There are many examples of creatures that possess class levels and I was wondering if it is possible for a pseudodragon (a pet or familiar) to acquire class levels and how would one go about doing so in a game?
Pseudodragons have a 12 Wisdom and thus could cast second level cleric spells if they can acquire class levels.
As an NPC, or PC, sure.
But not as a Familiar.
Why not as a familiar?
Adding the familiar quality to a creature does not indicate it loses any options that a regular creature possess. The faerie dragon specifically states that it is a 3rd level sorcerer and can gain additional levels.
"Faerie dragons grow in power as spellcasters as they age (typically gaining levels in sorcerer), learning more powerful spells to complement their innate abilities."
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Because there's no established game mechanic to allow it. You can't add levels to your familiar "just because" any more than you can start a game at level 1 with a holy avenger "just because." (Although, in either case, a GM could allow it.)
The closest to kosher that you could get with a class-leveled familiar would be if you were to take Leadership and select your familiar as your cohort, though your GM would have to decide how many levels to give it (and, of course, if that madness is worth allowing to begin with). Knights of the Inner Sea had a system for taking monstrous mounts as cohorts, but the effective cohort levels varied from CR +2 to CR +8. If I had to make the call on a sorcerer-leveled faerie dragon, I'd probably put it at CR +~4.
Also, faerie dragons aren't third levels sorcerers; they just cast spells as third level sorcerers.
Non-PCs only gain class levels as the GM allows. Familiars are designed to function as-is, not advance on their own in the manner of a cohort. Instead of receiving experience points themselves, they follow the advancement rules given in the Core Rulebook. That's pretty much it. If you want a helper that advances using experience points that can go to class levels, you want a cohort.
Because there's no established game mechanic to allow it. You can't add levels to your familiar "just because" any more than you can start a game at level 1 with a holy avenger "just because." (Although, in either case, a GM could allow it.)
The closest to kosher that you could get with a class-leveled familiar would be if you were to take Leadership and select your familiar as your cohort, though your GM would have to decide how many levels to give it (and, of course, if that madness is worth allowing to begin with). Knights of the Inner Sea had a system for taking monstrous mounts as cohorts, but the effective cohort levels varied from CR +2 to CR +8. If I had to make the call on a sorcerer-leveled faerie dragon, I'd probably put it at CR +~4.
Also, faerie dragons aren't third levels sorcerers; they just cast spells as third level sorcerers.
This is correct. A faerie dragon sorcerer 1 would cast spells as a 4th-level sorcerer, but they'd only have the bloodline and other class abilities of a 1st-level sorcerer.