SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Exam Eligibility

The SHRM Competency Model is fundamental to SHRM's two certifications: the SHRM-CP for early to mid-career practitioners and the SHRM-SCP for senior-level practitioners. These certifications address two basic goals:

SHRM exam applicants are required to meet specific educational and work experience at the time they submit their application. The following general eligibility criteria, shown in table, will also apply:

• Applicants must show that they have at least 1,000 hours within a calendar year devoted to HR-related activities. This equates to a year of HR-related experience. (More than 1,000 hours does not equate to more than 1 year of experience.)

• HR-related experience is any work within the 15 functional areas of HR knowledge that make up the technical competency HR Expertise, as explained in the SHRM BoCK.
• Part-time work qualifies, as long as the 1,000-hour requirement is met within a calendar year.
• HR experience may be in an exempt or nonexempt capacity.
• Applicants are not required to hold an HR title. HR-related work determines eligibility, not the job title.
• Applicants who have mixed roles, such as an office or payroll manager with HR responsibilities, may qualify with their experience, as long as their HR-related duties total at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year (i.e., recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and benefits enrollment).
• Supervising employees in and of itself is not considered qualifying as HR-related experience.
• SHRM membership is not required to qualify for the exam.