NALA Certified Paralegal Exam Details
The NALA Certified Paralegal (CP)
The NALA Certified Paralegal At A Glance
- NALA has certified 21,585 paralegals since 1977, and 6,665 held an active CP on August 1, 2026, more than the about 418 RPs, about 398 CRPs or 208 PPs the other bodies count.
- There are three ways to qualify: a qualifying paralegal program, a bachelor's degree plus a year of experience or paralegal courses, or five years of experience with a high school diploma.
- Graduating from any of the 220 ABA-approved programs meets the first category.
- The exam is two parts: a year-round Knowledge Exam of 120 questions and a Skills Exam essay in February, April, July and October.
- It costs $325 for members or $375 for non-members, plus Prometric's testing fees.
NALA, which calls itself the Paralegal Association, has run a certification exam since the 1970s, and the Certified Paralegal is the national paralegal certification with the most active holders. It was once called the Certified Legal Assistant (CLA). The CP is the same program under its current name. Everything below is from NALA's 2026 CP Program Handbook and its own pages, read on October 1, 2026.
Who Can Sit For The CP Exam
NALA sets three categories, and you need to meet one. Category 1 is the education route, in NALA's words:
Graduation from or completion of a paralegal program that meets one of the criteria listed in sections (a) through (e) below.
Category 1, NALA's 2026 handbook
- (a) approved by the American Bar Association;
- (b) an associate degree program;
- (c) a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies;
- (d) a bachelor's degree program in paralegal studies;
- (e) a paralegal program which consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of which at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) are substantive legal courses.
Category 2 is for degree holders from other fields:
A bachelor's degree in any field and one year of experience as a paralegal or successful completion of at least 15 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of substantive paralegal courses.
Category 2, NALA's 2026 handbook
Category 3 is the experience route:
A high school diploma or equivalent plus five (5) years' experience as a paralegal, plus a minimum of twenty (20) hours of substantive continuing legal education completed within a two-year period prior to application for the examination.
Category 3, NALA's 2026 handbook
Two practical consequences. A short certificate that is not ABA-approved, not post-baccalaureate and not part of a 60-hour program doesn't meet Category 1 on its own, though 15 semester hours of paralegal courses can complete Category 2 for a bachelor's degree holder. And if you're in your last semester, you can apply at the student rate before you graduate. NALA's handbook also makes anyone currently incarcerated, or on probation, parole or other court supervision for a felony, ineligible.
The Two Exams
A Knowledge Exam of 120 multiple-choice questions in three hours, offered year-round, and a Skills Exam, a two-hour written essay, offered in February, April, July and October. Each section allows up to three attempts within 365 days, with 90 days between attempts. The Knowledge Exam's 2024 content specification weights its 100 scored points like this:
| Subject | Points of 100 |
|---|---|
| U.S. Legal System | 15 |
| Civil Litigation | 15 |
| Professional and Ethical Responsibility | 12 |
| Contracts | 10 |
| Corporate/Commercial | 10 |
| Torts | 10 |
| Real Estate and Property | 8 |
| Criminal | 7 |
| Estate Planning and Probate | 7 |
| Debtor/Creditor and Bankruptcy | 6 |
The Skills Exam is scored on legal writing (10 points) and critical thinking (20). NALA's exam specifications list the topics in each area.
What The CP Costs
$325 for NALA members and $375 for non-members, plus Prometric testing fees ($63 for the Knowledge Exam and $53 for the Skills Exam at a test center; $58 for the Knowledge Exam taken remotely). NALA also publishes lower rates for military members ($240 member, $280 non-member) and students ($150 member, $175 non-member), and a retake costs $150 per section.
Keeping The Credential
Every five years, with 50 hours of continuing legal education, at least 5 of them in ethics. Renewal costs $125 for members and $175 for non-members.
The Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP)
Web-based courses in a practice area, open only to paralegals who already hold the CP. There is no exam. It's a specialty credential layered on the CP, not a separate exam.
Common Questions About The NALA Certified Paralegal Exam
Who is eligible to become a NALA Certified Paralegal?
How much does the NALA certification exam cost?
What is on the NALA CP exam?
How do you keep the CP credential?
Is the ACP an exam?
Compare The CP With Other Paralegal Credentials
The CP is one of several credentials, and the others differ in who can earn them and how.
- NFPA PACE and PCCE exams
NFPA's two exams: the PCCE is open early in a career and the PACE is for experienced paralegals, both renewed every two years.
- NALS Professional Paralegal (PP)
NALS's Professional Paralegal, whose individual exams are paused, and what its holders do to renew.
- Florida Registered Paralegal
The Florida Bar's voluntary registration for paralegals who work for Florida lawyers, with three routes and no exam of its own.
Every national paralegal certification compared in one table