SPECS of your HR exam
Many of you may be wondering about the specs of these exams. Today, we are going to spend a little bit of time talking about the details.
What’s important to know about these exams is that there are two certifying bodies. One is known as SHRM and the other is HRCI. Each of these certifying bodies will have different requirements. Be sure you narrow down which exam you will be taking.
First on the list of specs is eligibility:
To be eligible for the SPHR you must meet one of the following conditions for education and/or experience:
Have at least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position + a Master’s degree or higher,
Have at least five years of experience in a professional-level HR position + a Bachelor’s degree, OR
Have at least seven years of experience in a professional-level HR position.
To be eligible for the PHR you must meet one of the following conditions for education and/or experience:
Have at least one year of experience in a professional-level HR position + a Master’s degree or higher,
Have at least two years of experience in a professional-level HR position + a Bachelor’s degree, OR
Have at least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position.
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SHRM- Eligibility
Less than a Bachelor's Degree, HR-RelatedProgram 3 years in HR role Non-HR Program 4 years in HR role
Bachelor's Degree HR-Related Degree, 1 year in HR role, Non-HR Degree, 2 years in HR role
Graduate Degree HR-Related Degree, Currently in HR Role, Non-HR Degree, 1 year in HR role
I will be sure to link each of the sites so you can go and read more about the eligibility criteria.
Now let’s talk about the exam format and length
For the PHR
Exam time: 2 hours
Exam length: 90 scored questions (mostly multiple-choice) + 25 pretest questions
Computer-based exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or at your home or office using OnVUE (Learn more about Online Proctoring)
For the SPHR:
Exam time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Exam length: 115 scored questions (mostly multiple-choice) + 25 pretest questions
Computer-based exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or at your home or office using OnVUE (Learn more about Online Proctoring)
For the SHRM-CP
Computer-based experience.
4 hours in length.
160 questions (95 knowledge items/65 situational judgment items).
For the SHRM-SCP
Computer-based experience.
4 hours in length.
160 questions (95 knowledge items/65 situational judgment items).
The last thing we will talk about is the cost:
For the PHR:
Exam Fee*: $395 + Application Fee: $100
For the SPHR:
Exam Fee*: $495 + Application Fee: $100
SHRM Exam Fees
Early-Bird Exam Fee:
SHRM member: $300 USD | Nonmember: $400 USD
Standard Exam Fee:
SHRM member: $375 USD | Nonmember: $475 USD
Exam Windows:
HRCI: For the PHR/SPHR exams, you can take them year round.
For the SHRM exams, there are exam windows. They are typically in the Spring and Winter.
Be sure to tune into About the test part two. We will be talking about what’s on the exam.
https://www.hrci.org/our-programs/our-certifications/phr
https://www.hrci.org/our-programs/our-certifications/sphr
https://www.shrm.org/certification/about/Pages/SHRM-CP.aspx