Entry-level HR certification
Your first HR certification, by experience
Among US HR certifications, the entry level has two options, not one: HRCI’s aPHR, built for people new to HR, and the SHRM-CP, whose 2026 handbook checks no degree, HR title or HR experience at all. If you already do professional-level HR work, the PHR may be open to you too, and the entry exam becomes a step you can skip.
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
- Noneexperience needed, aPHR
- Noneexperience needed, SHRM-CP
- 1–4 years of HR workneeded for the PHR, by degree
Where you can start
The same five exams as on the home page, sorted by what you must show before you apply rather than by level.
| Level | HRCIexperience checked from the PHR up | SHRMexperience checked only for the SCP |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to show | aPHRAssociate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) | SHRM-CPSHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) |
| Professional HR experience | PHRProfessional in Human Resources (PHR) | —SHRM’s professional exam sits in the first row |
| Senior-level experience | SPHRSenior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) | SHRM-SCPSHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) |
The two exams in the first row are not the same level: one is an entry credential, the other a professional one that simply doesn’t check experience. In the last row the SPHR counts years of professional-level HR work, while the SCP counts strategic work. Outside the US, HRCI’s aPHRi also asks for no experience.
The decision in four questions
Do you have professional-level HR work?
Count only work where you used judgment on HR matters, not clerical support. None yet: go to the next question. Some: skip to the third.
aPHR or SHRM-CP?
Both are open to you. The associate exam is a shorter knowledge test you can book any day; the CP is a professional exam with scenario questions, in two windows a year.
Enough years for the PHR?
The professional exam asks for 1 year with a master’s, 2 years with a bachelor’s or 4 years without a degree. If you qualify, the entry exam adds nothing on the way.
The three first-exam candidates
| Certification | Level | Eligibility | Questions on the exam | Testing time | Exam price | When you can test | Pass rate | Practice | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aPHR | Entry | None | 90 (65 scored) | 1 h 45 min | $400 | Year-round | 71% (2025) | Practice test Exam facts | [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | |
| SHRM-CP | Professional | None | 134 (110 scored) | 3 h 40 min | $399–$499 | 2 windows a year | 68% (May–Jul 2025) | Practice test Exam facts | [10][11][12][13][14] | |
| PHR | Professional | 1–4 years of HR work | 115 (90 scored) | 2 hours | $495 | Year-round | 72% (2025) | Practice test Exam facts | [1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][15] |
aPHR or SHRM-CP with no experience
Some beginner guides still treat the associate exam as the only one open to someone with no HR background. The 2026 SHRM handbook says otherwise. SHRM-CP eligibility: No degree, HR title or HR experience required. SHRM recommends a basic working knowledge of HR.
What differs is the exam you sit.
- Size and format. The aPHR is 90 (65 scored) knowledge questions in 1 h 45 min. The CP is 134 (110 scored) in 3 h 40 min, and a large share of the score comes from situational judgment scenarios.
- Timing. The associate exam is booked year-round, at a center or, for select locations, online. The CP waits for the next window at a Prometric center.
- Price, Oct 2026. $400 against $399–$499 at the standard price, depending on membership. CP early bird: $350 / $450 (closed Aug 31, 2026).
- Pass rates are close: 71% for the associate exam in 2025, 68% for the CP in May–July 2025.
- Renewal. 45 credits every 3 years against 60 PDCs.
The associate exam suits you if you are exploring HR, studying, or in an HR support role and want a first credential soon. The CP suits you if you already do operational HR work under another title, or are set on an HR career and would rather not sit a second exam once you have the years for the professional one. The head-to-head is on aPHR vs SHRM-CP.
When to skip the entry exam
No exam on either ladder requires the entry credential. Once your years meet the rule, going straight to the PHR saves an exam and its fee: you pay $495 once, instead of $400 for the entry exam now and the PHR fee later. The professional-level work standard is spelled out on the requirements page; the case for and against the entry exam has a page of its own, and the two exams are set side by side on aPHR vs PHR.
What counts toward the PHR’s years
Only professional-level HR work counts, not clerical support. The degree does not have to be in HR, and the experience need not be current or consecutive. Audits: HRCI randomly audits applications; an audited applicant sends job descriptions and a transcript, reviewed within 10 business days, or the application becomes ineligible. Describe each job’s HR duties as they were when you apply.
Try a first exam on your phone
aPHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
SHRM-CP: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
Practice on your phone
PHR: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with HRCI or SHRM.
An iPhone app for each of the three, and an Android app for the professional exam. The same practice tests run here in the browser.
Next steps
- aPHR practice test
- SHRM-CP practice test
- PHR practice test
- How to get HR certified application, booking and test day
- Best HR certifications all five by level and cost
Sources
- HRCI: individual certifications hrci.org · checked Oct 25, 2026
- HRCI: aPHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: understanding professional-level experience (does not apply to aPHR) 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: exam pass rates hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2024 (Wayback, 2025-02-08) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2023 (Wayback, 2024-05-29) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI pass rates as of Dec 31, 2022 (Wayback, 2023-11-30) web.archive.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook (PDF) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: eligibility criteria shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: SHRM-CP certification page shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: exam options and fees (fees, windows, format, pass rates) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- SHRM: certification (testing windows) shrm.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
- HRCI: PHR certification page hrci.org · checked Oct 26, 2026
Questions about a first HR certification
What is the best entry-level HR certification?
For someone with no HR experience, the aPHR or the SHRM-CP, the two US exams on this site with no experience requirement (HRCI’s international aPHRi has none either). The first is the shorter, knowledge-only exam you can take any day; the second is a professional-level exam you can keep building on.
Can I take the SHRM-CP with no experience?
Yes. The 2026 handbook checks no degree, no HR title and no years of HR work for the CP. You still sit the same professional-level exam as everyone else, so plan more study time than someone already working in HR.
What is the easiest HR certification to get?
Pass rates don’t settle it, because each body measures a different group of candidates. Of the five here, the associate exam is the shortest (1 h 45 min) and has no requirements; its 2025 pass rate was 71%.
Do I need a degree for an entry-level HR certification?
No. Neither of the two entry routes asks for one, and the professional exam accepts 4 years of professional HR work in place of a degree.