How long will it take to complete the paralegal certification? This is one of the frequently asked questions. The simplest answer for this is that it will simply depend upon your skill. There is nothing to wonder, you can increase and decrease the time of the certification process according to your skill and interest. The basic criterion is to attain 24 credits. For this you will have to appear for a total of 8 papers. Among this 4 papers are core and the next four is optional. You can select the optional paper according to your choice. The time of completion depends upon the number of papers you attend at a time. You can either go for one paper at a time or more. It will take maximum of 17 months. This is the longest time taken for the certification process. In case you are willing to take two papers at a time, you can finish of the process within 9 months. If you are skilled enough to take 3 papers at a time, you can complete the course in just 7 months.