NFPA Paralegal Certification Eligibility
NFPA Paralegal Certification: PACE And PCCE (2027)
NFPA Paralegal Certification At A Glance
- The National Federation of Paralegal Associations offers two exams: PACE, which leads to the Registered Paralegal (RP), and PCCE, which leads to the CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP).
- PCCE is the early-career exam. NFPA's brochure lists routes for paralegal-studies graduates that need no experience.
- PACE asks for two to seven years of experience on its degree routes, depending on the degree.
- Both are multiple-choice and can be taken at a Prometric center or remotely, and both renew every two years.
- NFPA's list of September 1, 2026 shows about 418 current RPs and about 398 current CRPs.
NFPA's two exams answer different questions. PCCE, the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam, tests what a paralegal needs early in a career and is open to recent graduates. PACE, the Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam, is for paralegals with years of substantive work behind them. NFPA launched PACE in 1996 and PCCE in 2011. Everything below is from NFPA's 2024 brochures and its certification pages, read on October 1, 2026.
PCCE And The CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP)
125 multiple-choice questions in two and a half hours, at a Prometric center or remotely. Its domains are paralegal practice (52%) and substantive areas of law (48%). It costs $300 for NFPA members and $325 for non-members. Its routes in, from NFPA's 2024 PCCE brochure:
| Education | Experience or other requirement |
|---|---|
| Associate's degree or higher in any subject, plus a paralegal certificate | No experience required |
| Associate's degree or higher in paralegal studies | No experience required |
| Bachelor's degree or higher in any subject | Six months of experience and 1 hour of ethics |
| Associate's degree in any subject | One year of experience and 6 hours of continuing education |
| Paralegal certificate | One year of experience and 6 hours of continuing education |
| Military paralegal specialty | 1 hour of ethics |
| High school diploma or GED | Five years of experience and 12 hours of continuing education |
NFPA's certification FAQ describes the PCCE's experience requirement more strictly than the brochure's no-experience routes do.
PACE And The Registered Paralegal (RP)
200 multiple-choice questions in four hours, at a Prometric center or remotely. It costs $325 for NFPA members and $350 for non-members. The routes, from NFPA's 2024 PACE brochure:
| Education | Experience or other requirement |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher in paralegal studies | Two years of substantive paralegal experience |
| Bachelor's degree or higher in any subject, plus a paralegal certificate | Two years |
| Bachelor's degree or higher in any subject | Three years |
| Associate's degree in paralegal studies | Six years |
| Associate's degree in any subject | Seven years |
| Associate's degree in any subject, plus the CRP | Two successful CRP renewals |
| Military paralegal, rank E6 or above | 12 hours of NFPA-approved continuing education, 1 in ethics |
NFPA counts experience as "substantive" when paralegal duties make up at least 80% of the job, and applicants to either exam must have no felony conviction.
Which Paralegal Certificates Count
Several routes on both exams rest on a paralegal certificate, and NFPA accepts certificates only from programs that are ABA-approved, institutional members of the American Association for Paralegal Education, or limited license legal technician programs, so a certificate toward the CRP or RP counts only when its program is one of those. The ABA-approved programs are listed here by state.
Taking And Keeping The Credential
Both exams are given at Prometric's test centers or remotely, with no extra charge for remote testing, and you have 90 days after approval to test. The RP renews every two years, with 12 hours of continuing legal education, including one hour of ethics and one of diversity, equity and inclusion. The CRP renews on the same cycle with 8 hours. RP renewal costs $100 for members and $125 for non-members. CRP renewal costs $65 and $100.
Common Questions About NFPA Paralegal Certification
What is the difference between PACE and PCCE?
How much does the PACE exam cost?
Which paralegal certificates count toward NFPA paralegal certification?
How do you renew an NFPA credential?
Compare PACE And PCCE With Other Paralegal Credentials
NFPA's exams sit beside credentials from other bodies, and who can sit for each differs.
- NALA Certified Paralegal (CP)
NALA's two-part exam, open to graduates of qualifying programs and to experienced paralegals, renewed every five 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