With the exception of the aPHRi, all of the HRCI programs listed below are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). HRCI is required to report exam statistics annually in accordance with NCCA standards. To learn more about NCCA accreditation, and why accreditation is so important, click here.
In order to earn an HRCI certification, all candidates must meet eligibility requirements and pass an exam. If you aren't sure which exam(s) you are eligible for, click here for some help determining which exam is right for you.
Since everyone's experience and knowledge is unique, be sure to review the exam content outline for the exam you plan to take prior to testing.
From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, 11,917 HR practitioners tested for one of HRCI's eight credentials - the aPHR, PHR, SPHR, GPHR, PHRca, aPHRi, PHRi or SPHRi.
| Credential | PASS Rate |
|---|---|
| aPHR | 86% |
| PHR | 71% |
| SPHR | 60% |
| GPHR | 77% |
| PHRca | 74% |
| aPHRi | 83% |
| PHRi | 76% |
| SPHRi | 81% |
NOTE: Accreditation standards require accredited certification programs to provide pass rate data to the public on an annual basis.
| Credential | Number of CREDENTIAL HOLDERs |
|---|---|
| aPHR | 7,692 |
| PHR | 71,130 |
| SPHR | 47,903 |
| GPHR | 2,805 |
| PHRca* | 1,858 |
| aPHRi | 413 |
| PHRi | 2,144 |
| SPHRi | 1,759 |
*For consistency of reporting, the PHRca figure includes those who earned the PHRca when the PHR/SPHR prerequisite was in place as well as those who earned the standalone credential after the eligibility criteria changed in April 2016.
HRCI’s Directory of Certified HR Professionals can be found here.