your scheduled exam date. You should contact us at info@toles.co.uk, and explain your exceptional circumstances, including letting us know about any evidence you may have from a doctor, employer or other third party.