Exam Content Outlines

For each certification offered by HRCI®, an Exam Content Outline is available as a reference. Each provides a description of the concepts, tasks and knowledge you need to successfully understand and perform HR-related duties associated with each specific credential. Every year, hundreds of HR volunteers worldwide, representing various industries and HR specialties, contribute thousands of hours of time to help HRCI determine knowledge and professional competencies required to master HR practice. Exam questions are also peer-reviewed for technical validity and applicability to current HR practice and applied job knowledge. HR tasks and the knowledge needed to perform them are extensively researched and grouped into functional areas. The final exam content (also known as the Exam Content Outline) is used by exam question writers and organizations that develop study/preparation materials for our HRCI certification exams. HRCI periodically updates the exam content outlines for each of our examinations to ensure they remain consistent with current practices in the HR field.

Disclaimer: We encourage prospective certification holders to use a variety of resources that reflect their learning styles and needs. Purchasing a certification preparation product is NOT required and HRCI does not guarantee that an individual will pass based on the purchase of a certification preparation product.