How is the CLA exam structured, and what is the pass rate? The CLA exam is divided into 5 main sections:  Communications, Judgment/Analytical Ability, Ethics, Legal Research, and Substantive Law.  The Substantive law section is comprised of General Law and four other substantive law topics which you get to choose. In order to pass the entire exam, you must pass all of the main sections with a score of 70% or higher on each.  According to the NALA web site, approximately 40% of the examinees pass all sections on the first sitting; over 60% of the examinees pass four or more sections of the examination on the first sitting.