•Skills Exam
•The Skills Exam will consist of a written
assignment; specifications are set forth in
Appendix A.
•The Skills Exam will be administered
during four testing windows each year:
February, April, July, and October.
•Successful completion of both the Knowledge and Skills Exams is required to obtain the Certified Paralegal credential.
Examination Policies
First Administration – Knowledge Exam
•The first administration of the Knowledge
Exam will be offered during a 30-day
window with 150 items. This
administration will be used for post-
administration analysis, scoring, and
standard setting. For this session, results
will not be available upon completion but
will be provided once the analysis,
scoring, and standard setting has been
completed.
•100 items will be scored (determined
after administration).
•50 items will be pretested for statistical
analysis (determined after administration)
but will not be scored.
•3.75 hours testing time (90 seconds per
item) will be provided for this one-time
testing session.
Subsequent Administrations – Knowledge Exam
•When the examination opens for year-
round testing, 120 items will be included
on each Knowledge Exam.
•100 items will be scored.
•20 items will be pretested for statistical
analysis.
•3 hours testing time (90 seconds per item)
will be provided for all subsequent
Knowledge Exams.
•Result reporting will be available upon
completion with on-demand testing year-
round.
Exam Administration Policies and Procedures
•Knowledge Exam
•Candidates must first pass the Knowledge
Exam.
•Candidates are eligible to take the
Knowledge Exam only after they have
graduated from an educational program,
if using that eligibility pathway, or have
the required minimum experience, if
using the experience category. The new
system of on-demand testing will remove
deadlines to apply for the examination.
Candidates will be able to apply when
they are eligible.
•Once NALA approves an application for
the Certified Paralegal examination,
candidates will have 365 days from the
approval date to sit for the Knowledge
Exam. If the candidate does not take the
Knowledge Exam within 365 days of the
initial approval date, NALA will return the
application to the candidate. The
examination fee is nonrefundable.
•Candidates who do not pass the
Knowledge Exam must wait 90 days before
re-taking it.
•Candidates must pass the Knowledge
Exam within the first three attempts
during the 365 day period or wait 365 days
before trying again.
•Skills Exam
•Candidates who pass the Knowledge
Exam are then eligible to take the Skills
Exam and must complete the Skills Exam
within the next 365 days after receiving
notice of eligibility from NALA.
•Candidates must wait at least 2 weeks
after passing the Knowledge Exam before
receiving eligibility to take the Skills
Exam.
•Candidates who do not pass the Skills
Exam must wait 90 days before re-taking
it.
•Candidates must pass the Skills Exam
within the first three attempts in a 365 day
period or start over by re-taking the
Knowledge Exam.
•Exam fees
•First time candidates
Nonrefundable examination fee of
$250 for NALA members, $275 for
nonmembers.
Includes one attempt for the
Knowledge Exam and one attempt for the
Skills exam.
•Retake candidates
Nonrefundable attempt fee of $60 per
subsequent attempt for the Knowledge
Exam.
Nonrefundable attempt fee of $60 per
subsequent attempt for the Skills Exam.