National Federation of Paralegal Associations

Paralegal Certification - Paralegal CORE Competency Exam and Credentialing

PCC Exam logo

The Paralegal CORE Competency Exam™ (PCCE™) was developed to assess the knowledge, skills and ability of early-career and entry-level paralegals. It became available in November of 2011. The handbook is available as a PDF download. The exam is administered by computer at Prometric Test Centers throughout the United States and Canada. For full details, please refer to the brochure. (PDF)

The PCCE Study Guide 1st Edition is now available!  It can be ordered from our online form for addresses in the United States and Canada.  Call NFPA headquarters for other destinations. 

The application fee is $215, payable by credit card (only) through the application website. You have 90 days to take the test from the date your application is accepted. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, special testing accommodations will be considered for individuals with disabilities recognized by the ADA. Appendix D of the handbook contains a form for these requests.

  • Competent
  • Organized
  • Responsible
  • Ethical

Scoring runs for the exam are processed quarterly, with individuals receiving their certificates and score reports approximately six to eight weeks after the scoring run is processed.

On June 11, 2011, 188 paralegals took the PCCE pilot test at 12 test sites across the country. Of the paralegals who completed the test, 146 achieved a passing score of 550 or better. Those paralegals are the very first CORE Registered Paralegals™ and have earned the right to use the CRP™ credential. Since then many more paralegals have joined their ranks.  Congratulations to all who passed!  View the current list of CRP's.

PCCE Review Course by API

The on-line PCCE Review Course is jointly offered by NFPA and the Advanced Paralegal Institute (API) and is provided through Computer Mediated Distance Learning. The seven week on-line course prepares candidates to sit for the PCCE.  For more information, and/or to register, click here.

Additional questions may be directed to pcce@paralegals.org.

modified 1/11/2013

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