How to get HR certified
How to get HR certified, step by step
For a general US HR certification you pass one exam from HRCI or SHRM. Choose the level that matches your work, confirm you meet its experience rule, apply and pay, book a seat with that body’s test vendor, pass, and then earn credits to renew every 3 years. The steps are the same for both bodies; the deadlines and the fine print are not, so each step below gives both.
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
- 1 business dayHRCI application review
- 10 business daysSHRM Authorization to Test
- 3 yearsrenewal cycle, both bodies
Six steps, both bodies
Pick the exam
The five exams on this site sit at three levels: with no HR experience, the aPHR or SHRM-CP; with some, the PHR or the CP; in a strategic role, the SPHR or the SCP. Help with the choice: which certification first and best HR certifications.
Check eligibility
Look up your row in the eligibility table below. The institute counts years of professional-level HR work, fewer with a degree; the society checks experience only for the SCP.
Apply and pay
Institute exams: apply online any time; review takes 1 business day; 10 business days for an application selected for audit or one with a testing-accommodation request. CP and SCP: apply inside a window’s application period. The standard price, $399 / $499 for members and nonmembers, applies until Dec 24, 2026, because the early bird closed on August 31. Member prices apply only if you are a SHRM member when you submit the application.
Book your seat
Institute exams: book with Pearson VUE, at a center or, for select exams and locations, online with OnVUE, any time of year within 180 days of approval (one paid 60-day extension is possible). CP and SCP: once the Authorization to Test arrives, book a Prometric center inside your window.
Sit the exam
Arrive early: you become a no-show after 15 minutes at a Pearson VUE center, 30 minutes at Prometric. Results: same day (test center) for the institute’s exams; same day (preliminary) for the CP and SCP, with the final result in the portal weeks later.
Renew it
Earn credits through the cycle or retest: 60 credits at the professional level with one body, 60 PDCs with the other. Rules and fees: HR recertification.
Eligibility by exam
| Certification | Level | Eligibility | Exam price | Practice | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHR | Professional | 1–4 years of HR work | $495 | Practice test Exam facts | [1][2][3][4][5] | |
| SHRM-CP | Professional | None | $399–$499 | Practice test Exam facts | [6][7][8] | |
| SPHR | Senior | 4–7 years of HR work | $595 | Practice test Exam facts | [1][3][4][5][9] | |
| SHRM-SCP | Senior | 3 years strategic HR | $399–$499 | Practice test Exam facts | [6][7][8] | |
| aPHR | Entry | None | $400 | Practice test Exam facts | [1][4][5][10] |
The process rules side by side
| Feature | PHR | SHRM-CP | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application processing | 1 business day; 10 business days for an application selected for audit or one with a testing-accommodation request | An Authorization to Test letter by email within 10 business days; longer if the application is selected for an eligibility audit | [3][6] |
| Application audits | HRCI randomly audits applications; an audited applicant sends job descriptions and a transcript, reviewed within 10 business days, or the application becomes ineligible | SHRM randomly audits applications in each window; an audited applicant has 10 business days to send proof, and SHRM does not contact employers; not complying forfeits all fees | [3][8] |
| When you can test | Year-round; you test within 180 days of application approval, with one 60-day extension available for a feeHRCI describes itself as the only HR certification body offering year-round online exams. | Two windows a year; the next runs December 1, 2026 to February 15, 2027 (apply by December 24, 2026)SHRM's fee page shows "Opens Jan 4, 2027" under 2027 Test Window 1, most likely the start of its application period; the window's testing dates are not posted yet. | [3][6][8][11] |
| Where you test | Pearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations) | In person at a Prometric test center only; no remote testing | [2][3][6][8][12] |
| Moving your test date | No transfer to a later window; one 60-day extension of the 180-day eligibility period, requested before day 170, for a fee HRCI does not publish | $150 to move to the next testing window, once per application; the Prometric appointment must be canceled first, and its fee is extra | [3][6][11] |
| Late arrival | Arriving more than 15 minutes late counts as a no-show, and all fees are lost | Arriving more than 30 minutes late counts as a no-show, and all exam fees are lost | [3][6] |
| Breaks | No scheduled breaks; an unscheduled break counts against the testing time (none at all in an online session) | No scheduled break; one optional 15-minute break, and the exam clock keeps running | [3][6][8] |
| Results | Pass/fail on site at a test center, with the result in your HRCI account in 1–2 business days; online, the result appears in your HRCI account about an hour after the session and the report arrives by email in 24–48 hoursA failing report shows how far the score was from 500 and how you did in each functional area. | A preliminary pass/did-not-pass decision at the test center; final results in your SHRM certification portal about 2–3 weeks later | [3][6] |
| Retake | Wait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the application | No retake in the same window; apply again as a new candidate in a later window and pay the full fee (no limit on attempts) | [3][6] |
Deadlines that cost the whole fee
- The institute’s eligibility period. You must schedule and take the exam within 180 days of approval; if you don’t, your eligibility expires and you reapply and pay all fees again (HRCI handbook, exam eligibility period). One 60-day extension is possible if you request it before day 170, for a fee HRCI doesn’t publish.
- The CP and SCP standard deadline. For the window that runs December 1, 2026 – February 15, 2027, applications close December 24, 2026 (standard deadline). Miss it and you wait for 2027.
- Rescheduling late. Institute exams: Pearson VUE’s nonrefundable fee each time (amount not published by HRCI); reschedule at least 2 business days before a test-center appointment or 1 hour before an online one, or all fees are lost. CP and SCP: $45 paid to Prometric 30+ days before the appointment, $60 at 5–29 days; under 5 days you cannot reschedule and lose all fees.
Getting HR certified online
Institute exams: Pearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations). Online sessions allow no break, so the full testing time runs in one sitting. The CP and SCP have no online option in 2026; you sit them at a Prometric center.
What you can do entirely online is prepare. An online HR course or college certificate program is study material, though, not one of these certifications; the credential still comes only from passing the exam.
If you don’t pass
- Institute exams: Wait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the application. Neither HRCI’s exam fees page nor the handbook prints its price. A failing report shows how far the score was from 500 and how you did in each functional area.
- CP and SCP: No retake in the same window; apply again as a new candidate in a later window and pay the full fee (no limit on attempts). There is no insurance option, and a results review costs $100.
Prepare on your phone
PHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
SHRM-CP: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
SPHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
SHRM-SCP: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
aPHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
An iPhone app for each of the five exams, Android for the PHR and SPHR. Or keep using the practice tests here in the browser.
Each body’s own process
- SHRM certification CP or SCP, windows and the four choices before you apply
- HRCI certifications the ladder and the rules shared by every HRCI exam
- PHR requirements degree by years, and what counts as professional-level
- SPHR requirements
- HR certification cost
Sources
- HRCI: individual certifications hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
- HRCI: PHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: understanding professional-level experience hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: exam fees hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: eligibility criteria shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: exam options and fees (fees, windows, format, pass rates) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: SPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: aPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: certification (testing windows) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: online testing hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
Questions about getting HR certified
How do I get HR certification without a degree?
Of the five exams on this site, three don’t ask about a degree at all: the aPHR, the SHRM-CP and the SHRM-SCP (which counts strategic experience instead). The PHR and SPHR accept experience in place of a degree, 4 years and 7 years of professional HR work respectively.
How long does it take to get HR certified?
The paperwork is quick for the institute’s exams (1 business day for a normal application) and depends on the window for the CP and SCP, where the next testing period is Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027. Study time is up to you.
How much does it cost to get HR certified?
As of Oct 2026, from $400 for the aPHR to $595 for the SPHR at HRCI, application fee included, and $399–$499 for either SHRM exam at the standard price, depending on membership. Renewal and retakes add to that: HR certification cost.
Do I have to take a course before the exam?
No. None of the five exams on this site lists a course among its requirements: eligibility is about HR experience, or nothing at all for the aPHR and SHRM-CP. A prep course is optional study material.