The 2026 SHRM BASK, and what changed

The BASK in force

The 8 behavioral competencies

Grouped into three clusters; the sub-competencies are the BASK’s own (pp. 11–52).

• Leadership · Leadership & Navigation: navigating the organization, vision, managing HR initiatives, influence
• Leadership · Ethical Practice: personal integrity, professional integrity, acting as an ethical agent
• Leadership · Inclusive Mindset (new in 2026): connecting I&D to performance, building the infrastructure, impartiality and fairness, cultivating an inclusive culture, operating in a global environment
• Interpersonal · Relationship Management: networking, relationship building, teamwork, negotiation, conflict management
• Interpersonal · Communication: delivering messages, exchanging organizational information, listening
• Business · Business Acumen: business and competitive awareness, business analysis, strategic alignment
• Business · Consultation: evaluating business challenges, designing and advising on HR solutions, change management, service excellence
• Business · Analytical Aptitude: data advocacy, data gathering, data analysis, evidence-based decision-making

HR Expertise: three domains, 14 functional areas

The knowledge half of the exam (pp. 53–83).

• People: HR Strategy, Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement & Retention, Learning & Development, Total Rewards
• Organization: Structure of the HR Function, Organizational Effectiveness & Development, Workforce Management, Employee & Labor Relations, Technology Management
• Workplace: Managing a Global Workforce, Risk Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, U.S. Employment Law & Regulations

The weights the handbook publishes

The handbook gives weights for the three clusters and three domains only, not for single competencies or functional areas: Leadership 19%, Business 17.5% and Interpersonal 13.5% on the behavioral side; People 19%, Organization 18% and Workplace 13% on the knowledge side (2026 certification handbook, exam specifications). That is why this site’s practice pages are cut by cluster and domain.

What changed in the 2026 BASK

Inclusive Mindset replaced two competencies. The 2026 edition combined Inclusion & Diversity with Global Mindset to remove the overlap between them, so the count of behavioral competencies fell from nine to eight (pp. 7–8). Global work did not leave the exam: it sits in Inclusive Mindset’s “operating in a global environment” and in the Managing a Global Workforce functional area.

AI examples were added throughout. The sub-competencies, proficiency indicators and key concepts were revised for the use of AI in HR, and the key concepts were reordered (p. 8). Expect material on AI screening tools, data use and automation.

Why you still see “nine.” Some of the society’s own web pages and the handbook’s overview still say nine behavioral competencies. Counting the technical competency, HR Expertise, the model has nine competencies in total; the behavioral count in the 2026 BASK is eight (pp. 8–9), although one line of the BASK itself still says nine (p. 10).

Proficiency indicators: where the CP and SCP split

Every competency and functional area lists two sets of proficiency indicators: those for all HR professionals, early career to executive, and those for advanced HR professionals at senior and executive levels (pp. 9–10). Both exams use the same BASK. The SHRM-CP standard is set at operational work and the SHRM-SCP standard at strategic work (exam options and fees page), so the all-professionals indicators describe the CP target.

The advanced indicators are added on the SHRM-SCP. The BASK’s own note reminds senior candidates that the all-professionals indicators still apply to them.

How the BASK turns into questions

Three item types map onto the BASK’s parts. Situational judgment items test the behavioral competencies through scenarios. Foundational knowledge items test the key concepts listed under each behavioral competency, such as conflict resolution strategies or change models. HR-specific knowledge items test the key concepts of the 14 functional areas. The BASK also has a glossary, and the handbook recommends studying it.

Practice by BASK area

• Leadership competencies →19% of the exam
• Business competencies →17.5% of the exam
• Interpersonal competencies →13.5% of the exam
• People →19% of the exam
• Organization →18% of the exam
• Workplace →13% of the exam