HR Certification Path

Compare · first HR certification, HRCI and SHRM, checked Oct 2026

aPHR vs SHRM-CP: two exams with no experience rule

Of the five US HR certifications on this site, two take candidates with no HR experience at all: HRCI's aPHR and SHRM's SHRM-CP (experience required for either: none). The difference is level. The aPHR is an entry-level knowledge exam; the SHRM-CP is a professional-level exam with situational judgment items, written for people doing HR work and open to people who are not yet.

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

  • 65 / 110scored questions, aPHR / SHRM-CP
  • 1 h 45 min / 3 h 40 mintesting time
  • $400 / $399–$499to sit, as of Oct 2026

The short answer

aPHR

Take the aPHR if

  • you want a shorter, knowledge-only first exam: 1 h 45 min;
  • you want to test any time of year, at a test center or, for select exams and locations, online;
  • you plan to climb the HRCI ladder to the PHR;
  • you want a fixed price: $400 for everyone.

aPHR practice testAbout the aPHR exam

SHRM-CP

Take the SHRM-CP if

  • you want a professional-level credential now, without the PHR's years;
  • you can sit for 3 h 40 min of knowledge and judgment items;
  • you can book a Prometric seat in a testing window;
  • you are a student or a SHRM member: both get lower prices.

SHRM-CP practice testAbout the SHRM-CP exam

aPHR vs SHRM-CP, fact by fact

Checked Oct 25, 2026. Sources are numbered and listed under Sources. Prices as of Oct 2026; the SHRM price depends on membership and on whether an early-bird period is open. HRCI reports pass rates per calendar year, SHRM per testing window. SHRM counts holders of both levels together.
FeatureSHRM-CPaPHRSource
LevelProfessional (operational HR)Knowledge (entry level)[1][2][3]
Who it is forPeople who do HR work at the operational level (implementing policies, supporting day-to-day HR, serving as an HR point of contact) or who are pursuing an HR careerPeople starting out in HR or exploring a path into the field[1][2]
EligibilityNo degree, HR title or HR experience requiredSHRM recommends a basic working knowledge of HR.No HR experience required; the current page lists no education requirementUntil 2021 the page asked for a high school diploma or equivalent; it no longer does.[1][3][4][5]
Questions on the exam134 questions (110 scored + 24 unscored field-test items)90 questions (65 scored + 25 pretest)[1][3][6]
Question types80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items (SJI); by weight, 40% SJI, 10% foundational knowledge of the behavioral competencies and 50% HR knowledgeKnowledge-based, mostly multiple choice[1][2][7][8]
Testing time3 hours 40 minutes of testingTwo 110-minute sections in a 4-hour appointment; one optional 15-minute break, and the clock keeps running.1 hour 45 minutes of testingPlus 30 minutes of administration time (tutorial and survey).[1][3][6]
Passing scoreBoth bodies report scaled scores on different scales, so a 500 and a 200 do not compare.Scaled score of 200Scores run from 120 to 200 and every passing candidate receives 200; the cut is set by the modified Angoff method.Scaled 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.[1][8]
Exam priceHRCI charges one price; the SHRM price depends on membership and on the application deadline. The bar shows the nonmember standard price.$399 for SHRM members or $499 for nonmembers, the standard price for the December 1, 2026 – February 15, 2027 window (applications September 1 – December 24, 2026); the $50 application fee is includedThe early-bird price ($350 / $450) applied to applications from June 3 – August 31, 2026 and has closed for this window.$400 ($300 exam fee + $100 application fee)[1][3][7][9]
Where you testIn person at a Prometric test center only; no remote testingPearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations)[1][3][7][8][10]
When you can testTwo 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.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.[1][7][8][11]
RetakeNo retake in the same window; apply again as a new candidate in a later window and pay the full fee (no limit on attempts)Wait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the application[1][8]
Pass rateHRCI publishes one pass rate per calendar year; SHRM publishes one per testing window.68% in the May–July 2025 window67% in Dec 2024–Feb 2025, 71% in May–Jul 2024, 70% in Dec 2023–Feb 2024, 71% in May–Jul 2023.71% in 202571% in 2024, 71% in 2023 and 74% in 2022.[7][12][13][14][15]
Credential holdersMore than 147,400 people hold the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP (both levels together)10,184 aPHR holders as of January 5, 2026[1][16]
Recertification credits60 professional development credits (PDCs) in 3 years, or retake the exam in the last 12 months of the cycle45 credits in 3 years (1 of them ethics), or retake the exam[1][3][17][18]
Recertification fee$165 for members, $210 for nonmembers; $240 / $285 late (during the grace period)$169 for one HRCI credential, plus $50 for each additional one (up to $369 for five or more)[17][19][20]
AccreditationBuros Center for Testing (accredited since 2016)NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies)Every HRCI exam except the aPHRi is NCCA-accredited.[1][2][12]

Same open door, different level

Neither exam checks your work history.

  • aPHR: No HR experience required; the current page lists no education requirement.
  • SHRM-CP: No degree, HR title or HR experience required. SHRM recommends a basic working knowledge of HR.

What you sit is not the same. HRCI files the aPHR under knowledge (entry level): 90 (65 scored) questions in 1 h 45 min, knowledge-based, mostly multiple choice. The SHRM-CP is the professional level, the same exam people with years in HR take: 134 (110 scored) questions in 3 h 40 min, mixing 80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items (SJI); by weight, 40% SJI, 10% foundational knowledge of the behavioral competencies and 50% HR knowledge.

So the SHRM-CP is the bigger first step: a longer exam whose scenarios assume you can picture an HR job from the inside.

What the questions look like

aPHR questions ask what a rule, process or practice is; the outline is built from "Knowledge of" statements (aPHR vs PHR shows how they grow into the PHR's). Its largest areas are Compliance and Risk Management at 25% and Employee Relations at 24%. Compliance at this level means recognizing what the major federal laws require; the statutes themselves are explained on the PHR employee and labor relations page.

SHRM-CP situational judgment items describe a workplace problem and ask for the best of several workable responses. The behaviors they reward are the 8 behavioral competencies of the 2026 BASK; how to work an item is on the SHRM-CP study guide. If you have never worked in HR, these can be the harder part: they reward judgment people usually build on the job, so practice them early.

Booking, price and timing

  • aPHR: Year-round; you test within 180 days of application approval, with one 60-day extension available for a fee. Applications are processed in 1 business day unless audited.
  • SHRM-CP: apply by Dec 24, 2026 to test in the window Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027.
  • After you apply. An Authorization to Test letter by email within 10 business days; longer if the application is selected for an eligibility audit.

Price. The aPHR is $400 ($300 exam fee + $100 application fee) for everyone. The SHRM-CP is $399 for members and $499 for nonmembers at the standard price, open until Dec 24, 2026; the early bird, $350 / $450 for applications Jun 3 – Aug 31, 2026, is over for this window. Students pay less: $199 member / $299 nonmember at the standard price; the $150 / $250 early-bird price closed August 31, 2026. All prices as of Oct 2026; every fee on one sheet: HR certification cost.

If you fail. aPHR: wait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the application. SHRM-CP: 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).

Not the only no-experience option

Some entry-level guides still present the aPHR as the one HR certification you can take without experience. SHRM's 2026 handbook sets no experience requirement for the SHRM-CP (handbook, p. 5), so among the five exams on this site a beginner has two to choose from, at two different levels. HRCI's aPHRi, for HR work outside the US, takes beginners too (HRCI).

What each leads to

From the aPHR the next HRCI rung is the PHR, once you have 1–4 years of HR work (aPHR vs PHR). The PHR rule does not ask for the aPHR, so the entry credential is a stepping stone, not a gate.

From the SHRM-CP the next step is the SHRM-SCP, which needs 3 years strategic HR or, for CP holders, CP + 3 years (CP or SCP).

Keeping either. The aPHR needs 45 credits every 3 years and $169; the SHRM-CP 60 PDCs and $165–$210 (HR recertification). On reach: 10,184 people held the aPHR in January 2026, while SHRM reports that more than 147,400 people hold the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP (both levels together), a figure that is not split by level.

Try both styles of question in the app

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

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreAndroid: practice in the browser

Practice on your phone

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

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreAndroid: practice in the browser

Go deeper

Other comparisons

  • HRCI vs SHRM Knowledge vs situational judgment, delivery, accreditation, fees
  • PHR vs SHRM-CP Experience rule, knowledge vs judgment items, year-round vs windows
  • aPHR vs PHR No experience vs 1–4 years, a 2021 vs a 2024 outline, $400 vs $495
  • PHR vs SPHR Three more years of experience, a strategy-led outline, 25 more questions
  • SPHR vs SHRM-SCP Years by degree vs strategic years, knowledge vs judgment, two windows

Sources

  1. 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  2. HRCI: individual certifications hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  3. HRCI: aPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  4. SHRM: eligibility criteria shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  5. HRCI: understanding professional-level experience (does not apply to aPHR) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  6. SHRM: SHRM-CP certification page shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  7. SHRM: exam options and fees (fees, windows, format, pass rates) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  8. HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  9. HRCI: exam fees hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  10. HRCI: online testing hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  11. SHRM: certification (testing windows) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  12. HRCI: exam pass rates hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  13. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2024 (Wayback, 2025-02-08) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  14. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2023 (Wayback, 2024-05-29) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  15. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2022 (Wayback, 2023-11-30) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  16. HRCI: exam statistics hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  17. SHRM: recertification shrm.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  18. HRCI: ethics recertification requirement hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  19. HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  20. HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026

aPHR vs SHRM-CP, quick answers

Can I get HR certified with no experience?

Yes. Among the US exams on this site, two qualify: the aPHR from HRCI and the SHRM-CP from SHRM; for HR work outside the US, HRCI's aPHRi has no experience rule either. Neither asks for HR experience as of Oct 2026 (aPHR: none; SHRM-CP: none). The aPHR is an entry-level knowledge exam; the SHRM-CP is professional-level and adds situational judgment items.

Is the aPHR or the SHRM-CP better for beginners?

The aPHR is the gentler start: 1 h 45 min of knowledge questions, bookable year-round, $400. The SHRM-CP is a professional-level credential you can aim for if you can handle 3 h 40 min of knowledge and judgment items in a Prometric window.

Is the SHRM-CP harder than the aPHR?

It is longer and adds judgment scenarios, and its latest pass rate was lower: 68% (May–Jul 2025) against 71% (2025) for the aPHR. The two rates cover different periods, so treat the gap as a hint.

Can I take the SHRM-CP without a degree?

Yes. No degree, HR title or HR experience required.