Applying for the Exam

Candidates are required to pass both the Knowledge and Skills Exam sections of the Certified Paralegal Exam to demonstrate their education, coursework, experience, and training have resulted in sufficient understanding of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to provide competent evidence-based paralegal services as determined by the job analysis studies and represented on the examination content outlines.

Documentation Required to Complete the Application Form

School Transcripts

Categories 1 and 2 require an official school transcript or letter of completion submitted with the application. A transcript is considered “official” if it bears the official seal and authorizing signature of the issuing institution. We will accept a copy of the transcript via mail, fax, or email. The official transcript must indicate all courses taken and date of graduation.

*Foreign degrees must be evaluated by a reputable company to determine the equivalency to U.S. education.

Proof of Military Status

Military ID card; or
VA issued ID card for health care; or
Veterans ID card; or
Veterans designation on drivers license or state veterans ID card; or
Discharge documentation

Examinee Attestation

All examinees are required to sign the attestation on the application (page 1) for the Certified Paralegal examination. This serves as a pledge of confidentiality and states reasons for suspension of authorization to use the Certified Paralegal credential.

Attorney Employer Attestations

For those qualifying under Category 1, an attorney/employer attestation is not required.
For those qualifying under Category 2, the attestation section is required only if applying with one year or more of paralegal experience in lieu of the 15 semester hours of paralegal courses.
The attestation section must be completed by all applicants for Category 3.

Application Procedure & Testing Appointments

The application procedure is a two-step process. Examinees must first be admitted to the Certified Paralegal Program by filing an application form with NALA. Once admitted, examinees must schedule testing times through Prometric to take the examination via onsite, partner, or remote proctoring testing.

Communications to examinees from NALA and Prometric are sent via email notifications. Please inform NALA of any changes in your email address. Be sure to check your spam filters to allow all email messages from NALA and Prometric. From application to testing appointments, the steps are:

Filing the Application Form: All candidates for the Certified Paralegal credential must meet the examination eligibility
requirements and complete and submit an application form for the Certified Paralegal Exam. Application forms may be submitted at any time.
Application Acknowledgment: NALA will acknowledge receipt of the application form and payment. Examinees will also be advised if additional information is needed to complete the form, such as a school transcript or an additional
employer attestation.

Approximately 72 hours after approval, all approved examinees will receive an Authorization to Test by email. The Authorization to Test advises where the login information is located in the examinee’s account on the NALA portal. The login information is required to access the computer-based examination before the application expiration date. If any information is incorrectly listed in the examinee’s account, examinees should contact NALA immediately.

The Authorization to Test also includes a link to the most current examinee information on NALA’s
website. Examinees are expected to read and understand the rules and policies. Rules and procedures of testing centers including Terms and Conditions of Testing and Policy Statement.

Upon receipt of the Authorization to Test and notification from Prometric, all examinees who are attending a
Prometric onsite testing center or remote proctoring are urged to make their appointments as
quickly as possible. Space is limited depending on the center location, and if there is a delay in making
the appointment, the exact time or date requested may not be available.

All applicable pages of the application form must be complete. Documentation includes official school transcripts (or an official letter of completion), supervising attorney attestations, and payment. Incomplete applications are subject to rejection with a $75 processing fee after 60 days from the original application date.