It is important to prepare for National Federation of Paralegal Associations’ (NFPA) Paralegal Advanced Competency (PACE) Exam sufficiently in order to qualify as a registered paralegal and to further one’s legal career. The NFPA PACE exam typically has a pass rate of 86 percent, and those who take the exam must invest, on average, $250 to register for the exam. An aspiring paralegal can take heart in the fact that there are many study resources available to help assure successful results on the NFPA PACE exam.
Requirements to sit for exam
Certain requirements must be met before a paralegal student is eligible to sit for the PACE exam. Both academic and work requirements are involved in qualifying to take the PACE exam. Candidates must have completed at least an Associate’s degree in paralegal studies from an accredited paralegal degree program. However, candidates may bypass this requirement if they have worked for at least six years in a legal environment, acquiring extensive paralegal experience. Of course, a Bachelor’s degree is also acceptable for meeting academic requirements to sit for the PACE exam. Those who have undergone their work experience before December 31, 2000 may qualify with only four years of work experience rather than six.
PACE preparation resources and study manuals
You can purchase a candidate guide while applying to take the exam that includes reference material for the test and practice tests. Two more PACE preparation resources are provided by NFPA. Pearson Education publishes a study manual that is helpful in preparing for the exam. The Pearson Education study manual for the PACE exam includes sections on bankruptcy, intellectual property, corporate law, family law and more. Several other publishers offer preparation manuals for the exam that can be purchased online or at your local bookstore.
Review courses
The Advanced Paralegal Institute (API) offers distance review courses in a partnership with the NFPA that can be taken over the Internet. API offers a seven week course that is aimed at preparing participants for the PACE exam, and taking this course is a great way to be prepared and feel confident before taking the exam.
Taking an online practice exam
When a candidate is making efforts to prepare for NFPA Pace Exam, it’s important to take a practice test to get an idea of one’s level of preparation. Practice exams for PACE can be accessed in a variety of ways. Study manuals often contain a practice test, and there are online practice exams offered through NFPA. It costs $50 to take a practice exam with NFPA, and those who take the API review course will automatically acquire access to a practice exam. Those looking for ways to prepare for NFPA Pace Exam will enjoy the best results on exam day if they combine the resources of a study manual with the benefits of a review course. By following up study with a trial run using a practice test, candidates can be almost certain to come out successful after taking the PACE exam, and they will notice a significant increase in professional opportunities once they have qualified as registered paralegals.
