SHRM Eligibility Checker

SHRM-CP eligibility depends on your education level and HR experience. With a Bachelor's degree in HR, you can sit for the exam while working in an HR role with no minimum experience. Without an HR degree, you typically need 1-3 years of HR experience depending on your education level. You can also qualify if you are currently pursuing a career in HR.

SHRM-SCP requires both HR experience and strategic-level responsibilities. The experience requirement ranges from 3 to 6 years depending on your education level: 3 years with a graduate HR degree, 4-5 years with a bachelor's degree, and 6 years without a bachelor's degree. Your role must include strategic HR responsibilities such as setting HR policy, leading organizational initiatives, or advising senior leadership.

You can hold both certifications, but most candidates choose one. If you are early to mid-career in HR with primarily operational duties, SHRM-CP is the right fit. If you are in a senior or strategic HR role, SHRM-SCP demonstrates advanced expertise. You do not need SHRM-CP before taking SHRM-SCP.

SHRM offers two testing windows each year: a spring window from May through July, and a winter window from December through February. You can choose any date within these windows to schedule your exam at a Prometric testing center or via remote proctoring.

If you do not currently meet the eligibility requirements, focus on gaining the necessary HR experience. Consider starting with an aPHR certification, which has no experience requirement. You can also look into HR-related roles or volunteer positions that count toward the experience requirement.