CLM Practice Test

The Certified Legal Manager exam is taken by legal administrators and managers who want ALA certification for the business side of a law firm or legal department. This page gives you free practice sets by topic, a summary of the exam format, fees, retakes and renewal, and a study plan to use alongside the official material.

CLM Exam at a Glance

What changed for CLM in 2026

• Oct 24, 2026: Retake fee changed to $275 per retake (previously $275 per retake; $175 to reschedule).^[3]
• Oct 24, 2026: Number of questions changed to 125 questions (25 unscored pilot) (previously 125 multiple-choice questions (25 unscored pilot)).^[1]
• Oct 24, 2026: Passing score changed to Criterion-referenced (Angoff method); no fixed score published (previously Criterion-referenced (Angoff method); no fixed number published).^[4]
• Oct 24, 2026: Score release changed to Pass/fail by email within two weeks (previously Pass/fail by email within two weeks of the exam).^[4]
• Oct 24, 2026: Renewal changed to 36 hours of coursework every 3 years (previously 36 hours of coursework every 3 years; $225 recertification fee).^[6]
• Oct 24, 2026: Validity changed to 3 years; $225 recertification fee plus $60 annual maintenance (previously 3 years, plus $60 annual maintenance).^[5]

What the CLM is and how it works

According to American Bar Association? No — ALA, “The passing score for the CLM exam will be determined using an Angoff Method-based criterion-referencing process.”^[4]

The Certified Legal Manager credential is offered by ALA for people who run the business side of legal work: budgets, people, operations and the management of a law firm or legal department. The exam has 125 questions, of which 25 are unscored pilot items, and you have 4 hours to finish it.

The exam is delivered in set windows rather than on any day you choose. Published windows include November 2–25, 2026, May 3–28, 2027 and November 1–26, 2027. The application deadline is April 4, 2027 for the spring window and September 6, 2027 for the fall window. The exam fee is $550 for ALA members and $675 for nonmembers.

Scoring is criterion-referenced, using the Angoff method. ALA publishes no fixed passing score, so there is no percentage to aim for. Pass or fail notices are sent by email within two weeks of the exam date.

If you do not pass, you can retake the exam up to 2 times within 48 months of your application date. Each retake costs $275. Certification is valid for 3 years. Recertifying costs $225, plus $60 annual maintenance, and requires 36 hours of coursework during the prior 3 years.

Eligibility rules are set by ALA and can change, so read the application requirements page on alanet.org before you apply. Our practice questions are written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions.

CLM content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official CLM content outline published by American Bar Association? No — ALA, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through CLM questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the relationship between Family Law & Domestic Relations and ethical professional conduct?

1. Ethical considerations are integrated into all aspects of professional practice in this area
2. Ethics applies only to separate, unrelated decisions
3. There is no connection between technical knowledge and ethics
4. Ethics is relevant only when legal issues arise

Answer: A. Ethical considerations are integrated into all aspects of professional practice in this area

Explanation:

The correct answer is that ethical considerations are built into every part of professional practice in this area. Family law work involves sensitive personal information, conflicts of interest and clients under stress, so conduct standards apply to routine tasks as well as to unusual ones.

The option saying ethics applies only to separate, unrelated decisions is wrong because ethical duties run through daily work. The option claiming there is no connection between technical knowledge and ethics is wrong because the two are applied together. The option saying ethics matters only when legal issues arise is wrong because ethical duties exist before any problem appears.

Rule to remember: when a question asks how ethics relates to a practice area, choose the answer that treats it as part of everything you do, not as an occasional add-on.

Example 2

Question: Which cybersecurity framework is most widely referenced for assessing and improving law firm information security programs?

1. ISO 9001
2. NIST Cybersecurity Framework
3. COBIT 5
4. ITIL v4

Answer: B. NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Explanation:

The correct answer is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It gives standards, guidelines and best practices for managing cybersecurity risk, which is why law firms often use it to assess and improve their information security programs.

ISO 9001 is wrong because it addresses quality management, not information security. COBIT 5 is wrong because it is a framework for governing and managing enterprise IT, so it is broader than the security question asked here. ITIL v4 is wrong because it covers IT service management, such as how support and service delivery are organized.

Rule to remember: match the framework to its job. Security risk points to NIST, quality points to ISO 9001, IT governance points to COBIT and service delivery points to ITIL.

Example 3

Question: What common challenge do professionals face when applying Criminal Law & Procedure principles?

1. Balancing theoretical best practices with practical constraints and real-world conditions
2. Finding the relevant textbook chapter
3. Obtaining permission to use the principles
4. The principles are too simple to present any challenge

Answer: A. Balancing theoretical best practices with practical constraints and real-world conditions

Explanation:

The correct answer is balancing theoretical best practices with practical constraints and real-world conditions. In criminal law and procedure, the ideal approach on paper often has to be adjusted for deadlines, limited resources and the facts of a particular matter.

Finding the relevant textbook chapter is wrong because it is a minor inconvenience, not a challenge of applying the principles. Obtaining permission to use the principles is wrong because legal principles do not need anyone's permission. Saying the principles are too simple to present any challenge is wrong because absolute claims like this rarely hold up in practice.

Rule to remember: when asked about a common challenge, prefer the answer that describes a real tension between theory and practice over answers that are trivial or absolute.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official material. Read ALA's exam prep and study tips page and the content outline, and note which areas you manage every day and which you rarely touch. Then use the practice sets to test that self-assessment.

1. Take a short set in each of the four official content areas, using the sets listed in the table above. Do not time yourself yet. Read every explanation, including those for questions you got right.
2. Keep a simple log of the topics you miss and the reason: you did not know the term, you misread the scenario, or you picked a plausible but less complete answer.
3. Go back to the official outline and ALA's resources for the weak areas, then return to the matching practice sets.
4. Use the remaining sets, such as contract management, compliance and legal technology, to practise reading business-style scenarios.
5. In the last days before your window, do a few longer sessions with a timer. The real exam gives you hours, not minutes per question, so practise staying focused for that long.

Remember that ALA publishes no fixed passing score. Treat our results as a guide to where to study next, not as a prediction.

Sources & last verified

1. American Bar Association? No — ALA — number of questions (official source). “The exam itself includes 125 questions” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
2. American Bar Association? No — ALA — time limit (official source). “You'll have four hours to complete the exam.” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
3. American Bar Association? No — ALA — exam fee, retake fee (official source). “The CLM Certification exam fee is $550 for ALA members, $675 for non-members, and $275 for retakes.” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
4. American Bar Association? No — ALA — passing score, retake policy, score release (official source). “The passing score for the CLM exam will be determined using an Angoff Method-based criterion-referencing process.” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
5. American Bar Association? No — ALA — validity, testing window, registration deadline (official source). “$225 due every three years or on your spring or fall certification date.” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
6. American Bar Association? No — ALA — renewal (official source). “36 hours of coursework during the prior three years” Verified Oct 24, 2026.
7. American Bar Association? No — ALA — other (official source). “financial management general accounting 14% financial management information and analysis 15% 29%” Verified Oct 28, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.