The Paralegal CORE Competency Exam (PCCE) is NFPA's certification exam for early-career and entry-level paralegals.
Passing it earns the CRP designation — the entry-level counterpart to the RP that NFPA's advanced exam awards experienced paralegals.
This page covers what the PCCE is, who meets NFPA's eligibility criteria, what the exam costs, and how the CRP credential is maintained through NFPA's two-year renewal cycle.
What is the PCCE exam?
NFPA runs two credentialing exams for paralegals.
The PCCE — the Paralegal CORE Competency Exam — is the one for early-career and entry-level paralegals, and passing it earns the CRP designation.
NFPA's other exam, the PACE, is for experienced paralegals and earns the RP (Registered Paralegal) designation.
The exam itself is compact: 125 multiple-choice questions in 2.5 hours, of which 15 do not count toward your score.
You can sit at a Prometric test center or take the exam remotely through Prometric's ProProctor system, and NFPA charges no extra fee for the remote option.
The CRP is a certification, not a license.
It sits in the family of voluntary paralegal certifications — the CP, RP, CRP, PP and AACP among them — none of which is a license: a paralegal can call themselves licensed only in a state with a formal paraprofessional license.
For how the whole landscape fits together — the other national certifying bodies and the state-level certifications — our paralegal certification guide is the overview.
Who is eligible for the PCCE?
NFPA's criteria pair experience with education: both of its exams require work experience plus education, and NFPA's certification FAQ states plainly that someone without substantive paralegal work experience is not eligible for either exam under its current criteria.
The experience bar has a precise definition.
NFPA defines minimum work experience as full-time employment performing the duties of a paralegal at least 80% of the time, with part-time work pro-rated, and it is verified by employer letters stating that the work would otherwise have been done by an attorney.
Both exams also carry a conduct requirement: NFPA says the candidate cannot have been convicted of a felony, and cannot be under suspension, termination or revocation of a certificate, registration or license by any entity.
That experience requirement is what separates the PCCE from some other credentials.
NALA's CP has an eligibility category built on education alone, so graduates of qualifying paralegal programs can sit for that exam without any paralegal work experience.
Under NFPA's current criteria, a new graduate cannot.
Our NALA Certified Paralegal guide covers that credential's routes in detail.
What our research could not verify is the exact pathway grid — the specific education-and-experience combinations NFPA accepts.
NFPA publishes its pathways on its site in a form we could not read reliably, so the combinations are not confirmed here.
Match your own education and experience against NFPA's current criteria before you apply.
What does the PCCE cost?
As of October 2, 2026, NFPA lists the PCCE at $300 for members and $325 for non-members.
The fee is non-refundable, and NFPA tells candidates to be ready to test within 90 days of approval — so the timing matters before you pay.
The delivery format does not change the price: testing at a Prometric center and testing remotely through ProProctor carry no fee difference.
What we did not find confirmed on the NFPA pages we read is retake pricing, so if you are budgeting for a second attempt, check the current retake fee with NFPA directly.
Fees change — confirm with NFPA
Maintaining the CRP: the two-year renewal cycle
NFPA credentials run on a two-year renewal cycle.
CLE hours must be completed within that two-year window, and they must come from approved providers — NFPA's list includes NFPA itself, member associations, bar associations, courts, NALA, ABA/AAfPE programs and attorney-approved CLE, among others.
Note that the provider list crosses bodies: NALA — which runs its own paralegal certification, the CP — is on it.
The hour total is the part our research could not pin down.
NFPA's renewal page was not accessible when we researched this page, and we cannot confirm how many CLE hours renewing the CRP requires.
The two-year cycle and the approved-provider rule are confirmed; the exact hour count is not — get the current renewal requirement from NFPA before you plan a cycle.
Career information, not legal advice. NFPA's eligibility criteria, fees and renewal rules change — confirm current requirements with NFPA before you apply or renew.
Renewal hours: not confirmed here