aPHR

The Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) credential, awarded by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), is the entry point to HRCI's family of certifications. It validates foundational knowledge of HR practices and U.S. employment law for students, career changers, early-career HR staff, and managers who handle people issues. Because it is knowledge-based rather than experience-based, there is no HR experience or degree requirement, and the credential is often a first step toward the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and other HRCI credentials.

Exam Pattern

The exam contains 90 questions: 65 scored questions and 25 unscored pretest questions that HRCI is evaluating for future exams. Pretest questions are mixed in with the scored questions and look exactly like them, so treat every question as if it counts. Questions are four-option multiple choice with one best answer; many present a short workplace scenario and ask what HR should do, which law applies, or which method best fits the facts. You have 1 hour and 45 minutes to answer the questions, plus about 30 minutes of administration time for the tutorial and check-in. At that pace you have a little over one minute per question.

The exam is computer-based and delivered by Pearson VUE, either at a Pearson VUE test center or through OnVUE online proctoring at home or in the office.

What the Exam Covers

The current aPHR exam content outline divides the exam into five functional areas. Each area has a responsibility statement and a set of knowledge statements that describe what candidates must know. Compliance and Risk Management and Employee Relations are the two largest areas and together account for almost half of the exam.

01 Talent Acquisition

Understand every stage of the talent acquisition process: planning, sourcing, recruiting, screening, selection, hiring, and onboarding

02 Learning and Development

Assess organizational needs and understand the techniques and methods for delivering training that give employees the tools, skills, and knowledge to meet current and future goals

FunctionalArea	Responsibility
03CompensationandBenefits	Understandtheelementsofthetotalrewardspackage includingcompensation benefits , ,
	programs andretirementplanning andhowtheysupportorganizationalcompetitiveness , ,
04EmployeeRelations	Understandhoworganizationsmonitorandaddressmorale performance andretention , , ,
	balancing operational needs with the well -being of the individual employee
05ComplianceandRisk	Complywithlaws regulations andpolicies;educatestakeholderstoidentify mitigate and , , , ,
Management	respondtoorganizationalrisk;understandrecordsmanagement storage retention and , , ,
	reportingrequirements

Scoring and Results

HRCI reports results as a scaled score from 100 to 700, and a scaled score of 500 is required to pass. Pass or fail is decided on the exam as a whole, not by functional area. Only the 65 scored questions count toward your result, and there is no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question. You see a preliminary pass or fail result at the end of the exam, and the official result follows by email. Candidates who do not pass receive a results report showing relative performance in each functional area to guide further study.

The aPHR tests U.S. employment law and practice. Candidates who work outside the United States and want an internationally focused credential can consider HRCI's aPHRi instead; the knowledge statements differ.

Exam at a Glance

ExamAspect	Details
Administeredby	HRCertificationInstitute(HRCI);deliveredbyPearsonVUE
Questions	90total:65scoredand25unscoredpretestquestions randomlydistributed ,
Time	1hour45minutesoftestingtime plusabout30minutesofadministrationtime ,
Format	Computer-based at a Pearson VUE test center or through OnVUE online proctoring; four-option
	multiplechoice
Scoring	Scaledscoreof100–700;500isrequiredtopass
Fees	US$300examfeeplusaUS$100applicationfee;norefundonceanapplicationisapproved
Eligibility	NoHRexperienceordegreerequirement
Schedulingwindow	Testwithin180daysofapplicationapproval
Retakes	Wait 90 days after an unsuccessful attempt; no more than three attempts in a 365 -day period; a new
	applicationandfeesarerequired
Recertification	Everythreeyears:earn45recertificationcreditsorretaketheexam