HR Certification Path

Compare · professional level, HRCI and SHRM, checked Oct 2026

SHRM vs PHR: which professional exam fits

The PHR and the SHRM-CP are the general professional-level exams of HRCI and SHRM (HRCI also runs the PHRca, on California law), and the choice usually comes down to whether you can sit yet, how you want to test, and which kind of question you handle best. The PHR asks for 1–4 years of HR work first; the SHRM-CP asks for none of that (no degree, HR title or HR experience required). Every row below links to the HRCI or SHRM page it came from.

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

  • 90 / 110scored questions, PHR / SHRM-CP
  • 2 hours / 3 h 40 mintesting time
  • $495 / $399–$499to sit, as of Oct 2026

The short answer

PHR

Take the PHR if

  • you already meet its rule: 1–4 years of HR work;
  • you want to book any time of year, at a test center or, for select exams and locations, online;
  • your work is compliance-heavy (the exam's focus: Operational HR, US law);
  • you want one price and no membership math: $495.

PHR practice testAbout the PHR exam

SHRM-CP

Take the SHRM-CP if

  • you are new to HR or still short of the PHR's years;
  • you handle workplace scenarios well (question mix: Knowledge + SJI);
  • you can book a Prometric seat in the next window, Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027;
  • you are a SHRM member: $399 at the standard price, open until Dec 24, 2026.

SHRM-CP practice testAbout the SHRM-CP exam

PHR vs SHRM-CP, fact by fact

Checked Oct 25, 2026. Sources are numbered and listed under Sources. Prices as of Oct 2026. HRCI charges one price; 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.
FeaturePHRSHRM-CPSource
Certifying bodyHR Certification Institute (HRCI)Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)[1][2]
LevelProfessional (operational HR)Professional (operational HR)[1][2][3]
Eligibility1 year of professional-level HR experience with a master’s degree or higher, 2 years with a bachelor’s degree, or 4 years without a degreeThe degree does not have to be in HR, and the experience need not be current or consecutive.No degree, HR title or HR experience requiredSHRM recommends a basic working knowledge of HR.[2][3][4][5][6]
Questions on the exam115 questions (90 scored + 25 pretest)134 questions (110 scored + 24 unscored field-test items)[2][3][7]
Question typesKnowledge-based, mostly multiple choice, plus multiple-response, fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop and scenario items80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items (SJI); by weight, 40% SJI, 10% foundational knowledge of the behavioral competencies and 50% HR knowledge[2][4][8]
Testing time2 hours of testingPlus 30 minutes of administration time (tutorial and survey).3 hours 40 minutes of testingTwo 110-minute sections in a 4-hour appointment; one optional 15-minute break, and the clock keeps running.[2][3][7]
Passing scoreBoth bodies report scaled scores on different scales, so a 500 and a 200 do not compare.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.Scaled score of 200Scores run from 120 to 200 and every passing candidate receives 200; the cut is set by the modified Angoff method.[2][4]
Exam priceHRCI charges one price; the SHRM price depends on membership and on the application deadline. The bar shows the nonmember standard price.$495 ($395 exam fee + $100 application fee)$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.[2][3][8][9]
Where you testPearson 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][4][8][10]
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.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.[2][4][8][11]
RetakeWait 90 days after a failed attempt, then re-apply and pay all fees again, unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the applicationNo retake in the same window; apply again as a new candidate in a later window and pay the full fee (no limit on attempts)[2][4]
Pass rateHRCI publishes one pass rate per calendar year; SHRM publishes one per testing window.72% in 202569% in 2024, 60% in 2023 and 61% in 2022.68% 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.[8][12][13][14][15]
Recertification credits60 HR credits in 3 years (1 of them ethics), or retake the exam60 professional development credits (PDCs) in 3 years, or retake the exam in the last 12 months of the cycle[2][3][16][17][18]
Recertification fee$169 for one HRCI credential, plus $50 for each additional one (up to $369 for five or more)$165 for members, $210 for nonmembers; $240 / $285 late (during the grace period)[16][18][19]
AccreditationNCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies)Every HRCI exam except the aPHRi is NCCA-accredited.Buros Center for Testing (accredited since 2016)[1][2][12]
Content outline in force2024 exam content outline, in force since March 1, 20242026 SHRM BASK (8 behavioral competencies plus HR expertise in 14 functional areas)[20][21][22]

Who can sit, and when

PHR: 1 year of professional-level HR experience with a master’s degree or higher, 2 years with a bachelor’s degree, or 4 years without a degree. The degree does not have to be in HR, and the experience need not be current or consecutive. HRCI audits applications at random, so keep job descriptions on hand (PHR requirements).

SHRM-CP: No degree, HR title or HR experience required. SHRM recommends a basic working knowledge of HR.

Timing works differently too. An approved PHR application opens a booking period: year-round; you test within 180 days of application approval, with one 60-day extension available for a fee. The SHRM-CP runs in 2 windows a year; the next one is Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027, and applications close Dec 24, 2026. Miss that and you wait for 2027: 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.

Where you test. PHR: Pearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations). SHRM-CP: in person at a Prometric test center only; no remote testing.

What the questions reward

The PHR is knowledge-based, mostly multiple choice, plus multiple-response, fill-in-the-blank, drag-and-drop and scenario items. Its outline is the 2024 exam content outline, in force since March 1, 2024, and the largest of its seven areas is Employee and Labor Relations at 20%. One rule matters for study: questions follow the US laws and regulations in effect on your exam day. This site explains that law once, on the PHR employee and labor relations page.

The SHRM-CP splits its 134 (110 scored) questions by type: 80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items (SJI); by weight, 40% SJI, 10% foundational knowledge of the behavioral competencies and 50% HR knowledge. A situational judgment item describes a workplace problem and asks for the best of several workable responses. How to work one is on the SHRM-CP study guide, and the behaviors they score are set out in the 2026 BASK. Employment law sits inside the Workplace domain, 13% of the exam.

If you learn best from rules and definitions, the PHR's format suits you. If you are better at judging what to do first in a messy situation, the SHRM-CP plays to that.

Out-of-date figures to ignore

Some comparisons still give the PHR five functional areas and the SHRM-CP 160 questions or remote testing. As checked on Oct 25, 2026: the PHR outline in force is 2024 (7 areas), the SHRM-CP has 134 (110 scored) questions, and SHRM testing is Prometric center only.

Length, scoring and pass rates

The SHRM-CP is nearly twice as long: 3 h 40 min of testing against 2 hours. Two 110-minute sections in a 4-hour appointment; one optional 15-minute break, and the clock keeps running. The PHR appointment runs longer than its clock: plus 30 minutes of administration time (tutorial and survey).

Both report scaled scores on different scales. You pass the PHR at 500 (scaled) and the SHRM-CP at 200 (scaled), so the two numbers don't compare.

The published pass rates are close, 72% (2025) for the PHR and 68% (May–Jul 2025) for the SHRM-CP. HRCI counts a calendar year and SHRM a single window, and different people sit each exam, so the gap is not a difficulty ranking. Year by year: PHR pass rates.

What each costs to sit and to keep

  • PHR: $495 ($395 exam fee + $100 application fee), the same for everyone.
  • SHRM-CP: $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 included. Membership is $299 a year, optional; it lowers the exam price by $100, so joining for the exam alone costs more than it saves (SHRM-CP cost).

A failed attempt is where the bills part ways:

  • PHR 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.
  • SHRM-CP retake: 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).

Both renew every 3 years. The PHR needs 60 credits, one of them ethics, and $169; the SHRM-CP needs 60 PDCs and $165–$210 by membership. The two credentials are independent: neither body publishes a rule that converts the other's credits (HR recertification). All five exams on one fee sheet: HR certification cost.

Practice both exams on your phone

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

Get the practice appDownload on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

Practice on your phone

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

Go deeper

Other comparisons

  • HRCI vs SHRM Knowledge vs situational judgment, delivery, accreditation, fees
  • PHR vs SPHR Three more years of experience, a strategy-led outline, 25 more questions
  • aPHR vs SHRM-CP Both open to beginners: entry knowledge exam vs professional exam with SJI
  • aPHR vs PHR No experience vs 1–4 years, a 2021 vs a 2024 outline, $400 vs $495
  • SPHR vs SHRM-SCP Years by degree vs strategic years, knowledge vs judgment, two windows

Sources

  1. HRCI: individual certifications hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  2. 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  3. HRCI: PHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  4. HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  5. HRCI: understanding professional-level experience hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  6. SHRM: eligibility criteria shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  7. SHRM: SHRM-CP certification page shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  8. SHRM: exam options and fees (fees, windows, format, pass rates) shrm.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 Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  17. HRCI: ethics recertification requirement hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  18. SHRM: recertification shrm.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  19. HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  20. HRCI: PHR exam content outline (2024) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  21. HRCI PHR page announcing the outline change effective 3/1/2024 (Wayback, 2024-02-25) web.archive.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  22. SHRM BASK, 2026 edition (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026

SHRM vs PHR, quick answers

Is SHRM or PHR better?

Neither ranks above the other on paper. Both are professional-level, proctored and accredited (NCCA for the PHR, Buros for the SHRM-CP). The PHR suits candidates who already have the experience and want a knowledge exam any time of year; the SHRM-CP suits those without the experience, or who prefer judgment scenarios. Check which one the job ads you target name.

Which is easier, the PHR or the SHRM-CP?

No published figure settles it. The pass rates are close, 72% for 2025 against 68% for the May–Jul 2025 window, and cover different periods. The SHRM-CP is the longer sitting (3 h 40 min against 2 hours); the PHR leans harder on US employment law.

Can I take the SHRM-CP without HR experience?

Yes. The SHRM-CP's experience requirement: None. The PHR, by contrast, needs 1–4 years of HR work first (PHR requirements).

Can I hold both the PHR and the SHRM-CP?

Yes. They come from different bodies, so each has its own application, fee and renewal cycle. No published rule lets credits for one count automatically toward the other.