HRCI credentials such as the aPHR, PHR, SPHR and GPHR are taken by people starting out in HR and by working HR professionals. This page gives you free practice sets by topic, three worked questions with full explanations, a study plan, and a summary of the exam rules published by HRCI.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (aPHR) | 65 scored + 25 pretest questions (90 total)[1] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Number of questions (GPHR) | 100 scored + 25 pretest questions (125 total)[2] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Number of questions (PHR) | 90 scored + 25 pretest questions (115 total)[3] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Number of questions (SPHR) | 115 scored + 25 pretest questions (140 total)[6] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Time limit (PHR) | 2 hours (+30 min admin)[3] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 500[4] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Reschedule/Cancel) | $150 per cancellation or reschedule[5] | home.pearsonvue.com · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Retake fee | Full exam and application fees again (unless Second Chance Insurance was bought)[4] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Retake policy | 90-day wait after a failed attempt[4] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years[3] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Renewal (aPHR) | 45 recertification credits every 3 years, or retake the exam[1] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Renewal (GPHR) | 60 credits (45 HR + 15 Global) every 3 years, or retake the exam[2] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Renewal (PHR) | 60 HR recertification credits every 3 years, or retake the exam[3] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Renewal (SPHR) | 60 credits (45 HR + 15 Business) every 3 years, or retake the exam[6] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring (select locations)[5] | home.pearsonvue.com · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Eligibility (aPHR) | No HR experience required[1] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Eligibility (GPHR) | 2 yrs HR + master's, 3 yrs + bachelor's, or 4 yrs without a bachelor's[2] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Eligibility (PHR) | 1 yr HR + master's, 2 yrs + bachelor's, or 4 yrs HR experience[3] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Eligibility (SPHR) | 4 yrs HR + master's, 5 yrs + bachelor's, or 7 yrs HR experience[6] | HRCI · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Testing window | Year-round; schedule within 180 days of application approval[4] | HRCI · Oct 22, 2026 |
According to HRCI, “100 scored questions (mostly multiple-choice) + 25 pretest questions”[2]
HRCI awards credentials for human resources professionals, including the aPHR, PHR, SPHR and GPHR. The aPHR is knowledge-based and requires no HR experience. The others require professional-level HR experience, and the amount depends on your education. For the PHR it is 1 year with a graduate degree, 2 years with a bachelor's degree, or 4 years of HR experience. For the SPHR it is 4 years with a graduate degree, 5 years with a bachelor's degree, or 7 years. For the GPHR it is 2 years with a graduate degree, 3 years with a bachelor's degree, or 4 years without a bachelor's degree.
Exams are taken at a Pearson VUE test center or, in select locations, online through OnVUE proctoring. Each exam mixes scored and pretest questions: the aPHR has 65 scored plus 25 pretest, the PHR 90 plus 25, the GPHR 100 plus 25, and the SPHR 115 plus 25. The PHR page lists 2 hours plus 30 minutes of administration time; check the HRCI page for your credential. A scaled score of at least 500 is needed to pass.
Testing runs year-round, and you must schedule within 180 days of application approval. After a failed attempt there is a 90-day wait, and you must re-apply and pay the fees again unless you bought Second Chance Insurance. Each cancellation or reschedule costs $150. Fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the HRCI and Pearson VUE sites before you apply.
The content areas below are copied from the official HRCI content outline published by HRCI, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Weight | Practice on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Business Management[3] | 14% | HRCI HR Strategy and Planning Practise how HR supports organizational strategy, including the business partner model and workforce planning decisions. |
| Employee and Labor Relations[3] | 20% | HRCI Employee Relations Practise handling workplace disputes, discipline, and the rules that shape the employer and employee relationship. |
| Employee Engagement[3] | 17% | HRCI Performance Management Practise performance feedback, motivation, and the practices that keep employees committed to their work. |
| HR Information Management[3] | 10% | HRCI Knowledge Practise terms and concepts around HR records, systems and data, using the general knowledge set to find weak spots. |
| Learning and Development[3] | 10% | HRCI Learning and Development Practise training design, development planning, and succession planning for future leaders. |
| Total Rewards[3] | 15% | HRCI Compensation and Benefits Practise pay structures, benefits programs, and how rewards are matched to business goals. |
| Workforce Planning and Talent Acquisition[3] | 14% | HRCI Talent Acquisition Practise recruiting, selection, employer branding, and forecasting the people an organization will need. |
Prepare for the HRCI - Human Resource Certification Institute exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What is a 'succession plan' designed to accomplish in L&D?
Answer: A. Identify and develop internal talent to fill key leadership roles when they become vacant
Explanation:
The correct answer is the one about identifying and developing internal talent to fill key leadership roles when they become vacant. A succession plan looks ahead: it finds high-potential people and gives them the experience to step into critical positions.
The layoff option is wrong because the order of layoffs is a downsizing decision, not talent development. The handoff option describes coverage planning for a leave, which is short-term and about tasks, not leadership pipelines. The annual review option is wrong because scheduling reviews is a performance management routine and does not prepare anyone for a future role.
Rule to remember: succession planning is about the future supply of leaders, built through development, not about cuts, temporary coverage, or review calendars.
Question: What is the 'HR business partner (HRBP)' model?
Answer: A. Embedding HR professionals within business units to align people strategy with operational goals
Explanation:
The correct answer is embedding HR professionals within business units to align people strategy with operational goals. An HR business partner works alongside the leaders of a unit, translates business needs into people practices, and brings the unit's concerns back to HR.
A joint venture between two consulting firms is a corporate structure and has nothing to do with how HR is organized inside one company. An outsourcing arrangement for administrative tasks moves work outside the organization, which is the opposite of embedding HR close to the business. A mentoring program pairing HR staff with finance professionals might build understanding, but it is a development activity, not an operating model.
Rule to remember: the business partner model is defined by proximity and strategic advice, not by ownership, outsourcing, or mentoring.
Question: What is an 'employer brand' in the context of talent acquisition?
Answer: A. The organization's reputation as a place to work
Explanation:
The correct answer is the organization's reputation as a place to work. Employer brand is the perception that job seekers and current employees hold about the organization as an employer, and it shapes both who applies and who stays.
The product trademark option confuses an employer brand with a consumer brand. A company can have a well-known product and still be seen as a poor workplace, or the reverse. The legal entity option describes how a business is registered, which says nothing about reputation. The HRCI certification badge option is a credential that an individual may earn, and it is not something an employer holds as a brand.
Rule to remember: when a question says employer brand, think about how the organization is perceived as a workplace, in recruiting and in retention.
Start by reading the HRCI page for your credential so you know the eligibility rules, the exam outline, and how the exam is delivered. Then take the HRCI Basic or HRCI Knowledge set once, cold, to see which areas feel weak. Do not worry about the score on that first attempt; it is a map.
Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps in understanding, not to memorize answers. In the last days before the exam, review your written rules, retake only the questions you missed, and confirm your appointment details with Pearson VUE, including the reschedule fee if your plans change.
HRCI requires a scaled score of at least 500 to pass. The scaled score is not a simple percentage of correct answers, so do not try to convert it into a number of questions. Each exam also includes pretest questions that are not scored.
No. HRCI describes the aPHR as a knowledge-based credential and states that no HR experience is required. The PHR, SPHR and GPHR do require professional-level HR experience, and the amount depends on your education.
There is a 90-day wait from the date of the unsuccessful attempt before you can schedule a retake. You must re-apply, qualify, and pay the exam fees again unless you bought Second Chance Insurance.
In select locations, yes. Pearson VUE offers OnVUE online proctoring for residents of those locations. Everyone else tests at a Pearson VUE test center. Check Pearson VUE for what is available where you live.
Certifications are valid for 3 years. To maintain one you earn recertification credits over that period, or retake the exam. The aPHR needs 45 credits, and the PHR, SPHR and GPHR each need 60.
Pearson VUE charges $150 each time you cancel or reschedule an exam appointment. Schedule within 180 days of your application approval, and confirm your date before you book so you avoid the fee.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.