Exam Guide
The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP are administered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at Prometric testing centers worldwide. These are the most widely recognized HR certifications, validating competency across behavioral skills and HR knowledge for professionals at every career stage.
134
Questions per Exam
3.5 to 4 Hrs
Time Limit
65-70%
Pass Rate
$300/$400
Member / Non-Member Fee
Directing initiatives, contributing to organizational vision, and navigating through organizational dynamics and politics effectively.
Maintaining integrity, acting as an ethical agent, and building trust through professional credibility and consistent behavior.
Understanding business operations, financial literacy, strategic alignment, and organizational metrics to drive HR decisions.
Providing guidance to stakeholders, coaching leaders, and applying creative problem-solving to organizational challenges.
Collecting and analyzing data, interpreting findings, making evidence-based recommendations, and measuring HR effectiveness.
Building and maintaining professional networks, managing conflict, negotiating effectively, and fostering teamwork across the organization.
Appreciating diverse perspectives, managing across borders, adapting HR practices to cultural contexts, and promoting inclusion.
Delivering clear and persuasive messages, active listening, facilitating productive discussions, and managing organizational communications.
HR Strategic Planning, Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement & Retention, Learning & Development, Total Rewards
Structure of the HR Function, Organizational Effectiveness & Development, Workforce Management, Employee & Labor Relations, Technology Management
HR in the Global Context, Diversity & Inclusion, Risk Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Employment Law & Regulations
SHRM-CP: Designed for early to mid-career HR professionals who implement policies, serve as the HR point of contact for staff and stakeholders, or perform operational HR functions.
SHRM-SCP: Designed for senior-level HR leaders who develop strategies, oversee HR operations, lead the HR function, or align HR initiatives with organizational goals.
Education + Experience: Requirements vary by degree level. A bachelor's degree in HR requires 1 year of HR experience for the SHRM-CP. A non-HR bachelor's degree requires 2 years. The SHRM-SCP requires additional experience at the strategic level.
No Degree Path: Candidates without a degree may qualify with 3 or more years of HR experience for the SHRM-CP, or 6 or more years for the SHRM-SCP.
Both exams contain 134 multiple-choice questions: 104 scored and 30 unscored pretest items (you cannot tell which are which). The SHRM-CP allows 3 hours and 40 minutes, while the SHRM-SCP allows 4 hours. Questions are a mix of standalone knowledge items and situational judgment items (SJIs) that present realistic workplace scenarios. The exams are computer-based and administered at Prometric testing centers.
Most successful candidates study for 6 to 12 weeks using a combination of flashcards for HR terminology, timed practice exams for pacing, and scenario-based practice for situational judgment items. The behavioral competencies and situational judgment questions are where many candidates struggle, since they require applying HR knowledge to realistic workplace situations rather than simple recall.
SHRMpractice provides hundreds of flashcards, timed mini exams, and full-length 134-question simulations covering all SHRM behavioral competencies and HR knowledge domains with the question styles used on the real exam.