SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP
SHRM
Complete guide to passing the SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP exam on your first attempt.
$300-$475
~70%
3 years
USA/Global
SHRM
$65k-$130k
Are you ready for SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP?
Loading quiz...
Complete Overview
The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP are two competency-based HR certification exams from the Society for Human Resource Management, and SHRM's 2026 fees run from 350 US dollars for a member applying in the early-bird period to 499 dollars for a non-member applying at the standard deadline. The SHRM-CP is aimed at people doing operational HR work or entering the field, with no degree and no prior HR experience required to apply, while the SHRM-SCP requires at least three years of strategic-level HR work at 1,000 hours or more per calendar year, or three years of holding the SHRM-CP while moving into a strategic role. Both exams are identical in structure: 134 multiple-choice questions, of which 80 are stand-alone knowledge items and 54 are situational judgment items, with 24 unscored field-test items mixed in at random. Testing time is 3 hours 40 minutes, split into two independently timed 110-minute sections, inside a four-hour appointment. Unused minutes in Section 1 do not carry into Section 2, and once you leave a section you cannot return to it. Content is drawn from the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge, and half of each exam sits in the three behavioral competency clusters while the other half sits in the three HR knowledge domains. SHRM publishes the split precisely: Leadership 19 percent, Business 17.5 percent, Interpersonal 13.5 percent, People 19 percent, Organization 18 percent, Workplace 13 percent. By item type, 50 percent are HR-specific knowledge items covering the 14 functional areas, 40 percent are situational judgment items, and 10 percent are foundational knowledge items covering the behavioral competencies. The 2026 BASK is a substantive revision: SHRM combined the Inclusion and Diversity and Global Mindset competencies into a single Inclusive Mindset competency, taking the count from nine behavioral competencies to eight, and expanded proficiency indicators and key concepts throughout to cover the use of artificial intelligence in HR practice. Scoring is unusual. Results are reported as scaled scores from 120 to 200, and every candidate who passes receives the maximum score of 200, so there is no such thing as a high pass. SHRM sets the standard using the Modified Angoff method and states that performance is not compared with other candidates, meaning that if everyone meets the standard, everyone passes. SHRM is one of the few certification bodies that publishes its pass rates. For the May to July 2025 window it reported 68 percent for the SHRM-CP and 50 percent for the SHRM-SCP; for December 2024 to February 2025 the figures were 67 and 51 percent. Testing runs in two windows a year, 1 May to 15 July and 1 December to 15 February, in person at Prometric test centres, with no remote-proctored option. Certification lasts three years and is renewed with 60 professional development credits or by retaking the exam.
Why Get SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Certified?
SHRM publishes its pass rates, which almost no competing body does. For May to July 2025 it reported 68 percent for the SHRM-CP and 50 percent for the SHRM-SCP, and it has published a figure for every window back through May to July 2023.
The SHRM-CP has no degree requirement and no minimum HR experience, so a student or a career changer can sit it. Student pricing runs from 150 dollars for a SHRM member in the early-bird period to 299 dollars for a non-member at the standard deadline.
More than 147,400 professionals currently hold the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, a figure SHRM prints on its own candidate score reports.
Forty percent of the items are situational judgment questions, which test decision-making rather than recall. That makes the credential harder to bluff and harder to cram, and it is the main structural difference from HRCI's PHR, which is a knowledge exam of 90 scored questions plus 25 pretest items in 2 hours.
Recertification costs 165 dollars for a member and 210 dollars for a non-member every three years, and the 60 professional development credits can come from free sources: SHRM membership itself carries 3 PDCs a year, webinars carry 1 PDC each, and podcasts carry 1 to 2.
Employers can buy in bulk. SHRM's corporate rate drops from 374 dollars for 5 to 9 exams to 299 dollars for 40 to 47 exams, which is often cheaper than the individual non-member price of 450 dollars.
SHRM certification was first accredited by the Buros Center for Testing, an independent nonprofit within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in 2016.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
3 hours 40 minutes of testing time, split into two independently timed sections of up to 1 hour 50 minutes each, inside a four-hour appointment. The appointment also contains a 2-minute confidentiality reminder, an introduction and tutorial, and a closing survey. Unused minutes in Section 1 are not added to Section 2, and once you move on you cannot go back.
Questions
134 multiple-choice questions: 80 stand-alone knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items, including 24 unscored field-test items mixed in at random, which leaves 110 scored items.
Passing Score
A scaled score of 200. SHRM reports all results on a 120 to 200 scale and awards every successful candidate the maximum score of 200, so the score report tells you that you passed but not by how much.
Question Types
- HR-specific knowledge items, 50 percent of the exam, covering key concepts in the 14 HR functional areas
- Situational judgment items, 40 percent of the exam, presenting a realistic work scenario and asking for the single best course of action as determined by a panel of experienced HR professionals
- Foundational knowledge items, 10 percent of the exam, covering key concepts underlying the behavioral competencies
- Field-test items, 24 of the 134, unscored and indistinguishable from scored items
Delivery Method
In person at an authorised Prometric test centre, on a PC, with trained proctors. SHRM states that the exam must be taken in person and offers no remote-proctored option, which is a difference from HRCI, whose PHR can be taken at a Pearson VUE centre or at home through OnVUE. Candidates are wanded or pass through a metal detector at check-in.
How scoring works
Score scale
120 to 200 scaled score, the same for both the SHRM-CP and the SHRM-SCP.
Score needed to pass
200. Every candidate who passes receives the maximum score of 200, so the scale reports a pass or did not pass rather than a degree of success. A failing candidate receives a scaled score somewhere below 200 plus a diagnostic breakdown.
Roughly what that means raw
SHRM does not publish a raw-to-scaled conversion or the number of the 110 scored items required to pass, and because the standard is set by Modified Angoff it varies with form difficulty rather than sitting at a fixed percentage.
When results arrive
A preliminary pass or did not pass decision appears on screen at the test centre immediately after you finish. Official results follow roughly two to three weeks later, when SHRM emails you to collect the Candidate Score and Feedback Report from the My Resources tab of your certification portal. SHRM releases results only through the portal, never by email, phone or fax.
How the scale is built
SHRM sets the passing standard with the Modified Angoff method, in which subject-matter experts judge how a minimally competent candidate would perform on each item. Performance is criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced: SHRM states that a candidate's performance is not compared with other candidates' and that if everyone meets the standard, everyone passes. Credit is awarded only for the correct answer on knowledge items and only for the single best action on situational judgment items, with no deduction for a wrong answer and no partial credit. The 24 field-test items do not count.
Pacing and time budget
134 questions in 220 minutes gives you 1 minute 38 seconds per question.
30 (Section 1)
18 items, roughly a quarter of Section 1
55 (Section 1 midpoint)
34 items, roughly half of Section 1
105 (Section 1, five minutes from the end)
Every item in Section 1 answered, with nothing left blank, because there is no way back
165 (55 minutes into Section 2)
About 101 of the 134 items overall
215
All 134 answered, leaving five minutes to revisit flagged items in Section 2 only
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| 30 (Section 1) | 18 items, roughly a quarter of Section 1 |
| 55 (Section 1 midpoint) | 34 items, roughly half of Section 1 |
| 105 (Section 1, five minutes from the end) | Every item in Section 1 answered, with nothing left blank, because there is no way back |
| 165 (55 minutes into Section 2) | About 101 of the 134 items overall |
| 215 | All 134 answered, leaving five minutes to revisit flagged items in Section 2 only |
- Pace to each section separately, not to the whole exam. Each section has its own countdown timer, unused Section 1 minutes are not added to Section 2, and once you move on you cannot return. SHRM does not publish how the 134 items split between the sections, so plan on roughly half in each.
- Situational judgment items cost more time than knowledge items. A functional-area recall question can go in 30 seconds; a scenario with four defensible options can take three minutes. With 40 percent of the exam being situational judgment, bank time on the knowledge items deliberately.
- The optional 15-minute break runs on the exam clock. If you take it, you are choosing to spend 15 of your 220 testing minutes, so decide in advance whether you need it and take it before ending Section 1 while time remains, as SHRM recommends.
- Never leave a blank. Credit is given for the correct answer and withheld otherwise, with no penalty for a wrong one, so a guess is strictly better than an empty answer.
- The tutorial and the confidentiality reminder sit outside your testing time, but rushing them buys you nothing. SHRM states that minutes saved in the introduction do not roll over into the exam portion.
Where the marks are
HR-specific knowledge items across the 14 functional areas
50 percent of items
Half the exam is factual recall and application across HR Strategy, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Employee and Labor Relations, Risk Management, US Employment Law and the rest. This is the half that responds to conventional study.
Situational judgment items
40 percent of items
Realistic work scenarios where several options work but credit goes only to the single best action, judged against the BASK proficiency indicators by a panel of experienced HR professionals. Reading more will not fix errors here; practising rationales will.
People knowledge domain
19 percent
Five functional areas including Total Rewards and Talent Acquisition, the two most heavily proceduralised. The 2026 BASK expanded key concepts here to cover artificial intelligence in HR, which is new and therefore fresh testable material.
Leadership behavioral competency cluster
19 percent
Leadership and Navigation, Ethical Practice and the new Inclusive Mindset competency. Tested through scenarios about influence without authority, ethical escalation and building an inclusive culture that supports performance.
Organization knowledge domain
18 percent
Structure of the HR Function, Organizational Effectiveness and Development, Workforce Management, Employee and Labor Relations and Technology Management. Labor relations is the reliable weak point for candidates from non-unionised employers.
Business behavioral competency cluster
17.5 percent
Business Acumen, Consultation and Analytical Aptitude. Items reward framing an HR problem as a business problem and supporting a recommendation with data, which is the same skill the SCP proficiency indicators demand.
Interpersonal behavioral competency cluster
13.5 percent
Relationship Management and Communication, reduced to two competencies in the 2026 BASK. Scenario answers usually turn on gathering facts and choosing the right channel before acting, not on being assertive.
Workplace knowledge domain
13 percent
The smallest domain but the one carrying US Employment Law and Regulations, which is pure memorisation, alongside Risk Management, Managing a Global Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| HR-specific knowledge items across the 14 functional areas | 50 percent of items | Half the exam is factual recall and application across HR Strategy, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Employee and Labor Relations, Risk Management, US Employment Law and the rest. This is the half that responds to conventional study. |
| Situational judgment items | 40 percent of items | Realistic work scenarios where several options work but credit goes only to the single best action, judged against the BASK proficiency indicators by a panel of experienced HR professionals. Reading more will not fix errors here; practising rationales will. |
| People knowledge domain | 19 percent | Five functional areas including Total Rewards and Talent Acquisition, the two most heavily proceduralised. The 2026 BASK expanded key concepts here to cover artificial intelligence in HR, which is new and therefore fresh testable material. |
| Leadership behavioral competency cluster | 19 percent | Leadership and Navigation, Ethical Practice and the new Inclusive Mindset competency. Tested through scenarios about influence without authority, ethical escalation and building an inclusive culture that supports performance. |
| Organization knowledge domain | 18 percent | Structure of the HR Function, Organizational Effectiveness and Development, Workforce Management, Employee and Labor Relations and Technology Management. Labor relations is the reliable weak point for candidates from non-unionised employers. |
| Business behavioral competency cluster | 17.5 percent | Business Acumen, Consultation and Analytical Aptitude. Items reward framing an HR problem as a business problem and supporting a recommendation with data, which is the same skill the SCP proficiency indicators demand. |
| Interpersonal behavioral competency cluster | 13.5 percent | Relationship Management and Communication, reduced to two competencies in the 2026 BASK. Scenario answers usually turn on gathering facts and choosing the right channel before acting, not on being assertive. |
| Workplace knowledge domain | 13 percent | The smallest domain but the one carrying US Employment Law and Regulations, which is pure memorisation, alongside Risk Management, Managing a Global Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility. |
The numbers
68 percent; SHRM-SCP was 50 percent in the same window
SHRM-CP pass rate, May to July 2025
Source: SHRM, Exam Options and Fees page, Exam Statistics table
SHRM-CP 67 to 71 percent; SHRM-SCP 50 to 56 percent, covering May to July 2023 through May to July 2025
Pass rates across five published windows
Source: SHRM, Exam Options and Fees page, Exam Statistics table
350 dollars member and 450 non-member at early bird; 399 and 499 at the standard deadline, which adds a 49 dollar deadline fee on top of the 50 dollar application fee included in every rate; military rates from 320 dollars and student rates from 150 dollars; corporate volume pricing from 374 dollars for 5 to 9 exams down to 249 dollars at 150 or more
Exam fees, 2026
Source: SHRM Certification Handbook 2026, Exam Fees table, and SHRM Exam Options and Fees page
134 multiple-choice questions, 80 knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items, of which 24 are unscored field-test items, in 3 hours 40 minutes across two 110-minute sections
Exam structure
Source: SHRM Certification Handbook 2026, Exam Composition and Exam Administration
Leadership 19 percent, Business 17.5 percent, Interpersonal 13.5 percent, People 19 percent, Organization 18 percent, Workplace 13 percent
Content weights
Source: SHRM Certification Handbook 2026, exam specification chart
More than 147,400 professionals currently hold either the SHRM-CP or the SHRM-SCP
Certification holders
Source: SHRM Certification Handbook 2026, Appendix A sample Candidate Score and Feedback Report
First accredited by the Buros Center for Testing, an independent nonprofit within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in 2016
Accreditation
Source: SHRM Certification Handbook 2026, About SHRM Certification
If you fail
Wait before retaking
Until the next testing window. SHRM prohibits retesting for the same exam in the same window, and windows run only twice a year, from 1 May to 15 July and from 1 December to 15 February. A failure in the summer window means testing no earlier than December.
Attempt limit
None. SHRM states there is no limit to the number of times a candidate can reapply and test. Each attempt requires a fresh application in a future window.
Retake fee
The full examination fee again, with no discount. On the 2026 schedule that is 350 dollars for a member or 450 for a non-member in the early-bird period, rising to 399 and 499 at the standard deadline. Every rate includes a nonrefundable 50 dollar application fee, and the standard rates add a nonrefundable 49 dollar deadline fee on top of it.
Use the Candidate Score and Feedback Report from the failed attempt: its diagnostic graph shows performance across the three behavioral competency clusters and the three HR knowledge domains, which is exactly the map you need for a retake. If you believe the result was wrong you can pay 100 dollars for a results review, though the only output is a scaled score and a pass or did not pass decision with no item detail. Note the fees that bite without a failure: rescheduling costs 45 dollars at 30 or more days' notice and 60 dollars at five to 29 days, rescheduling inside five calendar days is refused outright, and a no-show forfeits every fee with no refund and no transfer. A one-time transfer to the next testing window is available for 150 dollars in defined circumstances.
Exam Domains & Topics
One of the three HR knowledge domains, containing five of the 14 functional areas in the SHRM BASK.
Key Topics to Master:
- HR Strategy: aligning the HR function with organisational goals and strategic planning
- Talent Acquisition: sourcing, selection, employer branding and onboarding
- Employee Engagement and Retention: measurement, drivers and intervention design
- Learning and Development: needs analysis, programme design and evaluation
- Total Rewards: compensation structures, benefits design, pay equity and incentive plans
- The 2026 BASK expanded key concepts across these areas to cover the use of artificial intelligence in HR practice
Three behavioral competencies: Leadership and Navigation, Ethical Practice, and Inclusive Mindset. Tested mainly through situational judgment items.
Key Topics to Master:
- Leadership and Navigation, with sub-competencies Navigating the Organization, Vision, Managing HR Initiatives and Influence
- Ethical Practice, with sub-competencies Personal Integrity, Professional Integrity and Ethical Agent
- Inclusive Mindset, new in the 2026 BASK, formed by combining the former Inclusion and Diversity competency with Global Mindset
- Inclusive Mindset sub-competencies: Connecting I and D to Organizational Performance, Building the Infrastructure for an Inclusive and Diverse Culture, Ensuring Impartiality and Fairness, Cultivating an Inclusive and Diverse Culture, and Operating in a Global Environment
- Setting and implementing a vision for the HR function, and influencing leaders without formal authority
- Driving an ethical organisational environment and behaving in ways that promote the organisation's values
The second HR knowledge domain, containing five functional areas that deal with how the organisation and the HR function are built and run.
Key Topics to Master:
- Structure of the HR Function: service delivery models, centres of excellence and business partner structures
- Organizational Effectiveness and Development: design, culture, change and effectiveness measurement
- Workforce Management: planning, staffing levels, succession and restructuring
- Employee and Labor Relations: grievances, discipline, collective bargaining and union avoidance
- Technology Management: HR information systems, data governance and the HR technology stack
- The 2026 BASK expanded proficiency indicators here to reflect current and future use of artificial intelligence
Three behavioral competencies covering commercial understanding, advisory work and evidence-based practice.
Key Topics to Master:
- Business Acumen, with sub-competencies Business and Competitive Awareness, Business Analysis and Strategic Alignment
- Consultation, with sub-competencies Evaluating Business Challenges, Designing HR Solutions, Advising on HR Solutions, Change Management and Service Excellence
- Analytical Aptitude, with sub-competencies Data Advocate, Data Gathering, Data Analysis and Evidence-Based Decision-Making
- Reading financial and operational information well enough to argue an HR case in business terms
- Designing and advising on HR solutions rather than executing instructions
- Using data to support recommendations and to challenge assumptions
Two behavioral competencies in the 2026 BASK: Relationship Management and Communication.
Key Topics to Master:
- Relationship Management, with sub-competencies Networking, Relationship Building, Teamwork, Negotiation and Conflict Management
- Communication, with sub-competencies Delivering Messages, Exchanging Organizational Information and Listening
- Handling conflict between employees, between managers, and between HR and the business
- Negotiating with stakeholders who outrank you
- Choosing the right channel and register for a message, including difficult news
- Listening as a testable behavior rather than a soft skill, with its own proficiency indicators in the BASK
The third HR knowledge domain and the smallest, containing four functional areas including the only explicitly jurisdictional one.
Key Topics to Master:
- Managing a Global Workforce: expatriate assignments, cross-border employment and cultural considerations
- Risk Management: workplace safety, business continuity, privacy and enterprise risk
- Corporate Social Responsibility: sustainability, community engagement and ethical supply chains
- US Employment Law and Regulations: the statutes and agencies that govern US employment
- How the US law functional area interacts with the global exam population, since the same form is used worldwide
- Risk identification and mitigation in HR processes rather than compliance checklists
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Read SHRM's eligibility criteria and decide honestly between CP and SCP. SHRM states that 1 in 5 testers select the wrong exam for their knowledge and experience.
- 2For the SHRM-SCP, check the 1,000-hours-per-calendar-year rule against your own history. More than 1,000 hours in a year does not count as more than one year, and part-time and hourly work both qualify.
- 3Apply during the early-bird period to pay 350 dollars as a member or 450 as a non-member rather than 399 or 499 at the standard deadline. The 2026 early-bird periods were 5 January to 30 April and 3 June to 31 August.
- 4Download the free 2026 SHRM BASK and read the Organization of the SHRM BASK section plus the exam specifications.
- 5Prepare for a possible audit: SHRM randomly reviews applications each window and gives selected applicants 10 business days to produce documentation.
- 1Write out the three behavioral competency clusters and the eight competencies inside them, then the three knowledge domains and the 14 functional areas.
- 2Copy the published weights onto that map: Leadership 19, Business 17.5, Interpersonal 13.5, People 19, Organization 18, Workplace 13.
- 3Read the New Material in the 2026 SHRM BASK section so you know what changed, including the merger of Inclusion and Diversity with Global Mindset into Inclusive Mindset.
- 4Download SHRM's free sample questions for your exam level and attempt them cold to see what a situational judgment item looks like.
- 5Read the proficiency indicators for your level only. For SHRM-CP that is For All HR Professionals; for SHRM-SCP it is both that set and For Advanced HR Professionals.
- 1Work through HR Strategy and Talent Acquisition in the BASK, key concepts and proficiency indicators together.
- 2Study Employee Engagement and Retention: what drives it, how it is measured, and which interventions match which diagnosis.
- 3Study Learning and Development, including needs analysis and evaluation models.
- 4Study Total Rewards: pay structures, benefits, pay equity and incentive design.
- 5Note the 2026 additions on artificial intelligence in these functional areas, since they are new content and therefore likely to be tested.
- 1Study Structure of the HR Function and Organizational Effectiveness and Development.
- 2Study Workforce Management, including planning, succession and restructuring.
- 3Study Employee and Labor Relations, the densest area for anyone who has not worked in a unionised environment.
- 4Study Technology Management, including HR information systems and data governance.
- 5Do 40 knowledge items across the domain and record which functional area each error came from.
- 1Study US Employment Law and Regulations. It is one functional area, but it carries the most memorisation on the exam.
- 2Study Risk Management: safety, privacy, business continuity and enterprise risk in an HR context.
- 3Study Managing a Global Workforce and Corporate Social Responsibility.
- 4Build a single reference sheet of the statutes and agencies you keep forgetting and review it daily from here on.
- 5Do 30 items on this domain and keep the reference sheet closed.
- 1Study Leadership and Navigation and its four sub-competencies: Navigating the Organization, Vision, Managing HR Initiatives and Influence.
- 2Study Ethical Practice and its three sub-competencies: Personal Integrity, Professional Integrity and Ethical Agent.
- 3Study Inclusive Mindset and its five sub-competencies in the 2026 BASK, including Operating in a Global Environment.
- 4For each sub-competency, write one sentence describing what the correct behavior looks like in practice. Situational judgment answers are graded against exactly that.
- 5Attempt 20 situational judgment items on leadership scenarios and, for each error, find the proficiency indicator that explains the right answer.
- 1Study Business Acumen: Business and Competitive Awareness, Business Analysis and Strategic Alignment.
- 2Study Consultation: Evaluating Business Challenges, Designing HR Solutions, Advising on HR Solutions, Change Management and Service Excellence.
- 3Study Analytical Aptitude: Data Advocate, Data Gathering, Data Analysis and Evidence-Based Decision-Making.
- 4Practise turning an HR problem into a business argument in three sentences, because Consultation items reward that framing.
- 5Attempt 20 situational judgment items on business scenarios.
- 1Study Relationship Management and its five sub-competencies, including Negotiation and Conflict Management.
- 2Study Communication and its three sub-competencies, including Listening.
- 3Work through scenarios where the best answer is to gather information before acting, which is a recurring correct answer pattern in this cluster.
- 4Attempt 20 situational judgment items on interpersonal scenarios and classify each error as either wrong priority or wrong sequence.
- 5Reread any proficiency indicator you have now got wrong twice.
- 1Accept the rule that governs 40 percent of the exam: more than one option may be effective, but credit goes only to the single best action as judged by a panel of experienced HR professionals.
- 2Build a short decision hierarchy for scenarios: safety and legal exposure first, then gathering facts, then involving the right person, then acting.
- 3Do 40 situational judgment items in one sitting and write a one-line rationale for each answer before checking it.
- 4Use SHRM's app-based Certification Exam Previews, which provide rationales rather than only scores.
- 5Note which distractor type keeps catching you: the answer that solves the symptom, the one that escalates too early, or the one that is technically legal but poor practice.
- 1Sit a half-length preview exam under timed conditions and review every rationale, right and wrong.
- 2Rehearse the section structure: 110 minutes, stop, then a separate 110 minutes with no way back to Section 1.
- 3Practise finishing a section with five minutes to spare rather than banking time, since unused minutes do not roll over.
- 4Rebuild your revision list from the diagnostic breakdown across the three clusters and three domains.
- 5Schedule your Prometric appointment if you have not already, and check the ATT letter name against your photo ID.
- 1Spend the whole week on the two lowest-scoring areas from your practice diagnostics, not on rereading what you already know.
- 2Reread the proficiency indicators, not the summaries, for those areas. The indicators are what item writers work from.
- 3Do a second half-length preview and compare the diagnostic graph with the first.
- 4Reread the SHRM BASK Glossary in Appendix A. SHRM tells candidates to study it, and terminology mismatches cause avoidable errors.
- 5Confirm your travel to the test centre and the exact appointment time.
- 1Do one final full-length timed run at the same time of day as your appointment.
- 2Reread the Testing Identification Requirements and Rules section of the SHRM Certification Handbook.
- 3Check that your unexpired, original government-issued photo ID with signature matches your ATT letter exactly. Arriving without proper ID makes you a no-show and forfeits every fee.
- 4Arriving more than 30 minutes after your scheduled time counts as a no-show with no refund and no transfer.
- 5Leave watches, smartwatches, wireless earbuds, calculators and all jewellery other than wedding and engagement rings at home or in the locker.
Ready to pass SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP?
Get 500+ practice questions, video walkthroughs, and a pass guarantee.
Best Study Resources
SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge, 2026 edition
Official blueprintThe document the exam is built from and the one SHRM tells candidates to review first. It contains the exam specifications, every competency and functional area, the proficiency indicators that distinguish CP from SCP, a glossary and a resource list. SHRM maintains a firewall between its exam development and its study material development, which makes the BASK the only document that defines the content.
Free
SHRM Certification Handbook, 2026
Official policy documentRequired reading, and the source for fees, testing windows, ID rules, rescheduling fees, no-show rules, scoring and the retake policy. It also contains a sample Candidate Score and Feedback Report in Appendix A so you can see what the diagnostic graph looks like before you get one.
Free
SHRM sample questions
Official practice itemsDownloadable sets for both CP and SCP, containing both knowledge and situational judgment items. SHRM warns explicitly that performance on the sample questions does not indicate performance on the real exam, so use them to learn the format rather than to predict a score.
Free
SHRM Certification Exam Previews
Official practice appApp-based half-length preview exams plus targeted quizzes by BASK content area and item type. It gives detailed feedback and rationales, which matters more than a raw score for situational judgment items. SHRM also positions it as a way to check whether you have chosen the right exam level.
Paid, priced by SHRM
SHRM Learning System
Official self-study courseSHRM's own preparation programme, sold separately from the exam. Fees for the exam do not include study materials, and buying the Learning System confers no advantage in the exam itself given SHRM's firewall between exam and study material development.
Paid, priced by SHRM
SHRM instructor-led certification preparation courses
Official courseThe second of the two preparation options SHRM offers for separate purchase, run in virtual and in-person formats and often through local SHRM chapters at reduced rates.
Paid, priced by SHRM and by chapter
SHRM Certification Portal
Official account systemWhere the Authorization to Test letter, official results and the Candidate Score and Feedback Report live. Results are never sent by email, phone or fax, so you retrieve them from the My Resources tab roughly two to three weeks after testing.
Free with application
Prometric pre-approved items list
Official test centre policyThe list of personal items permitted at the testing site, which matters if you need medical supplies or a comfort aid. Anything not on it goes in the locker, including phones, smartwatches, wearable technology and wireless earbuds.
Free
SHRM Recertification Handbook and qualifying activities list
Official policy documentRead this before you pass, not after. It sets out the 60-PDC requirement, the three-year cycle ending on the last day of your birth month, the 60-day grace period and the 75 dollar late fee, and which activities earn credits.
Free
SHRM Online Certified Directory
Official verification toolA public directory of every SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP holder, searchable by first name, last name and country, which employers use to verify a claimed credential. Listing is automatic on passing.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applying for the wrong level
SHRM states that 1 in 5 testers select the wrong exam for their knowledge and experience. The SHRM-SCP is not a harder version of the same paper: it is graded against the standard expected of senior HR professionals, and its published pass rate has been 50 to 56 percent across the last five windows against 67 to 71 percent for the CP. A level change is permitted once, so use the exam previews to check before applying.
Missing the early-bird deadline
The difference is 49 dollars per exam, and the early-bird period is much longer than the standard one. For 2026, early-bird ran 5 January to 30 April for the first window and 3 June to 31 August for the second, while the standard periods ran only until 26 May and 24 December.
Studying the knowledge domains and ignoring the competency clusters
The clusters are 50 percent of the exam, and 40 percent of all items are situational judgment questions written against them. Memorising the 14 functional areas gets you halfway and no further.
Answering situational judgment items with what your organisation would actually do
Credit goes only to the single best possible or most effective action as determined by a panel of experienced HR professionals working from the BASK proficiency indicators. Several options will be defensible. The exam is scoring the ideal, not the practical compromise your employer would accept.
Banking time in Section 1 to use in Section 2
It does not work. Each section is separately and independently timed, unused minutes in Section 1 are not added to Section 2, and once you move on you cannot return to the previous section. Finish Section 1 with a small margin and no blanks.
Planning to take a proper break between sections
There are no scheduled breaks. You may leave the testing room, and SHRM offers one optional 15-minute break, but the exam clock continues to run the entire time. Any break comes out of your own 220 minutes.
Studying an older edition of the BASK
The 2026 edition merged Inclusion and Diversity with Global Mindset into a single Inclusive Mindset competency and expanded key concepts across the competencies and functional areas to cover artificial intelligence in HR. Material written against the previous edition will teach you a competency list that no longer exists.
Assuming a good pass reads well on the score report
It cannot. Every candidate who passes receives the maximum scaled score of 200, so the report shows a pass and a diagnostic graph, and nothing that distinguishes a comfortable pass from a marginal one. Use the diagnostic graph to pick recertification activities instead.
Rescheduling inside the five-day window
Requests 30 or more calendar days ahead cost a 45 dollar Prometric fee, requests five to 29 days ahead cost 60 dollars, and requests inside five calendar days are refused outright. At that point you are a no-show and you forfeit every fee, including the exam fee itself.
Treating a failure as a quick retake
Retesting for the same exam in the same window is prohibited. You reapply as a new candidate in a future window and pay the full exam fee again, and windows open only twice a year, so a failure in July means testing no earlier than December.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Bring an unexpired, original government-issued photo ID with a signature, and make sure the name and photo match your Authorization to Test letter exactly. If the primary ID lacks a photo or a signature, bring a secondary ID carrying the missing element and the same name.
- 2
Know how SHRM reads names. Jamie Taylor-Smith on the application against Jamie Smith on the ID is admitted, and P. J. Miller against Peter J. Miller is admitted, but William B. Johnson against Bill Johnson is not, and Nancy Porter against Nancy White is not.
- 3
Arriving more than 30 minutes after your scheduled appointment time makes you a no-show, which forfeits all fees with no refund and no transfer. So does arriving without proper identification.
- 4
Expect a physical security process. You will empty and turn out your pockets, be wanded or pass through a metal detector, and have your eyeglasses and permitted jewellery inspected. Religious headwear may be worn but may be inspected first.
- 5
Leave everything else in the locker. Phones, smartwatches, tablets, wearable technology, wireless earbuds, calculators, desktop timers and any device with memory, recording, communication or internet capability are prohibited. Only wedding and engagement rings are permitted jewellery.
- 6
Plan the two sections separately. Section 1 runs up to 110 minutes, then Section 2 runs up to 110 minutes with no route back. Treat the end of Section 1 as a hard deadline for every item in it.
- 7
If you take the optional 15-minute break, take it before ending Section 1 while time remains, as SHRM recommends. The clock does not stop either way, so it costs you real testing minutes.
- 8
Answer every question. SHRM awards credit for the correct answer and no credit otherwise, with no deduction for a wrong one, so a blank is a certain loss.
- 9
Read situational judgment items for the best action rather than an acceptable one. Where two options are both reasonable, the credited answer is the one the BASK proficiency indicators describe.
- 10
Expect a preliminary pass or did not pass decision at the test centre when you finish. Official results arrive roughly two to three weeks later through the My Resources tab of your SHRM Certification Portal, never by email, phone or fax.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Human resources specialist
The occupation the SHRM-CP maps onto most directly: recruiting, onboarding, employee relations and benefits administration. SHRM's People and Organization knowledge domains, together 37 percent of the exam, cover most of the day job.
USD 72,910 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 45,440, highest 10 percent over USD 126,540 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics OOH, May 2024)
Training and development specialist
A specialism inside the People domain, where Learning and Development is one of the 14 functional areas. Lower median pay than the general HR specialist role but a shorter path into programme design work.
USD 65,850 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 37,510, highest 10 percent over USD 120,190 (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Human resources manager
The usual destination for SHRM-SCP holders. The eligibility rule aligns with it: SHRM requires at least three years of strategic-level HR work at 1,000 hours or more per calendar year to sit the SCP.
USD 140,030 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 83,790, highest 10 percent over USD 239,200 (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Compensation and benefits manager
Built on the Total Rewards functional area in the People domain. The highest median of the HR management specialisms BLS tracks separately, and the one where the Analytical Aptitude competency does the most work.
USD 140,360 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 81,660, highest 10 percent over USD 239,200 (BLS OOH, May 2024)
Training and development manager
Running the learning function rather than delivering it. Draws on Learning and Development in the People domain and on Organizational Effectiveness and Development in the Organization domain.
USD 127,090 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 75,810, highest 10 percent over USD 219,990 (BLS OOH, May 2024)
HR business partner or internal consultant
BLS does not track HR business partner separately. The role is the working definition of the Consultation competency in the Business cluster, whose sub-competencies are Evaluating Business Challenges, Designing HR Solutions, Advising on HR Solutions, Change Management and Service Excellence.
USD 101,190 median (BLS OEWS, May 2024, management analysts, SOC 13-1111, the closest published series)
Prerequisites & Requirements
- For the SHRM-CP: none. SHRM states that candidates are not required to hold an HR title and do not need a degree or previous HR experience to apply, though it recommends a basic working knowledge of HR practices or a degree from an Academically Aligned programme.
- For the SHRM-SCP: a work history of at least three years performing strategic-level HR or HR-related duties, or three years holding the SHRM-CP while working in or moving into a strategic role. No degree and no HR job title are required.
- For the SHRM-SCP, proof that you devoted at least 1,000 hours per calendar year to strategic HR work. Exceeding 1,000 hours in a year does not count as more than one year, part-time work qualifies if it meets the threshold, and salaried, hourly and contracted consulting hours all count.
- An application submitted within the correct period for your chosen testing window, paid in full. SHRM's 2026 fees ran 350 dollars member and 450 non-member at early bird, 399 and 499 at standard.
- Willingness to survive an audit. SHRM randomly reviews a percentage of applications each window, gives selected candidates 10 business days to supply documentation of experience and any degree, and will not contact your employer on your behalf. Non-compliance forfeits all fees.
- An unexpired, original government-issued photo ID with a signature, in a name matching your Authorization to Test letter.
- For students applying at student pricing, current enrolment in an HR degree programme. Students seeking the SHRM-SCP must still meet the SCP experience criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exam cost?
SHRM's 2026 schedule is 350 dollars for a member and 450 for a non-member in the early-bird period, rising to 399 and 499 at the standard deadline. Military rates are 320 and 369 for members, 420 and 469 for non-members. Student rates are 150 and 199 for members, 250 and 299 for non-members. Every rate includes a nonrefundable 50 dollar application fee, and standard rates include a further nonrefundable 49 dollar deadline fee.
What score do I need to pass?
A scaled score of 200. SHRM reports results on a 120 to 200 scale and gives every candidate who passes the maximum score of 200, so there is no gradation among passes. The passing standard itself is set using the Modified Angoff method rather than a fixed percentage of items.
What is the pass rate?
SHRM publishes it after every window. For May to July 2025 the global pass rates were 68 percent for the SHRM-CP and 50 percent for the SHRM-SCP. For December 2024 to February 2025 they were 67 and 51 percent; for May to July 2024, 71 and 56 percent; for December 2023 to February 2024, 70 and 53 percent; and for May to July 2023, 71 and 54 percent.
When can I take the exam?
In one of two windows a year. For the 2026 cycle the first ran 1 May to 15 July 2026 and the second runs 1 December 2026 to 15 February 2027. Applications must be received by the standard deadline for the window you want, and SHRM's handbook gives those deadlines as 26 May and 24 December at 11:59 p.m. ET.
What happens if I fail?
You wait for a future window. SHRM prohibits retesting for the same exam in the same window, so a failure in the May to July window means testing no earlier than the following December. You reapply as a new candidate and pay the full exam fee again. There is no limit on how many times you can reapply and test.
Is there a discounted retake?
No. SHRM's retake policy requires remittance of the full examination fee with a new application. The only ways to reduce the price are the early-bird window, member pricing, military or student eligibility, or your employer buying through the Volume Exam Purchase Program at 5 or more seats.
Can I take the exam at home?
No. SHRM states that the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams must be taken in person at an authorised Prometric testing centre and says testing at a centre is preferred by SHRM. This differs from HRCI, whose PHR can be taken at a Pearson VUE centre or at home through OnVUE.
What ID do I need?
One unexpired, original government-issued photo ID carrying a signature, such as a driver's licence, passport or military ID. If the primary ID lacks a photo or a signature, bring a secondary ID with the missing element in the same name, such as an employer ID card, a signed credit card or a bank card with a photo. Arriving without proper identification makes you a no-show and forfeits every fee.
Can I use a calculator?
No. SHRM lists calculators alongside desktop timers, watches and other electronics as prohibited aids, and the ban covers smartwatches, tablets, wearable technology and wireless earbuds. Lockers are provided for phones, purses, jackets, food, drink and medical supplies.
Are there breaks during the exam?
None are scheduled. You may leave the testing room, and SHRM offers one optional 15-minute break which it recommends taking before ending Section 1 if time remains, but the exam clock keeps running throughout. Any break is deducted from your own testing time.
How is the exam structured on the day?
A four-hour appointment containing a 2-minute confidentiality reminder, an introduction and tutorial, Section 1 of up to 110 minutes, Section 2 of up to 110 minutes and a closing survey. Each section carries its own countdown timer, unused minutes do not carry forward, and you cannot return to a completed section.
When do I get my results?
A preliminary pass or did not pass decision appears at the testing centre when you finish. Official results arrive roughly two to three weeks after testing, when SHRM emails you to retrieve them from the My Resources tab of your certification portal. SHRM does not provide results by email, phone or fax.
What is on the score report?
Your official scaled score plus a Candidate Score and Feedback Report containing a diagnostic graph of your performance across the three behavioral competency clusters and the three HR knowledge domains. SHRM provides it so that new certification-holders can choose recertification activities and unsuccessful candidates can direct their retake study. A sample report appears in Appendix A of the certification handbook.
Can I appeal a result?
Yes, through a request for a results review, which costs 100 dollars and is open to candidates who did not achieve a passing result or believe there was a scoring error. The only information issued afterwards is a scaled score and a pass or did not pass decision; no item-level detail is released. SHRM also runs a separate exam item challenge process.
How long does the certification last and how do I renew it?
Three years. The cycle begins the day you pass and ends on the last day of your birth month three years later. You renew either by earning 60 professional development credits within the cycle and paying the processing fee, which is 165 dollars for a member and 210 for a non-member, or by retaking the exam at your current level no earlier than 12 months before the cycle ends.
What happens if I miss the recertification deadline?
You enter a 60-day grace period. You can still complete the PDCs during it, but the fee rises by 75 dollars to 240 dollars for a member and 285 for a non-member, and the certification is revoked at the end of the grace period if the recertification is not completed. SHRM also offers a retired status for holders who have left the profession entirely.
What counts as a professional development credit?
Activities that relate to the competencies and knowledge in the SHRM BASK. SHRM lists webinars at 1 PDC each, podcasts at 1 to 2, SHRM membership at 3 PDCs a year, eLearning at 1 to 5, educational programmes at 7.5 to 36, specialty credentials at 13.5 to 26 and SHRM conferences at 20 or more. The Advancing Your Education category has no PDC limit.
What happens if I recertify by exam and fail?
The credential is revoked. SHRM states that if you fail the recertification exam your credential is revoked, you must reapply and pass the exam to regain it, and you cannot fall back on the PDC route. Because you can only test at your current level within the last 12 months of the cycle, this route carries real risk and SHRM asks you to contact it before applying.
Are testing accommodations available?
Yes, at no fee. SHRM provides reasonable accommodations for a medical condition constituting a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, or a comparable provision outside the United States. You mark the request on the exam application, then complete the Testing and Certification Accommodations Request form with a qualified licensed professional's evaluation. Forms signed more than six months earlier are not accepted.
How does the SHRM-CP compare with HRCI's PHR?
They differ in structure as much as in content. The SHRM-CP is 134 questions in 3 hours 40 minutes, with 40 percent of items being situational judgment questions, taken only at a Prometric centre, priced between 350 and 499 dollars. HRCI's PHR is 90 scored questions plus 25 pretest items in 2 hours plus 30 minutes of administration time, taken at a Pearson VUE centre or remotely through OnVUE, priced at a 395 dollar exam fee plus a 100 dollar application fee, and unlike the SHRM-CP it requires HR experience or a degree to apply. Both certifications last three years and both require 60 credits to renew.
Can I switch between the CP and the SCP after applying?
Yes, once. SHRM permits a candidate to request an exam level change from SHRM-CP to SHRM-SCP or the reverse one time. Given that SHRM says 1 in 5 testers pick the wrong level, it is worth using the exam previews to test your choice before the window closes.
Success Stories
“The situational judgment questions require a different mindset than knowledge questions. Practice thinking like an ideal HR professional, not just what you do at your job.”
Sarah K.
HR Director
“The Learning System was worth the investment. The question format is unique and the official practice tests prepared me well. Especially helpful for competency questions.”
Michael T.
HR Manager
“After getting SPHR years ago, SHRM-SCP's competency focus felt more practical. It tests what you actually DO as an HR leader, not just what you know.”
Linda P.
CHRO
Pass SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, Guaranteed
94% pass rate on first attempt
One-time • Lifetime access