PCCE® for the CRP™ Credential

• Member Application/Testing Fee: $300
  
  
• Non-Member Application/Testing Fee: $325
  
  
• Re-take Fee Within 2 Years: $150

Click here for the PCCE® Exam Application.

Click here to purchase the PCCE Study Manual

Click here to register for the PCCE® Review Course.

NO REFUNDS will be provided on any application or fee except in the case of an error on the part of NFPA in accounting or administrative processing. Please ensure you review the eligibility criteria before applying

PACE® for the RP® Credential

• Member Application/Testing Fee: $325
  
  
• Non-Member Application/Testing Fee: $350
  
  
• Re-take Fee Within 2 Years: $150

Click here for the PACE® Exam Application.

Click here to purchase the PACE Study Manual

Click here to register for the PACE® Review Course.

NO REFUNDS will be provided on any application or fee except in the case of an error on the part of NFPA in accounting or administrative processing. Please ensure you review the eligibility criteria before applying

application & exam process

1. Ensure you meet Eligibility Requirements.
   
   
2. Apply for your exam and pay the fee.
   
   
3. Submit your supporting documentation. This will be done through an external site called Submittable. Your payment confirmation email will contain this Submittable link. Your application is not considered submitted until you finish in the Submittable platform.
   
   
   • Please ensure you have all required documents ahead of beginning your application.
     
     
   • Applicants may save their work as a draft while gathering materials. Submitted applications will be processed AS IS and those found to have incomplete or unacceptable documentation will be subject to delays and/or additional fees.
     
     
   • 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. Submit a completed ADA Test Accommodation Request Form with your exam application.
   
   
   
4. Schedule Your Exam. Once your application is approved, you will be sent information to schedule your exam either in-person at a Prometric Testing Site or at home through ProProctor. Click here for more information on Prometric. You will have 90 days to schedule and sit for the exam.
   
   
5. STUDY! Neither the PACE nor PCCE are easy, so plan to study hard! To help you, you can purchase a study manual and/or register for a 7 week review course offered through the Advanced Paralegal Institute.
   
   
6. Sit for the exam! On the day of your exam, you’ll know whether you passed or not immediately upon finishing. However, official scoring runs are processed the last Thursday of each month for exams taken since the past scoring run. Individuals generally receive their certificates around the 1st of the following month.

Documentation Required for All Applications:

• Completed and Executed Application, which includes applicant’s agreement to each of the following:

  • Applicant Attestation

  • Confidentiality Agreement

  • Limited License to Use NFPA Credentials Agreement

• Affidavit of Education and Experience/Letter from Employer verifying Substantive Paralegal Experience – Substantive paralegal experience is defined below. Sample letter template can be found here. 

• Employment Verification Letter(s) totaling the length of experience outlined in chosen eligibility pathway. (Original employer letter(s) must: a) be on company letterhead; b) include the specific dates of employment; c) verify your work experience was substantive paralegal work (as defined by the PCCE Handbook); and d) bear the original signature of the employer. May be signed by an attorney, judge or the HR dept. Letters from previous employers should be attached as necessary to verify the length of employment specified in the selected qualifying eligibility criteria. This document can be combined with the Substantive Paralegal Experience (template above) listed in the above bullet point.

• Personal Affidavit of Education and Work Experience Form Page. This document should be downloaded and prepared ahead of beginning your application. This form can be found here.

• Copy of Diploma & official Education Transcripts (Please see FAQs regarding foreign degrees).

• Copy of DD214 or equivalent (if eligibility relies on military service)

• Paralegal Certificate (from an ABA-approved paralegal or LLLT program or AAfPE member program. See below for certificate programs accepted) if eligibility pathway requires it.

• Copy of CRP Renewal Certificates for 2 renewal cycles (if eligibility relies on CRP Renewals)

• Sufficient CLE Certificates meeting NFPA guidelines to satisfy the eligibility pathway requirement (see CLE page for CLE guidelines).

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ACCEPTED:

• ABA-approved paralegal or LLLT programs

• AAfPE-member paralegal programs

SUBSTANTIVE PARALEGAL EXPERIENCE IS:

“Minimum work experience” is defined as full-time employment performing the duties of a paralegal at least 80% of the time. Part-time employment is calculated on a pro-rata basis.

“Substantive Paralegal Experience” is defined as the performance of substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. The paralegal may be contracted with or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency, or other entity, or may be authorized by administrative, statutory, or court authority to perform this work.

Substantive paralegal work experience must be verified by each employer (or previous employers, if necessary) by letter from the employer/attorney. Each employer must verify the applicant’s substantive paralegal experience (as defined above) and the time during which the work was performed. The “Substantive Paralegal Employment Verification Letters” must be on the employer’s letterhead and specify dates, capacity of employment, and confirm the substantive paralegal experience with a statement from the employer that: verifies the work would have otherwise been performed by an attorney; the paralegal performed the substantive work at least 80% of the time, whether the paralegal was full time or part-time; the average number of hours worked per week and the time period of the employment. The Employment Verification Letters must match the employment history listed on the application and equate to the total experience required for the applicant’s selected eligibility pathway.

SUBSTANTIVE CLE IS:

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) shall include seminars on substantive legal topics, or topics applicable to substantive law issues, or must be oriented to the specific nature of the paralegal profession, such as  enhancing computer skills, research techniques, increasing paralegal management skills, issues related to, or affecting, the paralegal profession. CLE also includes authorship of articles and/or paralegal certification exam writing by an individual paralegal, including research time, and/or speaking to paralegals regarding substantive law issues are topic oriented to the specific nature of the paralegal profession, including preparation time for such presentations and attendance and successful completion of law-related classes at community colleges, colleges and universities.

Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts.

Policy & Procedure Manual - Last Updated: 1/19/2021 Page 62 of 279

Exam Retakes

If you do not pass the PCCE/PACE exam and it has been 30 days since your last attempt, you can apply for an exam retake. request here. 

Click here to Apply for an Exam Retake

Please note this is not the application itself, but it confirms you are eligible to retest. Upon approval, you will receive instructions on how to submit properly.

Audit of Application SubmissionS

5% of all applications are audited at random to verify the submission documentation and information provided. Applicants are eligible for the audit in the month their application was approved.

Applicants selected for audit will be notified within the first week of the month after their Approval to Test letter was received. The Audit Reviewer then has 10 days to notify audited applicants if supplemental documentation is required.

If the application and supporting documents do not meet NFPA guidelines, the applicant will be given 30 days to cure the deficiency after which the Reviewer will have 10 days to review any supplemental materials.

If the application is ultimately determined to not meet NFPA eligibility guidelines, the application will be denied and the eligibility to sit for the exam revoked with no refund. No additional extensions will be granted to cure any deficiencies identified on a completed application.

You’ve Passed! Now what?

If you have passed the PCCE, please read more here.
If you have passed the PACE, please read more here.