PCCE Exam Information and Guideline
NFPA Paralegal CORE Competency Exam
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
The format of the PCC Exam follows the proven structure
of NFPAs Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam (PACE).
The exam:
- is two and one-half hours in length;
- consists of 125 multiple choice questions;
- is computer administered with instant
preliminary results, followed by official scoring
run results provided at least quarterly;
- is widely available at many testing centers with
examinations given Monday – Friday, and in
some locations, weekends and evenings;
- consists of two domains:
~ Paralegal Practice – 52%
~ Substantive Areas of Law – 48%
- is based on information from coursework in various
paralegal programs and basic knowledge all
paralegals should possess as well as actual skills
considered essential to basic paralegal competency;
- is also a test of paralegal ethics, legal technology and
key terminology
to provide the groundwork for expanding paralegal
roles and responsibilities;
- to provide the public and legal community with
a mechanism to gauge the core competencies of
paralegals;
- to be used in states considering the regulation of
paralegals; and
- to be used by paralegal programs as an exit exam
or Assurance of Learning tool.
Bachelors degree in any subject, plus a paralegal certificate;
no experience or CLE required; OR
- Bachelors degree in paralegal studies; no experience or
CLE required; OR
- Bachelors degree in any subject, no paralegal certificate,
6 months experience and 1 hour of ethics taken in the year
preceding the exam application date; OR
- Associates degree in paralegal studies, no experience or
CLE required; OR
- Associates degree in any subject, a paralegal certificate,
no experience or CLE; OR
- Associates degree in any subject, no paralegal certificate,
1 year experience and 6 hours of CLE, including 1 hour of
ethics taken in the year preceding the exam application date; OR
- Paralegal certificate from a program that meets or exceeds
the requirements set forth in NFPAs Short Term Paralegal
Program Position Statement, 1 year experience and 6 hours of
CLE, including 1 hour of ethics, taken in the year preceding
the exam application date; OR
- Active, duty, retired or former military personnel qualified
in a military operation specialty as a paralegal and 1.0 hour of
ethics CLE within the year preceding the exam application; OR
- Candidates who are within two months of graduating and
registered for the PCC Exam by a Director of a paralegal
studies program participating in the PCCE Assurance of
Learning (AoL) Program at the Partner level; OR
- High school diploma or GED, 5 years experience and 12 hours
of CLE, including 1 hour of ethics, taken within 2 years
preceding the exam application date.