CILEX CPQ
CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) enables you to qualify as:
A CILEX Paralegal
A CILEX Advanced Paralegal
A CILEX Lawyer
CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) enables you to qualify as:
A CILEX Paralegal
A CILEX Advanced Paralegal
A CILEX Lawyer
CILEX, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, is the professional association and governing body for CILEX Lawyers, other legal practitioners and paralegals.
CILEX offer unique routes to a legal career and becoming a qualified lawyer without a requirement to having a law degree, although law graduates and graduates with non-law degrees can also qualify as a lawyer through the CILEX route.
CILEX are the professional membership and awarding body. You can find their website here www.cilex.org.uk
You will need to arrange your membership, any exemptions, CPQ stage registration and examination entry directly with CILEX and you should make sure you diarise their key dates and deadlines. It is part of your professionalism requirements that you manage these deadlines and processes.
CILEX Regulation are the independent regulatory body of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. They authorise and regulate individual legal professionals and law firms. Their role is to protect consumers’ interests, promote high professional standards and encourage a diverse and effective legal profession.
The CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ) aims to transform the provision of legal services and to satisfy employer needs.
CPQ is the route to becoming a CILEX Paralegal, CILEX Advanced Paralegal or CILEX Lawyer. It is a competency-based qualification framework, which progresses from the foundation stage, through the advanced stage, to the professional stage. Each stage combines a focus on technical expertise and practical skills with the development of the core behaviours. The qualification is underpinned by the competency framework which is core principles, core behaviours and core activities.
Principles underpin what a legal professional does and embody the CILEX code of conduct.
Behaviours describe the behaviours legal professionals should demonstrate in their activities to add value to clients.
Activities outline what legal professionals need to know and do on a day to day basis to be successful.
CPQ is the newest CILEX route to qualification and will replace the legacy qualifications over time. Anyone who became a CILEX member from the 1st June 2021 onwards will follow the CPQ qualification pathway.
Everyone, no matter which accredited learning centre they study with, must register with CILEX as a member and for their assessments and to undertake their ethics and professional responsibility course at each stage.
When studying with Brightlink you can choose to study one module at a time or more than one. Our course subscriptions are designed to take around 3.5 hours of study time per week, per module.
CPQ Foundation
What do I need to join a course?
What do I need to study to complete the Foundation stage of CPQ?
All 5 units are mandatory unless you have exemptions.
Subject | Study time in hours | Brightlink subscription |
Legal systems | 75 | 6 months |
Contract law | 100 | 7 months |
Tort | 100 | 7 months |
Intro to property and private client | 180 | 12 months |
Professional Skills:Legal Research | 45 | 6 months |
Professional Skills:Succeeding in a legal environment | 45 | 6 months |
What can I call myself once I’ve completed this stage of qualification?
A CILEX Paralegal
A CILEX Paralegal is someone who has completed the Foundation stage of CPQ. They are fee earners and can manage their own caseloads.
CPQ Advanced
What do I need to join a course?
What do I need to study to complete the Advanced stage of the CPQ qualification?
Four mandatory modules
Plus one optional module from a choice of:
Subject | Study time in hours | Brightlink subscription |
Dispute resolution | 180 | 12 months |
Criminal law and practice | 180 | 12 months |
Professional and Legal skills | 90 | 6 months |
Option – property and conveyancing | 180 | 12 months |
Option – wills, probate and private client | 180 | 12 months |
Option – family law and practice | 180 | 12 months |
Option – business and employment law | 180 | 12 months |
You must provide evidence of applying one or more of these 6 areas of law in your professional experience. Practice rights are granted through the recording and collating of this evidence.
What can I call myself once I’ve completed this stage of qualification?
A CILEX Advanced Paralegal
An Advanced Paralegal is someone who has completed Foundation and Advanced stages of the CPQ qualification. Practice subject specialisation begins here with specialist case handling in any of these areas:
CPQ Professional
What do I need to join a course?
What do I need to study to complete the Advanced stage of the CPQ qualification?
One mandatory module – professional skills.
Plus one optional module from:
The optional module selected is where the learner will get their practice rights.
Subject | Study time in hours | Brightlink subscription |
Option – Dispute resolution | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Criminal litigation | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Residential conveyancing | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Commercial conveyancing | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Employment law and practice | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Business and commercial | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Wills, probate and private client | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Family law and litigation | 300 | 20 months |
Option – Immigration | 300 | 20 months |
Mandatory – professional skills | 200 | 14 months |
People with an LPC or BPTC or an equivalent will enter at professional stage.
If they enter at this stage, learners will need to complete both ethics and professional responsibility eLearning units, from Foundation and Advanced stages.
To achieve practice rights in a pathway learners must choose that subject area as part of their Advanced and Professional stages. This means if it is an optional subject you must choose it in both.
What can I call myself once I’ve completed this stage of qualification?
A CILEx Lawyer
A CILEx Lawyer is someone who has completed all three stages of CPQ, including compulsory ethics, professional responsibility and a minimum of 3 years relevant practical experience.
They can qualify with practice rights in at least one area of law. Specialist areas can be:
CPQ Graduate Fast Track
What do I need to join a course?
A Qualifying Law Degree.
What will i study?
There are 7 potential career specialisms you can study towards via a CILEX CPQ Graduate course if you have a qualifying law degree or GDL. These are:
You can achieve these specialist lawyer career outcomes by following one of 3 graduate course routes, made up of a combination of units of study.
Route 1 |
Route 2 |
Route 3 |
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Graduate Fast Track Route 1 |
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Covers the following pathways
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Subject | Study Time hours | Brightlink Subscription |
Foundation Stage |
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Foundation Ethics and professional | Managed by CILEX | |
Foundation Introduction to property, private client and Professional skills | 220 | 12 Months |
Foundation working in civil litigation | 120 | 6 Months |
Foundation working in criminal practice | 120 | 6 Months |
Advanced Stage |
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Advanced Ethics and professional Responsibility | Managed by CILEX | |
Choose 1 option from either
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180 | 12 Months |
Professional Stage |
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Professional skills | 200 | 14 Months |
Select 1 option which follows on from the pathway begun at advance stage.
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300 | 20 Months |
Graduate Fast Track Route 2 |
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Covers the following pathway
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Subject | Study Time hours | Brightlink Subscription |
Foundation |
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Foundation ethics and professional responsibility | Managed by CILEX | |
Foundation introduction to property, private client, and professional skills | 220 | 12 Months |
Foundation working in civil litigation | 120 | 6 Months |
Advanced Stage |
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Advanced Ethics and professional Responsibility | Managed by CILEX | |
Advanced stage criminal law and litigation | 180 | 12 Months |
Professional Stage |
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Professional skills. | 200 | 14 Months |
Plus your option
|
300 | 20 Months |
Graduate Fast Track Route 3 |
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Covers the following pathway
Dispute Resolution |
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Subject | Study Time hours | Brightlink Subscription |
Foundation |
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Foundation ethics and professional responsibility | Managed by CILEX | |
Foundation Introduction to property, private client and Professional skills | 220 | 12 Months |
Foundation working in criminal litigation | 120 | 6 Months |
Advanced Stage |
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Advanced ethics and professional responsibility | Managed by CILEX | |
Advanced stage dispute resolution | 180 | 12 Months |
Professional Stage |
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Professional skills | 200 | 14 Months |
Plus your option
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300 | 20 Months |
Assessment are all online.
There are 22 assessments available in total but a learner would choose/ be mandated to do 14 of them across 12 subjects. The skills modules on the Foundation and Advanced stages each have 2 assessments. All other units have 1. In addition to those 14 assessments, learners will complete both the ethics and professional responsibility eLearning modules and the professional experience.
They become more complex at each stage of CPQ and gradually shift in emphasis from testing knowledge of the law to focusing on how to evaluate and respond to complex problems or change; show informed, reasoned judgements; and present solutions to the client whilst considering their needs alongside wider impact.
Professional experience outcomes are also assessment.
First CPQ assessments for Foundation and Advanced will be held in January 2022. First assessments for Professional will be in January 2023.
There will be 2 exam sittings per year in January and June.
Assessment content is based on assessment objectives.
The table below illustrates the relative weighting of the specific Assessment Objectives utilised across the CPQ stages. These weightings will be closely analysed on completion of our assessment trials.
Trainees Must | Percent in Foundation Stage | Percent in Advanced Stage | Percent in Professional Stage | ||||
A01
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
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50 | 35 | 20 | ||||
A02
Analyse information and ideas and apply knowledge and understanding of:
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35 | 40 | 40 | ||||
A03
Interperate and evaluate to:
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15 | 25 | 40 | ||||
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Legal systems | £260 |
Contract law | £300 |
Tort | £300 |
Introduction to property and private client | £510 |
Professional Skills: Legal Research | £300 |
Professional Skills: Succeeding in a legal environment | £300 |
Foundation total cost | £1970 |
All mandatory units | |
Dispute resolution | £800 |
Criminal law and practice | £800 |
Professional and Legal skills | £400 |
Plus one optional unit below | |
Wills, probate and private client | £800 |
Family law and practice | £800 |
Business and employment law | £800 |
Property and conveyancing | £800 |
Advanced total cost | £2800 |
Mandatory unit | |
Professional skills | £770 |
Plus one unit linked to your pathway | |
Dispute resolution | £1,000 |
Criminal litigation | £1,000 |
Residential conveyancing | £1,000 |
Commercial conveyancing | £1,000 |
Employment law and practice | £1,000 |
Business and commercial | £1,000 |
Wills, probate and private client | £1,000 |
Family law and litigation | £1,000 |
Immigration law | £1,000 |
Professional total cost | £1,770 |
Graduate Fast Track Route 1 |
Cost |
Foundation Introduction to property, private client and Professional skills | £510 |
Foundation working in civil litigation | £260 |
Foundation working in criminal practice | £260 |
Choose 1 option from either
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£800 |
Professional Skills | £770 |
Select 1 option which follows on from the pathway begun at advance stage.
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£1000 |
Total Route 1 costs | £3600 |
Graduate Fast Track Route 2 |
Cost |
Foundation Introduction to property, private client and Professional skills | £510 |
Foundation working in civil litigation | £260 |
Advanced criminal law and litigation | £800 |
Professional Skills | £770 |
Professional Criminal Litigation | £1000 |
Total Route 2 costs | £3340 |
Graduate Fast Track Route 3 |
Cost |
Foundation Introduction to property, private client and Professional skills | £510 |
Foundation working in criminal litigation | £260 |
Advanced dispute resolution | £800 |
Professional Skills | £770 |
Professional dispute resolution | £1000 |
Total Route 3 costs | £3340 |
There are lots of ways you can pay us
You can pay:
You can get started as soon as you’re ready. Click here to send us an enquiry form about the course you’d like to study and we’ll be in touch to arrange it with you.
We’ll help you get registered with CILEX, for your membership and ethics and professionalism course and get your Brightlink study underway with access to online materials and an introduction from your tutor who will be looking forward to meeting you for an induction as soon as you’re ready.
When you study with Brightlink you will have access to the same core materials that everyone studying with CILEX has, no matter which centre they learn with, you’ll have much more than that too, we also provide.
When you join us to study you will be allocated a named tutor for each subject. Your tutor will contact you and invite you to a face-to-face induction via video conference. At your induction they will tell you all you need to know about working with us and our resources. They’ll ask you what you need to give your best to your study and they will share what they need from you to offer you the best support they can.
The first thing that you need to do is register with CILEX at www.cilex.org.uk for your access to eBooks, professionalism and ethics module, any exemptions, assessments and to arrange your membership. When applying for your registration with CILEX there will be a question which asks if you already know which learning centre you would like to work with. Say yes and select Brightlink from the drop down list of accredited centres, then when your registration is completed come back to us here.
You can start to study a single unit, multiple units or a whole course at any time after your registration is complete by applying to us here . Once we receive your application we will review it and let you know if is accepted, if so we’ll take you through the enrolment process and arrange your course funding with you.
*Please note under CILEX Rules, you have 3 years to complete each stage of CPQ, unless you are an apprentice in which case you have 2 years*
Accreditation and regulation to define the work of professionals in legal services. When you study the CILEX CPQ Foundation qualification you learn and practice professionalism, ethics, behaviours and activities which qualify you to call yourself a CILEX Paralegal upon successful completion.
Your Paralegal qualification will offer employers and clients a benchmark for quality work, strong values and high standards and skill levels. The term paralegal is often used as a general term for a role where the person undertaking the work is not necessarily qualified to a particular level or regulated by a professional body. CILEX have introduced a rigorous process or membership, academic learning, skills practice and demonstration and professional regulation.
You don’t need to have any legal qualifications or experience to join a CILEX Paralegal course. You will want to be working in a legal environment already, or within 6 months of beginning your paralegal course to evidence the necessary professional experience. You may find that starting a course and studying with others in the legal profession can help you get that foot in the door to a job. We have lots of opportunities for you to become a part of the Brightlink paralegal learning community.
You, your employer and your clients will benefit from:
This is the next stage of paralegal studies and can be a stepping stone on the way to qualification as a CILEX Lawyer.
The CPQ qualification is structured in stages, each stage building on the knowledge, skills and experience gained at the previous stage. Build on your knowledge, skills and experience and set yourself apart from other paralegals by following the Foundation course with the Advanced stage course and becoming an Advanced Paralegal.
This is the stage at which you may join the CPQ course if you are a Law Graduate or have certain exemptions from previous CILEX qualifications.
You will
CILEX Lawyers are different by design; the routes of entry are more flexible, the training is more practical and the professionals who progress through CPQ qualify with an enhanced skillset and a different mindset.
CILEX skills are recognised by leading employers – including businesses, other legal professionals, in-house counsel and the judiciary.
If you complete the Foundation, Advanced and Professional stages you will build up the right mix of practical experience and educational qualifications to be a CILEX Lawyer. CPQ includes professional experience, skills training, skills demonstration and academic qualifications. So you leave your qualification with the time in employment and practice rights to expand the opportunities available to you. You can practice unsupervised, become a partner, set up your own organisation or work towards a judicial application.
You may join the CPQ qualification at this stage if you have completed a law degree and legal practice course or if you have already completed the Foundation and Advanced qualification stages.