What are the Requirements for the PHR Certification?

Human Resources professionals are likely familiar with the PHR Certification, which sets a standard within the industry. Those who obtain the PHR certification are often preferred by employers due to the rigorous nature of the PHR exam, as those that pass the exam show that they thoroughly understand HR and its applications.

If you are considering the PHR certification, we have a few suggestions to make before you apply to take the test. The exam and the test materials are not inexpensive, and it would behoove HR professionals to carefully consider the requirements needed to take the PHR exam before applying.

This article will discuss those requirements, as well as answer key questions about the PHR certification to help readers decide if it’s right for them. Read on to learn more.

Why Do a PHR Certification?

If you aspire to be a Human Resources (HR) professional, a PHR Certification is held in high regard throughout the industry.

As proof of this, many statistics confirm that those with a PHR Certification earn more over the course of their careers than those without it. Those already working in HR are likely aware of the potential pay differential.

Per Payscale, the average pay for an individual with a PHR certification was $63,900, while professionals without the PHR certification made around $45,300. This average of almost $20,000 annually is enough to give any HR professional pause and make them consider becoming certified.

This difference is so statistically significant that those on the fence about obtaining the cert need to strongly weigh the investment costs – most of which are discussed below – against annual earnings in the future.

Moreover, a PHR Certification is an indicator to employers that the person holding it is committed to the industry and likely to bring a certain consistency and quality to an available HR position.

The reality is that those with a PHR certification are much more likely to be considered for Mid or Senior-level positions if and when they become available.

While the PHR certification does not necessarily make a candidate better or smarter, the cert clearly makes a candidate more marketable to a prospective employer, all other factors being equal.

PHR Certification Exam Topics and Details

The exam features the following topics, each denoted by percentage:

• Employee and Labor Relations (39%)
• Business Management (20%)
• Talent Planning and Acquisition (16%)
• Total Rewards (15%)
• Learning and Development (10%)

The exam lasts three hours and consists of 150 questions, most of which are multiple choice. There are also 25 pre-test questions.

Test-takers will need to locate a Pearson VUE Testing Center. Finding a center is fairly easy via this link.

There is an exam fee of $395 plus a $100 application fee. While this amount of money can be a considerable investment for some people, interested parties can save themselves a bit by bundling the Exam Fee with the Test Prep materials.

You can read more about the details of the HCRI PHR Test Bundle here.

PHR Certification Prep

A number of companies offer PHR certification test prep materials often bundled with the exam cost itself.

For example, Human Resources Certification Prep (HRCP) offers a complete bundle including online and audio sources for $445.00, while also offering most of the components individually.

HRCI (the Human Resource Certification Institute) offers even more options. While their bundles range up to $1000 – including the application fee and exam fee, their comprehensive list of options is second to none.

The company offers options such as a PHR Timed Practice Test, multiple forms of Certification Preparation including full audio and visual, and PHR/SPHR complete workbook package.

If you learn better in a classroom environment, a number of higher-learning institutions offer the PHR certification as part of a four-month or sixteen-week course. You may want to check with your local institutions to see if and when PHR courses are potentially available.

A number of colleges also offer the PHR certification 100% online. Cornell University is one such institution. This is another convenient way for working individuals to pursue the PHR certification.

Professionals will need to be honest with themselves about how they learn and their current base of education before deciding which test prep materials to purchase, but there is certainly a variety of materials available to test-takers.

PHR Certification Requirements

As noted, the PHR certification does have a number of requirements. This is a middle to upper-level certification and is not necessarily something that entry-level professionals should immediately pursue.

Per HRCI, these are the base requirements to sit for the PHR certification exam:

• A minimum of 1 year of experience in a professional-level HR position with a Master’s degree or higher

If a person does not have a Master’s degree, he or she must have:

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in a professional-level HR position with a Bachelor’s degree, or in the absence of a Bachelor’s degree, four or more years of professional experience in HR.

Meanwhile, the NHRI SPHR certification (discussed below) has even more-stringent requirements, with applicants needing:

• A Master’s degree plus at least four years of professional or relevant HR experience
• A Bachelor’s degree plus at least five years of professional or relevant HR experience
• In the absence of a degree, at least seven years of professional HR experience

Meanwhile, the SHRM certification has similarly-strict requirements, with applicants also needing additional HR experience in the absence of a degree.

While the SHRM certification does not have the exact same cache as a PHR certification, those working in Human Resources have likely heard about the SHRM cert and would likely benefit from some additional research.

Some employers, for example, may prefer the SHRM certification to the PHR, and it might be to your benefit to pursue one rather than the other.

PHR Certification vs. SPHR

An alternative to a PHR certification is the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification. Both certs are HR specific and cater to individuals with a decent amount of working experience in Human Resources.

This article from HCRI covers the differences between the PHR and SPHR Certifications at length, but here is an overview:

First, if you do not have professional HR experience, it may not be an appropriate time to obtain either certification. The SPHR and PHR certifications are for Mid and Senior-level executives, so recent graduates and other entry-level job seekers might do well to invest their money and time elsewhere.

For those with some professional experience, there are noticeable differences between the two certifications. An example is that the first section of the PHR exam has five responsibility statements, while the first section of the SPHR exam features 10 responsibility statements.

This process continues throughout both examinations. The SPHR candidate will be tested on their ability to develop and evaluate various HR and business strategies, while a PHR candidate will have to demonstrate their ability to implement and manage HR programs and activities.

Both roles are integral to a business system, but the value of each certification will likely dovetail with an individual’s unique professional experience.

Here is an exact breakdown of each test by topic percentage:

PHR Exam

• Business Management and Strategy (11%)
• Workforce Planning and Employment (24%)
• Human Resource Development (18%)
• Compensation and Benefits (19%)
• Employee and Labor Relations (20%)
• Risk Management (8%)

SPHR Exam

• Business Management and Strategy (30%)
• Workforce Planning and Employment (17%)
• Human Resource Development (19%)
• Compensation and Benefits (13%)
• Employee and Labor Relations (14%)
• Risk Management (7%)

As you can see, the SPHR exam places a much greater emphasis on implementing the overall strategy of a business or company, while the PHR exam focuses more heavily on the day-to-day interactions with employees.

The biggest distinction might lie in where an individual sees her or his personal strengths, in addition to their prior experience in the HR field. Those who take a longer view might thrive with the SPHR cert, while those with strong interpersonal skills might prefer the PHR certification.

If you have taken or plan to take one of the exams, take heart in the fact that the national pass rate for both exams is just over 50% (PHR certification 54%, SPHR certification 53%) per research by UpstartHR.

In either case, exam preparation is critical and the likelihood of retaking the test is a strong possibility. Carefully consider your professional experience and your goals before deciding on either test.

Choosing the Right Test for You

As you have read above, the requirements to sit for the PHR certification are a combination of education and experience.

Those with higher degrees will need less real-world experience, while those with an ample amount of professional experience might prefer pursuing a PHR certification to the money and time investment commensurate with a degree in higher education. It really comes down to the individual.

Those with a significant amount of professional experience in HR might opt to pursue the SPHR certification, as the requirements are quite similar aside from years of experience.

Regardless of which route you wish to take, there are a number of avenues to completing the PHR certification. We hope that this article has been helpful in differentiating between these various choices, and making it easier to determine the right route for you.

Keyword: phr certification