HR Certification Information

HR Certifications

SHRM and HRCI

The following are the exam eligibility charts for two HR credentialing organizations offering Human Resources certifications: SHRM and HRCI. SHRM offers the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certifications, and HRCI offers the aPHR, PHR, and SPHR certifications as well as global credentials. These are different certifications with unique types of exam questions that require diverse study materials. For detailed information regarding these certifications, visit the SHRM website at (www.shrm.org) and/or the HRCI website at (www.hrci.org).

SHRM-CP AND SHRM-SCP ELIGIBILITY CHART (EXEMPT- AND NON-EXEMPT LEVELS)

Credential	Less than a Bachelor's Degree*		Bachelor's Degree		Graduate Degree
Credential	HR-Related Degree	Non-HR Degree	HR-Related Degree	Non-HR Degree	HR-Related Degree	Non-HR Degree
SHRM-CP**	3 years in HR role	4 years in HR role	1 year in HR role	2 years in HR role	Currently in HR role	1 year in HR role
SHRM-SCP	6 years in HR role	7 years in HR role	4 years in HR role	5 years in HR role	3 years in HR role	4 years in HR role

* Less than a Bachelor’s Degree includes: Working toward a Bachelor's Degree; Associate's Degree; some college; qualifying HR Certificate Program; High School or GED.

**Student SHRM-CP Eligibility: Studying in the final year of an HR Degree program, and having a minimum of 500 hours of relevant HR experience.

HRCI PHR AND SPHR ELIGIBILITY CHARTS - EXPERIENCE IN A PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL HR POSITION

Credential	Less than Bachelor’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Master’s Degree
PHR	4 years	2 years	1 year
SPHR	7 years	5 years	4 years

CHRA Preparation Course Details

CHRA members receive a 20% discount on registration for the HRCI Certification Test Prep Courses offered through the HR Education Network. Click here for more information.