HR Certification Path

PHR · exam facts · checked Oct 26, 2026

PHR exam info: format, scoring and pass rate

The exam has 90 scored questions and 25 unscored ones, 115 in all, in 2 hours of testing. You pass with 500 (scaled), and 72% of candidates did in 2025. Each rule below has its source in the table.

Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.

  • 115 (90 scored)questions
  • 2 hourstesting time
  • 500 (scaled)to pass
  • 72% (2025)pass rate

PHR exam facts

Checked Oct 25, 2026. Sources are numbered and listed under Sources. What it costs: PHR cost. Who can apply: requirements.
FactDetailSourceChecked
Questions on the exam115 questions (90 scored + 25 pretest)HRCI: PHR certification page [1]
Scored questions90 scored questionsHRCI: PHR certification page [1]
Unscored questions25 unscored pretest questions, unmarked and mixed inHRCI: PHR certification page · HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [1][2]
Question typesKnowledge-based, mostly multiple choice, plus multiple-response, fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop and scenario itemsHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Testing time2 hours of testingPlus 30 minutes of administration time (tutorial and survey).HRCI: PHR certification page [1]
BreaksNo scheduled breaks; an unscheduled break counts against the testing time (none at all in an online session)HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Passing scoreScaled score of 500Set by the modified Angoff method and equated across exam forms. HRCI publishes the cut score only, not the top of the scale.HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Score scaleScaled score; only the passing mark of 500 is publishedHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
LanguagesEnglish; HRCI’s Spanish-language exams are the PHRi and SPHRiHRCI: exams in Spanish [3]
Where you testPearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations)HRCI: PHR certification page · HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) · HRCI: online testing [1][2][4]
When you can testYear-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.HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Application processing1 business day; 10 business days for an application selected for audit or one with a testing-accommodation requestHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
ReschedulePearson 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 lostHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Late arrivalArriving more than 15 minutes late counts as a no-show, and all fees are lostHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
ResultsPass/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.HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Results reviewNo review fee listed; a failed result can be appealed with a Request for Reconsideration within 10 business daysHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
RetakeWait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the applicationHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Pass rate72% in 202569% in 2024, 60% in 2023 and 61% in 2022.HRCI: exam pass rates · HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2024 (Wayback, 2025-02-08) · HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2023 (Wayback, 2024-05-29) · HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2022 (Wayback, 2023-11-30) [5][6][7][8]
People tested4,920 people tested in 20255,422 in 2024 and 5,396 in 2023.HRCI: exam statistics · HRCI exam statistics, 2024 test-takers (Wayback, 2025-03-23) · HRCI exam statistics, 2023 test-takers (Wayback, 2024-04-18) [9][10][11]
Recertification cycleEvery 3 years, ending on the last day of your birth month; after that a 12-month suspended status (extra $100) before the credential expiresHRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) · HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines [12][13]
Which laws are testedQuestions follow the US laws and regulations in effect on your exam dayHRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [2]
Content outline in force2024 exam content outline, in force since March 1, 2024HRCI: PHR exam content outline (2024) · HRCI PHR page announcing the outline change effective 3/1/2024 (Wayback, 2024-02-25) [14][15]

Format

The clock gives you 2 hours for the questions; the tutorial and the closing survey sit outside it. Most items are single-answer multiple choice, but expect some that ask for more than one answer, a typed answer, a drag-and-drop order or a short scenario set. The table lists them in full.

Content follows the seven functional areas of the 2024 outline, and law questions follow the rules in force on the day you test.

Passing score

The pass mark is 500 (scaled). It is set with the modified Angoff method, and equating keeps it the same standard on easier and harder forms, so no fixed number of right answers passes every version. You may see a 100–700 range quoted elsewhere; the current handbook publishes only the pass mark.

Pass rate

2025: 72% · 2024: 69% · 2023: 60% · 2022: 61%.

HRCI posts one figure a year on its pass rates page, as NCCA accreditation requires; the earlier years come from archived copies. 4,920 people sat the exam in 2025, against 5,422 the year before.

Test day, online or at a center

  • Booking. HRCI reviews an application in 1 business day, then you pick any open Pearson VUE slot in your eligibility window. Testing is year-round, so there are no national exam dates.
  • Breaks. None scheduled: a break you take comes out of your testing time, and an online session allows none.
  • Arriving late. More than 15 minutes late counts as a no-show.
  • Moving the date. Pearson VUE charges a fee each time; miss its deadline and the fees are gone.
  • Language. English only; HRCI’s Spanish-language exams are other credentials.

Results and appeals

At a test center you leave with a pass/fail report; after an online session the result reaches your account later the same day. If you fail, the report gives your distance from 500 and a result for each of the seven areas, which is the map for a retake. A failed result can also be appealed with a request for reconsideration, within the deadline shown in the table.

Retakes

After a fail you wait 90 days, then re-apply and pay again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the first application; it can’t be added later. What a second attempt costs: PHR cost.

Recertification

The credential runs for 3 years and ends on the last day of your birth month. You renew with 60 credits, at least one of them in ethics, or by retaking the exam. How credits are earned and logged: HR recertification.

Practice for the PHR on your phone

PHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.

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More on the PHR

Sources

  1. HRCI: PHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  2. HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  3. HRCI: exams in Spanish hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  4. HRCI: online testing hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  5. HRCI: exam pass rates hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  6. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2024 (Wayback, 2025-02-08) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  7. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2023 (Wayback, 2024-05-29) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  8. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2022 (Wayback, 2023-11-30) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  9. HRCI: exam statistics hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  10. HRCI exam statistics, 2024 test-takers (Wayback, 2025-03-23) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  11. HRCI exam statistics, 2023 test-takers (Wayback, 2024-04-18) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  12. HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  13. HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  14. HRCI: PHR exam content outline (2024) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  15. HRCI PHR page announcing the outline change effective 3/1/2024 (Wayback, 2024-02-25) web.archive.org · checked Oct 25, 2026

PHR exam, quick answers

How many questions are on the PHR exam?

115 in all: 90 scored and 25 pretest items. The pretest items are not marked, so you can’t tell which ones don’t count.

What percentage do you need to pass the PHR?

None is published. The pass mark is 500 (scaled), and the number of correct answers behind it varies from form to form.

When are the PHR exam dates?

There are none: testing is year-round, and you book any open Pearson VUE slot within your eligibility period.

How do I renew the PHR?

60 credits every 3 years, at least one in ethics, or a retake; the fee is $169 as of Oct 2026.