The HR Certification Institute follows certification-industry best practices to create and update our exams. Following are the steps we take to develop the exams.

Step 1: The exams are based on a body of knowledge, which is created and then validated by practicing HR professionals through a practice analysis study. The body of knowledge is also known as the exam content.

Step 2: An item-writing panel writes the exam questions (also known as “items”), based on the body of knowledge.

Step 3: The questions go to an item-review panel, which checks for accuracy and proper coding.

Step 4: Approved questions are tested for reliability.

Step 5: Exam forms are created by and reviewed by an forms-review panel

Each form consists of a pre-determined number of questions 

• PHR and SPHR: 175 questions
• GPHR: 165 questions
• California: 125 questions
   

Each exam has different versions, which means that the person sitting next to you at the exam center is probably taking a different exam than you are.

Step 6: A passing score for each exam is determined.

Step 7: To determine the difficulty level of each question and ultimately each exam version, it is pre-equated.

Step 8: Exams are given during two periods per year (May-June and Dec-Jan).