HR Certification Path

HRCI vs SHRM · all five exams

HRCI vs SHRM, two ways to test HR

HRCI tests what you know about HR; SHRM tests what you know and how you would act on it. HRCI’s exams are knowledge questions you can book any day of the year, at a test center or, for select exams and locations, online. SHRM’s add situational judgment scenarios and run in two windows a year, at Prometric centers only. Price, accreditation and renewal differ as well, and none of it makes one body’s credential “better” across the board.

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

  • $495PHR, everyone, Oct 2026
  • $399–$499SHRM-CP, member to nonmember
  • 3 h 40 minSHRM testing time, both levels

Five exams, one table

Checked Oct 25, 2026. Sources are numbered and listed under Sources. Fees as of Oct 2026. HRCI publishes pass rates per calendar year, SHRM per testing window, so the two columns don’t cover the same months.
FeaturePHRSHRM-CPSPHRSHRM-SCPaPHRSource
Certifying bodyHR Certification Institute (HRCI)Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)HR Certification Institute (HRCI)Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)HR Certification Institute (HRCI)[1][2]
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.4 years of professional-level HR experience with a master’s degree or higher, 5 years with a bachelor’s degree, or 7 years without a degreeThe degree does not have to be in HR, and the experience need not be current or consecutive.At least 3 years of strategic-level HR work (1,000+ hours per calendar year), or 3 years as a SHRM-CP holder moving into a strategic role; no degree requiredNo 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.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
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 knowledgeKnowledge-based, mostly multiple choice, including scenario items80 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][3][7][9]
Questions on the exam115 questions (90 scored + 25 pretest)134 questions (110 scored + 24 unscored field-test items)140 questions (115 scored + 25 pretest)134 questions (110 scored + 24 unscored field-test items)90 questions (65 scored + 25 pretest)[2][4][7][8][10][11]
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 hours 30 minutes 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.1 hour 45 minutes of testingPlus 30 minutes of administration time (tutorial and survey).[2][4][7][8][10][11]
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.$595 ($495 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.$400 ($300 exam fee + $100 application fee)[2][4][7][8][9][12]
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 testingPearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations)In person at a Prometric test center only; no remote testingPearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE remote proctoring (for select exams and locations)[2][3][4][7][8][9][13]
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.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.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.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.[2][3][9][14]
AccreditationNCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies)Every HRCI exam except the aPHRi is NCCA-accredited.Buros Center for Testing (accredited since 2016)NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies)Every HRCI exam except the aPHRi is NCCA-accredited.Buros Center for Testing (accredited since 2016)NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies)Every HRCI exam except the aPHRi is NCCA-accredited.[1][2][15]
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 2023.76% in 202570% in 2024, 55% in 2023 and 53% in 2022.50% in the May–July 2025 window51% in Dec 2024–Feb 2025, 56% in May–Jul 2024, 53% in Dec 2023–Feb 2024, 54% in May–Jul 2023.71% in 202571% in 2024, 71% in 2023 and 74% in 2022.[9][15][16][17][18]
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 cycle60 credits in 3 years (45 HR + 15 Business, 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 cycle45 credits in 3 years (1 of them ethics), or retake the exam[2][4][7][8][19][20][21]
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)$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)$169 for one HRCI credential, plus $50 for each additional one (up to $369 for five or more)[19][21][22]

Knowledge exam or situational judgment

This is the difference you will feel while studying.

  • HRCI: knowledge questions throughout, mostly multiple choice, with some multiple-response, drag-and-drop and scenario items on the PHR. US employment law runs through the professional exam, and this site explains those laws once, on the PHR’s employee and labor relations and total rewards pages.
  • SHRM: 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 gives you a workplace scenario and asks for the most effective response. How those items are scored, competency by competency, is on the SHRM-CP pages.

If you test well on recall and law, HRCI’s format plays to that. If you think in terms of “what would I do next with this employee,” SHRM’s does.

The lineup

HRCI has more rungs. Its US ladder starts below the professional level with the aPHR, and it adds a global exam and international versions: HRCI certifications. SHRM has two levels, the CP and SCP, both on the same body of knowledge: SHRM certification.

At the levels both cover, the matching pairs are PHR vs SHRM-CP and SPHR vs SHRM-SCP. With no experience, the choice is aPHR vs SHRM-CP, because neither of those checks experience.

Booking, test day and retakes

The logistics differ more than the content.

  1. Application review. HRCI reviews an application in 1 business day; SHRM sends the Authorization to Test within 10 business days.
  2. When you sit it. With HRCI, any day a seat is open in the eligibility period after approval. With SHRM, only inside the window you applied for.
  3. A failed attempt. HRCI makes you wait and pay again unless you bought Second Chance Insurance with the application. SHRM has no insurance option and no retake in the same window, so the retake is a new application for a later one.

Late-arrival, break and rescheduling rules for both bodies are side by side on how to get HR certified.

Accreditation

Both bodies have their exams accredited by a third party, but not the same one. HRCI’s are accredited by NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies). SHRM’s are accredited by the Buros Center for Testing (accredited since 2016). A page that calls both NCCA-accredited has it wrong; which accreditor an exam has says nothing about how hard it is.

Fees, with and without membership

HRCI has one price for everyone, split into an exam fee and the $100 application fee. SHRM’s price depends on two things: membership and how early you apply.

SHRM membership: $299 a year, optional; it lowers the exam price by $100. On the exam alone that doesn’t pay for itself (our arithmetic: a year of membership costs more than the discount), so it only makes sense if you want membership anyway. Member prices apply only if you are a SHRM member when you submit the application.

Every fee, including retakes and renewal over three years, is on HR certification cost.

Renewal and credits

Both cycles last 3 years and end on the last day of your birth month. Miss the end date and the two bodies part ways: HRCI suspends the credential for a period before it expires, while SHRM gives a short grace period with a late fee and then revokes it; the details are on HR recertification. HRCI also asks for 1 credit of ethics per cycle, and SHRM sets no ethics minimum.

Credits don’t transfer between the two bodies; how one seminar can still count for both is answered in the questions below.

The bottom line

PHR

HRCI fits if

  • you want to test soon: any day of the year, at a center or, for select exams and locations, online
  • you are strongest on HR law and technical knowledge
  • you want a single price with no membership question
  • you have no experience yet and want the aPHR’s shorter, knowledge-only exam

PHR practice testAbout the PHR exam

SHRM-CP

SHRM fits if

  • you are comfortable judging workplace scenarios, not only recalling rules
  • you have no HR experience and want a professional-level exam anyway
  • you are a SHRM member already, so the member price applies
  • one of the two windows a year suits your plans (next: Dec 1, 2026 – Feb 15, 2027)

SHRM-CP practice testAbout the SHRM-CP exam

Exam-by-exam comparisons

Practice both formats

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

Practice on your phone

SPHR: 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-SCP: 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

Knowledge questions for the three HRCI exams, scenario questions for the two SHRM exams, each with its own app. The same practice tests run here in the browser.

Sources

  1. HRCI: individual certifications hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  2. 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  3. HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  4. HRCI: PHR certification page 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. HRCI: SPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  8. HRCI: aPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  9. SHRM: exam options and fees (fees, windows, format, pass rates) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  10. SHRM: SHRM-CP certification page shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  11. SHRM: SHRM-SCP certification page shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  12. HRCI: exam fees hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  13. HRCI: online testing hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  14. SHRM: certification (testing windows) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  15. HRCI: exam pass rates hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  16. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2024 (Wayback, 2025-02-08) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  17. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2023 (Wayback, 2024-05-29) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  18. HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2022 (Wayback, 2023-11-30) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  19. HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  20. HRCI: ethics recertification requirement hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
  21. SHRM: recertification shrm.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
  22. HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026

HRCI vs SHRM questions

Is HRCI or SHRM better?

Neither is better in general. Both are accredited, both run a professional and a senior exam, and no official source ranks one above the other. Choose by format and timing: knowledge questions any day of the year with HRCI, or situational judgment in two windows a year with SHRM.

Is HRCI credible?

HRCI’s exams are accredited by NCCA, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, and HRCI publishes pass rates and holder counts each year: 63,311 PHR holders in January 2026, for example. SHRM’s exams are accredited by Buros.

Do SHRM PDCs count toward HRCI recertification?

Not as such. Neither body publishes a rule that converts the other’s credits. An activity counts with HRCI if it meets HRCI’s recertification criteria and with SHRM if it fits the BASK, so a seminar that qualifies for both is logged twice, once with each body (HR recertification).

Can I hold both an HRCI and a SHRM certification?

Yes. Nothing in either handbook stops you, but each credential has its own fee, credits and renewal date.

Which body has more certified people?

SHRM, if you count both of its levels: its 2026 handbook says more than 147,400 people hold the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP (both levels together). HRCI’s January 2026 counts for the three US exams on this site are 63,311 PHR, 40,672 SPHR and 10,184 aPHR holders, before its global and international credentials.