SPHR · cost · checked Oct 25, 2026
What the SPHR costs, including a second try
As of Oct 2026 one SPHR attempt costs $595: $495 for the exam and $100 to apply. HRCI charges everyone the same, so there is no member discount to chase, and the fee ties with the GPHR and SPHRi for the highest on the institute’s list. The bill that surprises people comes later: a failed attempt costs the full amount again unless you insured it when you applied.
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
- $595application + exam (Oct 2026)
- 90-day wait, pay againafter a fail
- $100to switch exams
- $169recertification fee
If the first attempt fails
Without Second Chance Insurance, a retake is a new application with new fees. As of Oct 2026:
Calculation steps
- 1First attempt: application and exam fee$595
- 2Second attempt (90-day wait, pay again)$595
- =Two attempts, uninsured$1,190
Source: Exam fees page · Certification Handbook, retake rules
Insure the first attempt, or not
Second Chance Insurance can only be added when you submit the application, and it is nonrefundable. With it, a failed first attempt is followed by a retake on a different form after the waiting period, with no new application and no new fee. HRCI doesn’t publish its price, so look at what the application asks before you pay, then compare it with a second $595 times your honest chance of needing it. The published pass rate was 76% in 2025.
Timing matters as much as the fee. Refunds end at approval, and the testing window can be stretched only once, with one paid 60-day extension. Pick your test month before you apply: exam facts.
Every SPHR charge, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam price | $595 ($495 exam fee + $100 application fee) | HRCI: SPHR certification page · HRCI: exam fees [1][2] | |
| Member price | No member price; HRCI charges everyone the same fee | HRCI: exam fees [2] | |
| Refunds | No refund once the application is approved; if an audit makes the application ineligible, the exam fee is refunded minus the application fee | HRCI: SPHR certification page · HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [1][3] | |
| Retake insurance | Optional and bought only with the online application; nonrefundable; after a failed first attempt you retake a different form of the same exam after the 90-day wait without re-applying or paying againNeither HRCI’s exam fees page nor the handbook prints its price. | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) · HRCI: exam fees [2][3] | |
| Switching exams | $100 change fee plus any price difference, allowed only before an exam appointment is scheduled; the original fees are not refunded | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Moving your test date | No transfer to a later window; one 60-day extension of the 180-day eligibility period, requested before day 170, for a fee HRCI does not publish | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Reschedule | Pearson VUE’s nonrefundable fee each time (amount not published by HRCI); reschedule at least 2 business days before a test-center appointment or 1 hour before an online one, or all fees are lost | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| 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 | HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [3] | |
| Recertification fee | $169 for one HRCI credential, plus $50 for each additional one (up to $369 for five or more) | HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines · HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) [4][5] | |
| Recertification credits | 60 credits in 3 years (45 HR + 15 Business, 1 of them ethics), or retake the exam | HRCI: SPHR certification page · HRCI: ethics recertification requirement [1][6] |
Applying for the wrong exam
If it turns out you don’t meet the experience rule for the senior exam, or you decide the PHR fits better, you can switch before you book an appointment. The change fee is $100 plus any price difference, and the fees already paid stay paid. Check the years before you apply: eligibility requirements.
PHR first, or straight to the senior exam?
The PHR is not a prerequisite. If you already meet the senior experience rule (4–7 years of HR work), going PHR first means paying $495 and then $595, $1,090 in exam fees, for two credentials at different levels. If you are a few years short, the PHR is the one you can sit now (PHR cost). How the two exams differ in content: PHR vs SPHR.
Keeping it
Recertification costs $169 for one credential each cycle. Credit rule: 60 (15 Business). The Business credits are the part the PHR does not ask for, so plan where they will come from early in the cycle. Every HR credential’s renewal rules side by side: HR recertification.
Member prices that don’t exist
Some prep pages quote separate member and nonmember prices for this exam, or a recertification fee of $100 to $150. HRCI has one price for everyone, $595 as of Oct 2026, and recertification is $169. Reschedule fees are another gap: the handbook names a Pearson VUE fee but no amount, so a fixed dollar figure you see elsewhere is not from the handbook.
Practice before you pay for the exam
SPHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Related pages
- HR certification cost every exam on this site, one table
- PHR cost
- Exam facts the window after approval, retakes, results
- Eligibility requirements
Sources
- HRCI: SPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: exam fees hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI Certification Policies and Procedures Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: recertification fees and deadlines hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
- HRCI Recertification Handbook (PDF dated 2026-10-01) hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
- HRCI: ethics recertification requirement hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
SPHR cost, quick answers
How much does the SPHR exam cost?
$595 as of Oct 2026, which includes the $100 application fee. That is the whole bill for one attempt.
Do members pay less for the SPHR?
No: there is no member price, and everyone pays $595. SHRM membership lowers SHRM’s own exam prices, not this one.
Is the SPHR worth the cost?
That depends on your role, not the fee. The credential is aimed at HR leaders who shape HR strategy and policy and align people practices with business goals in the United States; the institute counted 40,672 SPHR holders as of January 5, 2026. If you mostly run programs rather than set strategy, the PHR is closer to your work.