PHR

The Professional in Human Resources (PHR) credential, awarded by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), recognizes HR professionals who have mastered the technical and operational aspects of HR management, including U.S. laws and regulations. The exam emphasizes program implementation and tactical decision-making: many questions describe a workplace situation and ask what the HR professional should do, what the law requires, or which option best fits the facts.

Exam Pattern

The exam contains 115 questions: 90 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. Most questions are four-option multiple choice with one best answer, and many are scenario-based, asking you to apply knowledge and experience to a realistic HR situation. Every question carries equal weight, with no partial credit. You have 2 hours to answer the questions, plus about 30 minutes of administration time for the tutorial and check-in, for an appointment of about two and a half hours.

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 PHR exam content outline divides the exam into seven functional areas. Each area lists responsibilities (what a PHR does) and the knowledge needed to perform them. Employee Engagement and HR Information Management are functional areas in their own right, and Employee and Labor Relations is the largest area at one fifth of the exam.

FunctionalArea	Responsibilities
01BusinessManagement	Apply business environment and industry information; build relationships with cross-
	functionalstakeholders;identifyrisksandrecommendmitigation;usemetricsanddatato
	supportbusinessinitiatives;reinforceculture values andethicalexpectations , ,
02WorkforcePlanningandTalent	Applyfederallawsforlegalandethicalhiring;identifyandimplementsourcingmethods;
Acquisition	managethetalentacquisitionlifecycle
03LearningandDevelopment	Implementandevaluatecareerdevelopmentandtrainingprograms;contributetosuccession
	planning;administerlearningprogramsfordesiredoutcomes
04TotalRewards	Manage and communicate total rewards programs; promote non-monetary rewards;
	implementbenefitprograms;keepcompensationandbenefitsfederallycompliant
05EmployeeEngagement	Measureeffectivenessateachstageoftheemployeelifecycle;supportengagement
	programs;supporttheperformancemanagementstrategyandemploymentactivities
06EmployeeandLaborRelations	Applylawspromotinginclusivity;supporthealth safety security andprivacyprograms; , , ,
	interpretandenforcepolicies;resolvecomplaintsandconflicts;promotepositiveemployee
	relations
07HRInformationManagement	UseandmanageHRdatabasesandtechnologies;assessandcommunicateHRdata;promote
	andmaintainsecuritybestpractices

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 90 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, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Candidates who do not pass receive their numerical score and a chart showing relative performance in each functional area to guide further study.

Exam at a Glance

ExamAspect	Details
Administeredby	HRCertificationInstitute(HRCI);deliveredbyPearsonVUE
Questions	115total:90scoredand25unscoredpretestquestions randomlydistributed ,
Time	2hoursoftestingtime plusabout30minutesofadministrationtime ,
Format	Computer-based at a Pearson VUE test center or through OnVUE online proctoring; mostly four-option
	multiplechoice
Scoring	Scaledscoreof100–700;500isrequiredtopass
Fees	US$395examfeeplusaUS$100applicationfee;norefundonceanapplicationisapproved
Eligibility	One of: a master's degree or higher plus 1 year of professional -level HR experience; a bachelor's
	degree plus 2 years; or 4 years of professional -level HR experience
Recertification	Everythreeyears:earn60HRrecertificationcreditsorretaketheexam