About the CP® Exam

The Certified Paralegal Exam consists of two required sections taken in the following order: the
Knowledge Exam, then the Skills Exam.

Knowledge Exam

Skills Exam

  • Administered year-round
  • Three (3) hours testing time; Multiple-choice questions
  • 120 questions
  • 100 questions scored
  • 20 pre-test questions used for statistical analysis
  • Candidate MUST first pass the Knowledge Exam before proceeding to the Skills Exam.
  • Candidates are eligible to take the Knowledge Exam once if they meet one of the eligibility categories, (link).
  • Candidates will have up to three attempts within 365 days from the initial authorization to test date to pass the Knowledge Exam.
  • If the candidate does not take all three attempts of the Knowledge Exam within 365 days of the initial authorization to test date, the application is voided.  A new application, fee, and testing center fee are required to reapply for the Certified Paralegal Exam.
  • If the candidate does not pass the Knowledge Exam in three attempts during the 365 days, a new application, fee, and testing center fee are required to reapply for the Certified Paralegal Exam.
  • Candidates MUST wait 90 days between each of the three attempts of the Knowledge Exam and must submit a retake application, fee, and testing center fee to NALA to initiate each additional attempt and receive a new Testing Ticket notification.
  • Administered in February, April, July, and October
  • Two (2) hours testing time; written essay
  • Examinees will be graded on their ability to do the following:
  • identify which facts are relevant and state them concisely and accurately;
  • identify the threshold or main issue and any secondary issue(s);
  • identify the relevant legal authority and apply it to the facts; and
  • draw persuasive logical conclusions
  • Candidates who pass the Knowledge Exam will receive authorization to take the Skills Exam after paying the testing center fee.
  • Candidates have up to three attempts within 365 days from the authorization to test date to pass the Skills Exam.
  • If the candidate does not take all three attempts of the Skills Exam within 365 days of the initial Skills Exam authorization to test date, the application is voided.  A new application, fee, and testing center fee are required to reapply for the Certified Paralegal Exam. The candidate is required to retake the Knowledge Exam.
  • If the candidate does not pass the Skills Exam in three attempts during the 365 days, a new application, fee, and testing center fee are required to reapply for the Certified Paralegal Exam.  The candidate must start over by taking the Knowledge Exam.
  • Candidates MUST wait 90 days between each of the three attempts of the Skills Exam and must submit a retake application, fee, and testing center fee to NALA to initiate each additional attempt and receive a new Testing Ticket notification.

Exam Specifications & Statistics

The CP® Exam Specifications outline the content areas of the exam and their weighted point values.

Additional Information

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies has accredited the NALA Certified Paralegal Program for a five-year period, expiring in 2029.

Founded in 1975, NALA is a professional association providing continuing education and professional certification to paralegals. Currently, over 8,900 paralegals may use the Certified Paralegal (CP®) designation. The CP® credential has been awarded to over 21,000 paralegals in its span of over 50 years. The Certified Paralegal (CP®) Program is the first and only NCCA-accredited certification program that serves the legal community.

NALA’s Certified Paralegal Program received NCCA accreditation in 2014 by submitting an application demonstrating the program’s compliance with NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.). The NCCA standards require demonstration of a valid and reliable process for development, implementation, maintenance, and governance of certification programs. NCCA uses a rigorous peer-review process to establish accreditation standards, evaluate compliance with the standards, recognize organizations/programs that demonstrate compliance, and serve as a resource on quality certification.

The NCCA standards cover all aspects of the certification program, including administration, assessment development, and recertification. Since 1987, the NCCA has been accrediting certifying programs based on the highest quality standards in professional certification to ensure the programs adhere to modern standards of practice in the certification industry.

NCCA standards are consistent with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 1999) and are applicable to all professions and industries. To maintain accreditation, organizations are required to submit annual reports to NCCA and undergo a reaccreditation every five years.

Accreditation provides third-party oversight of an assessment system. It provides a mechanism for associations to demonstrate to the profession they represent, and the general public they serve, that their credentialing program has been reviewed by a panel of impartial experts who have determined that the program has met the stringent standards set by the credentialing community. NCCA accreditation provides organizations with a way to answer the question, “Who reviewed your certificate or certification program?” This question is often posed by members of an occupation, employers, and sometimes even the courts.

There are more than 270 NCCA-accredited programs that certify individuals in a wide range of occupations, including nurses, financial professionals, respiratory therapists, counselors, and emergency technicians. I.C.E.’s mission is to advance credentialing through education, standards, research, and advocacy to ensure competence across professions and occupations. NCCA was founded as a commission whose mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs that assess professional competence.

I.C.E. and NCCA are located at 2025 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-3309; phone 202.367.1165; fax 202.367.2165; website

Certifying Board Mission Statement

The NALA Certifying Board is committed to providing the national professional standard for paralegals and to constantly improve and evolve national paralegal certification accreditation and standards to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and integrity required to practice as a certified paralegal.  

Vision Statement

The premier national certification credential for paralegals.

The NALA Certifying Board for paralegals is responsible for the content, standards, and administration of the Certified Paralegal Program. It is composed of attorneys, paralegal educators, paralegals who have received a Certified Paralegal designation, and a public member.

In the technical areas of statistical analysis, examination construction, reliability, and validity tests, the Board contracts with a professional consulting firm that offers expertise in these areas and in occupational research. Technical and content analyses of the Certified Paralegal Examination are conducted on an ongoing basis to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the examination, with job analysis studies conducted appropriately every six years.

During Certifying Board members’ term, they will not be involved in Certified Paralegal Exam review seminars and programs or the preparation of written material designed to assist those preparing for a section of the Certified Paralegal Examination.

The Certifying Board member shall disclose to the Board chair immediately upon appointment any previous or current involvement in a review program and state the sections of the examination involved. Upon determination by the Certifying Board, the member may participate in exam development activities on subjects in which they have expertise but no involvement in review programs.

Proctors, judges, and examiners should not have a vested interest (either clear, potential, or perceived) in the outcome of any examination. Therefore, they are considered third-party professionals who have signed confidentiality and conflict of interest agreements.

Individuals who participate in examination development activities as part of the Certifying Board and/or an exam development committee may not develop or deliver exam review seminars or programs or write or significantly contribute to examination preparation materials, including books and articles, for at least two years after their examination development work has been completed. Examination activities and development include item writing, item review, exam review, participating on a cut score study panel, and other activities during which the individual has access to or participates in developing confidential examination content.

For information concerning standards of professional credentialing programs, you may want to see the article, The Certified Legal Assistant Program and the United States Supreme Court Decision, in Peel v. Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee of Illinois.

The latest nationwide study of paralegal duties was conducted by NALA, and the results were reported in the Job Analysis that was released in January 2023. This report provides detailed information about on-the-job duties and responsibilities of paralegals and the skills needed to perform their work. Survey findings are utilized by the NALA Certifying Board to ensure the Certified Paralegal Examination focuses on the skills and knowledge required of working paralegals in today’s environment. The job analysis study is conducted approximately every six years.

Please contact us at testing@nala.org or 918-587-6828 if you have any questions.

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