NALP Paralegal Qualifications

person using a laptop to complete paralegal qualifications

Why you should do a NALP paralegal qualification

As you look to embark on, or progress, your paralegal career, you will need the right, regulated, qualification.

Certified by Ofqual

Paralegal qualifications from the National Association of Licensed Paralegals are certified by Ofqual so you can be sure the qualifications are of the highest quality.

Free NALP membership

When you do a NALP paralegal qualification with us, you get 12 month’s free membership with NALP, so you can take advantage of all the benefits this brings. NB if you have not completed your course within 12 months, it is a requirement of NALP that in order to continue you need to renew your NALP membership as an Affiliate (currently £60 per year).

To find out more about each qualification, simply follow the links below. If you are unsure about which qualification is right for you, click the “Find the Right Qualification” button below. That page will help you choose the ideal paralegal qualification for you.

Level 3 Qualifications in Paralegal Practice

Ideal for anyone over 16, or career changers, looking to take your first steps towards a career as a paralegal.

Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies

Ideal further study if you have other legal qualifications or work experience and are looking to launch your paralegal career.

Level 7 Diploma in Paralegal Practice

For graduates looking to add practical knowledge and skills necessary to be able to function effectively as a Paralegal Practitioner.

Learner Guidance & How to Enrol Q&A

There are many training courses and qualifications out there, so it’s important to know that they are accredited and/or regulated by an awarding organisation. For example: We offer regulated paralegal qualifications which are awarded by NALP. NALP is an Awarding Organisation regulated by Ofqual so you can be sure that NALP is compliant with all the current regulations and requirements that encompass regulated qualifications, giving you the assurance that NALP’s qualifications are fit for purpose. Other examples of AOs are City & Guilds, Pearsons and AQA and the statutory regulations require the same standards for vocational qualifications as for GCSEs and A Levels. NPC is not only an Approved Centre of NALP to offer these regulated paralegal qualifications, but also offers non-ofqual training courses which are CPD accredited such as ‘Drafting‘ and ‘Negotiating‘, and Practical Paralegal Skills.

Read through the eligibility criteria for each paralegal qualification and ensure that you fulfil the criteria. If you are unsure, please contact us and we will be able to help: info@nationalparalegalcollege.co.uk  or telephone us on 0203 745 5513.

Each course has a description, so ensure that you read the course content and that this is what you wish to study, as well as how you will be assessed. Ultimately whether it is the right course for you will depend on why you wish to study in the first place. If you are unsure about career pathways, please contact us and we will assist you to make your decision: info@nationalparalegalcollege.co.uk or 0203 745 5513.

1. Before proceeding make sure you read and understand the NPC ‘Terms & Conditions‘. If you are taking a regulated qualification, awarded by NALP, we strongly advise you to look at the specific qualification specification which can be found under Paralegal Qualifications, before proceeding with the qualification.

2. Also, ensure you can afford to pay for the course before signing the enrolment form. NB there are interest free instalment options available for all NALP qualifications that we offer but only if you are a UK resident

3. Once you decide to go ahead, you can pay for the course online (either in full or deposit and interest free instalments) using a debit or credit card by clicking the ‘book now’ button. NB if you are paying on behalf of someone else, please contact us first by phone: 020 3745 5513 or email: admin@nationalparalegalcollege.co.uk 

Once payment has gone through, you will get confirmation from Stripe (our secure payment system) and NPC will receive the same notification. If you are having difficulty paying or wish to pay by other means, please contact us and we will be able to discuss another payment method: info@nationalparalegalcollege.co.uk or 0203 745 5513.

4. Once NPC is notified of your enrolment, the course material will be sent by email as PDF documents. NPC does not send out printed material via the post so if you wish to have hard copies, it is probably more cost effective for you to print off your own material.

If you cancel within 14 days after paying the deposit or full amount for the course but before receiving the course material, you can get a full refund of the amount paid less £50 for administration costs. You can also cancel within 10 days of the receipt of the study material supplied and will receive a refund of the full amount paid, less the sum of £150 to cover administration costs and study materials. No refunds will be made in any other circumstances. Please see our Terms & Conditions

When you receive your course material, read through the ‘Introduction’ carefully (if Level 4 or Level 7). This will not only give you information on how the course works, but also on how to answer assignments. Then, you should read the first Unit workbook/course material very carefully. When you are ready to complete the assignment for that unit, please request this by email.

Please note that you will have a strict 4 week period to submit your assignment for marking, so only request it when you are ready and able to do so. You will be given the date by which it needs to be submitted. If you submit your assignment late without notifying us first of any special consideration, it will not be accepted and will be classed as a ‘fail’.

On each paralegal qualification page, under Compulsory or Optional Units, there is both a description of what you will study and a Learning Outcomes section, showing what you will get from the unit.

Each assignment question is allocated marks and the amount you write will be guided by those marks. For example, a 2 marks question only requires a few lines or sentences: a 5 or 6 mark question requires an answer of a paragraph or half a page: a 10 mark question requires approximately an A4 page (standard copy paper) or a little over that: a 15 mark question, not more than about 2 A4 pages and a 20 mark question, a little more than that.
This is defined as: ‘the practice of taking someone else’s work, ideas or text and passing it off as your own’. In the context of answering assignments it may be very tempting to find the answer to the question you are doing, either online or from the NALP Course Material we provide you, and to copy and paste it into your assignment. This is acceptable only if it is of an appropriate length, referenced and put into quotation marks, although you should be aware that you may not get marks for such copied text and could lose marks if you rely too heavily on copied text. It is always better to complete the assignment using your own words. However, it will not be acceptable to copy and paste wholesale text or otherwise reproduce it word for word without citation. This will be regarded as plagiaraism and will result in your whole assignment being marked as a ‘fail’ without hesitation. If you are found to have committed plagiarism, you will be given a warning. However, if it happens a second time, whether on the same assignment or a different one, you may be disqualified from the qualification as a whole meaning that you will not be allowed to continue your studies. If you are disqualified for plagiarism or any form of malpractice, you will not be entitled to any refund of your course fees. If you are unsure about what is and what is not acceptable in terms of using citations, or what plagiarism means, please request to speak to a tutor.

All of the regulated qualifications we offer are marked by the Awarding Organisataion, NALP. For those qualifications, you should allow 14-28 days for each assignment to be marked and returned by the assessor. Once assessed, you will be notified if you are undergoing a Level 3 Qualification, whether you have passed, been referred or failed. In the case of the Level 4 and Level 7 Qualifications, if you have passed, you will be notified of whether it is a ‘pass’ (45-64%) Merit (65-79%) or Distinction (80-100%). If you are studying for a CPD accredited training course, then please allow 14-28 days. You will receive a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ grade.

Please note: there is no feedback given to Learners, regardless of the outcome of the assignment, but if you wish to have tutorial support, please let us know, and we will arrange this: email us at: info@nationalparalegalcollege.co.uk or phone us: 0203 745 5513

Once the course or qualification is successfully completed, Learners will receive their Certificates within 2-3 weeks of completion of the course.

Recognition of Prior Learning

If you believe that you could be exempted from studying any units from the NALP Level 3 Qualifications, the NALP Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies or the Level 7 Diploma in Paralegal Practice, please read the following document and then download the appropriate application form:

Policy and Guidance for Learners on Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning – Application – for those who have completed a qualification listed in the NALP exemptions table (mentioned in the Guidance document above). 

Recognition of Prior Learning – Unrecognised Qualifications – for those who have completed a qualification that is not listed in the NALP exemptions table (mentioned in the Guidance document above)

Take the next step in your paralegal career