PHR · cost · checked Oct 26, 2026
PHR certification cost, as of Oct 2026
As of Oct 2026 the PHR costs $495 to sit, paid when you apply, and every candidate pays the same. What changes the total is what happens next: a missed reschedule deadline, a failed attempt or a late renewal.
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
- $495to sit the exam
- $100of it, the application fee
- $169renewal, one credential
PHR fees, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam price | $495 ($395 exam fee + $100 application fee) | HRCI: PHR certification page · HRCI: exam fees [1][2] | |
| Application fee | $100, separate from the exam fee | HRCI: exam fees [2] | |
| Member price | No member price; HRCI charges everyone the same fee | HRCI: exam fees [2] | |
| Early-bird price | No early-bird price; the fee is the same all year | HRCI: exam fees [2] | |
| Refunds | No refund once the application is approved; if an audit makes the application ineligible, the exam fee is refunded minus the application fee | HRCI: PHR certification page · HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [1][3] | |
| Reschedule | 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 | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Late arrival | Arriving more than 15 minutes late counts as a no-show, and all fees are lost | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| 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 | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Switching exams | $100 change fee plus any price difference, allowed only before an exam appointment is scheduled; the original fees are not refunded | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| 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 | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Retake insurance | Optional and bought only with the online application; nonrefundable; after a failed first attempt you retake a different form of the same exam after the 90-day wait without re-applying or paying againNeither HRCI’s exam fees page nor the handbook prints its price. | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) · HRCI: exam fees [2][3] | |
| Recertification fee | $169 for one HRCI credential, plus $50 for each additional one (up to $369 for five or more) | HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines · HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [4][5] | |
| Recertification cycle | Every 3 years, ending on the last day of your birth month; after that a 12-month suspended status (extra $100) before the credential expires | HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) · HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines [4][5] |
What you pay up front
One payment with the online application, as of Oct 2026:
Calculation steps
- 1Application fee$100
- 2Exam fee$395
- =Total, the same for every candidate$495
Source: HRCI exam fees
The price does not change with membership or with how early you apply. That is the main difference from SHRM, where the price runs from $399 (member) to $499 (nonmember) at the standard deadline; the early-bird price was $350 / $450 (closed Aug 31, 2026). Details: SHRM-CP cost.
Once the application is approved the fee is not refunded. Prep books, courses and practice exams are sold separately; none is required.
What can add to the bill
- A failed attempt. After the 90-day wait a second try costs the full $495 again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the first application. No price is printed for it; when it pays off is worked through on SPHR cost.
- A late change or a no-show. Pearson VUE charges for every reschedule, and arriving more than 15 minutes late forfeits everything you paid.
- More time to test. One 60-day extension is possible if you ask before day 170 of the 180; the handbook names a fee but not the amount.
- Switching exams. Moving to another HRCI exam before you book costs $100 plus any price difference.
- A late renewal. Miss the end of a renewal cycle and a 12-month suspended status adds $100.
Keeping the credential
Renewal is $169 for one credential, plus $50 for each further one you hold. The other cost is the credits themselves: 60 credits; what counts and what it costs depends on the activity (how recertification works).
If you plan to move up to the SPHR
The SPHR is $595 and needs 4–7 years of HR work. The fee page lists no discount for holders of the professional credential: the SPHR is a separate application at its own price. SPHR cost · the two exams compared.
Prepare once, pay once
PHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
More on the PHR
- PHR overview What the PHR is, who it suits, the 2024 seven-area outline, how to get it
- PHR practice test A mixed set across all seven areas, weighted like the 2024 outline
- PHR exam info Format, scoring, test day, results, retakes and renewal
- PHR requirements Degree × years of HR work, what counts as professional-level, applying
- PHR study guide Study by the 2024 weights, check your book, know the law as of exam day
Sources
- HRCI: PHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: exam fees hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
- HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
PHR cost, quick answers
How much does the PHR exam cost?
$495 as of Oct 2026: $395 for the exam and $100 for the application, the same for everyone and all year.
Is there a member discount?
No. Everyone pays the same, and you don’t need an HRCI membership to get that price.
What does a retake cost?
$495 again: a retake means a new application, unless Second Chance Insurance was bought with the first one.
Can I get a refund?
Not once the application is approved. If an audit makes it ineligible, the exam fee comes back without the application fee.