CCP Exam FAQ

Who is eligible to take the CCP Exam?

BPC 6450 (a) - A paralegal, who is qualified by education, training, or work experience, who either contracts with or is employed by an attorney, law firm, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity, and who performs substantial legal work under the direction and supervision of an active member of the State Bar of California, as defined in Section 6060, or an attorney practicing law in the federal courts of this state, that has been specifically delegated by the attorney to him or her.

BPC 6450 (c) - California paralegals must meet one of the following education requirements:

1. The applicant has a Certificate of Completion in paralegal studies from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved paralegal program. (Search for ABA-approved paralegal programs)

2. The applicant has a Certificate of Completion in paralegal studies at, or a degree (associates or baccalaureate degree) from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

3. The applicant has a baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree, in any discipline from, an accredited educational institution, has four (4) years of substantive paralegal experience, and has completed the required minimum number of MCLE (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education) credits pursuant to BPC § 6450(d) prior to submission of the application.

“Substantive paralegal experience” shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communications of  relevant facts  and legal concepts that would have been performed by an attorney,  and have worked at least eighty (80%) percent of that time as a paralegal for a minimum of 4 years.
(A detailed verification letter from the supervising attorney(s) asserting the substantive paralegal work experience and MCLE.)

BPC 6450 (d) -The California applicant must submit the prior 2-years of required MCLE credits upon submission of their Application.

California applicant's residency is defined as an individual who is either (1) in California for other than a “temporary or transitory purpose,” or (2) domiciled in California, but outside California for a “temporary or transitory purpose.” 

What is the cost of the CCP Exam?
Please access the current CCP Exam Fee Schedule on CAPA's website, Certification tab. All fees are non-refundable.

When and where will the CCP Exam be administered?
Please access the current confirmed dates and locations on the Certification tab, CCP Exam Registration.

What areas will be tested on the CCP Exam?
Section 1—Core Paralegal Competencies: Communications, California Legal System, Legal Research, and Legal Terminology;
Section 2—Ethics, California Rules of Professional Conduct, Business and Professions Code Section 6450 et. seq., Judgment and Analytical Skills; and
Section 3—Substantive Law: Civil Litigation; Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Probate & Trust Law, and Real Estate Law.

What types of questions will be asked?
The CCP Exam is a written test consisting of 200 multiple choice and true/false questions. Questions in the exam may not be equally distributed among the different areas of law.

Is there a study guide?
Yes, you can request the CCP Study Guide on CAPA's Home page, Quick Links and the link will be delivered upon confirmation of payment.

When will I receive my CCP Exam results?
Examinees must achieve a cumulative score of 75% to pass the CCP Exam.  Examinees will receive their PASS/FAIL results by email notification from the CCP Certification Program within 30 days of taking the CCP Exam. Paralegals that have successfully passed the CCP Exam will then be required to pay their Certification Fee within 15 days of receiving their Notification. Once payment is received, the Certificate of Designation will be sent to the CCP. At that time, the CCP credential can be used following their name.

What if I receive a FAIL CCP Exam result?
Examinee who receives a Fail result may: 1) appeal within 15 days of Notification by submitting an online Hand Score Request Form to the CCP Committee who have designated a neutral third party to review the CCP Exam taken and determine if there was an error in the grading of the CCP Exam, and/or, 2) retake the CCP Exam. All Examinees are required to submit a Retake Application and CCP Exam Registration, with all applicable fees.

What is required to maintain the CCP credential?
The CCP must attend and earn a minimum of 30 hours of general law MCLE credit, and 10 hours of legal ethics MCLE credit, for a combined total of 40 hours, every 5 years. In addition to earning and tracking each of those (2) two-year terms and one (1) year term  of California MCLE Compliance credits, they must submit copies of all executed Certificates of Attendance or Completion for all verifiable California MCLE credits.