Today, we live and work in a global economy in which geographic borders are virtually nonexistent, with innovation, agility, and strategy as critical success factors. The HR profession operates at the core of this global economy, ensuring the alignment of organizational strategy with a high-performing workforce. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification program¹ has two credentials, SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), that address these roles in today’s world.

In 2011, SHRM decided to invest in the advancement of the HR profession by developing a new competency framework to serve as a foundational resource for all HR professionals. The SHRM Competency Model identifies eight key behavioral competencies: Leadership & Navigation, Business Acumen, Ethical Practice, Relationship Management, Consultation, Critical Evaluation, Global & Cultural Effectiveness, and Communication. It identifies one technical competency: HR Expertise (HR Knowledge). SHRM’s studies indicate that these competencies are the foundation of a successful HR career.

The SHRM Competency Model² is fundamental to SHRM’s two certifications: the SHRM-CP for early to mid-career practitioners and the SHRM-SCP for senior-level practitioners. These certifications address two basic goals:

•   For HR professionals, these certifications recognize the importance of both competencies and knowledge as essential elements for successful job performance.

•   For employers, they affirm the need to look for competencies and knowledge as key indicators of successful HR job performance.

As a function of its studies, SHRM identified a bank of knowledge topics that are essential and a list of behaviors that are critical to HR professionals’ success. SHRM called these the Body of Competency and Knowledge (BoCK). SHRM’s credentials are designed to demonstrate to the global business community that the credential holder has strong capabilities in both aspects of HR practice, competency and knowledge, and that both are required for effective job performance.

As part of its research, SHRM conducted more than 100 focus groups involving more than 1,000 HR practitioners to identify nine critical competencies necessary for success as an HR professional. Focus group participants included HR professionals from 33 countries, representing a diversity of both personal and organizational attributes.

SHRM then confirmed the relevance and universality of the SHRM Competency Model through a content validation survey, which drew responses from more than 32,000 HR professionals worldwide. Finally, a series of large-scale multiorganizational criterion validation studies were conducted involving a highly diverse sample of more than 1,500 HR professionals and their supervisors, the purpose of which was to establish that proficiency in these competencies is closely linked to successful job performance. Figure 2-1 illustrates SHRM’s Body of Competency and Knowledge³ building blocks of proficiency for the HR professional.

Figure 2-1     SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge

The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams were accredited by The Buros Center for Testing in late 2016, a pronouncement that the HR credentials meet the highest standards in testing.

HR Expertise / Knowledge

A competency model is a set of competencies defining the requirements for effective performance in a specific job, profession, or organization. There are eight behavioral competencies and one technical competency, HR Expertise / Knowledge, in the SHRM Competency Model.

SHRM conducted a knowledge specification exercise to identify the key areas of HR functional knowledge and expertise. SHRM consulted academic and employer surveys regarding the basic functional knowledge needed for participation in the human resources field.

SHRM’s BoCK Advisory Panel

Nineteen HR and business leaders from various industries, including retail, research, consulting, health care, and manufacturing, served on SHRM’s BoCK Advisory Panel, which was established to validate this framework. The panel reviewed the proposed HR technical knowledge framework for accuracy and comprehensiveness, defined key responsibility statements and knowledge topic areas associated with each knowledge domain and functional area, and developed importance rankings and weights for each knowledge domain. Upon completion, SHRM adopted this framework as the basis for the knowledge component of the SHRM BoCK.

Next, SHRM approached the development of behavioral competencies (see Table 2-1). Competencies can be either technical or behavioral. Technical competencies reflect the knowledge required to perform a specific role. Behavioral competencies describe the knowledge, skills, or abilities (KSAs) that facilitate the application of technical knowledge to job-related behavior. In other words, technical competencies reflect the knowledge HR professionals apply to their jobs, and behavioral competencies reflect how they apply this knowledge. SHRM’s moto is “Knowledge + Behavior = Success.”

Table 2-1     SHRM Behavioral Competency Definitions⁵

The SHRM BoCK documents the HR behavioral competencies and knowledge domains tested on the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP certification exams. The SHRM BoCK is also the basic resource for item writers developing questions and individuals developing exam preparation materials. SHRM operates exam development and study material development as separate, independent functions and has established a strict firewall between these activities to protect the integrity and credibility of the certification exams.

SHRM Certification Commission

The SHRM Certification Commission⁴ functions as a technical advisory committee established by SHRM to serve as a governance body for SHRM’s certifying activities. The commission is composed of volunteers who have extensive HR and business expertise from industries and organizations throughout the world. The commission’s mission is to ensure the highest quality and impartiality of SHRM’s certification program. Its responsibilities include reviewing certificant eligibility, approving exam specifications and scoring, ensuring impartiality in certification activities, and ensuring due consideration of appeals and complaints.

Commission members are not financially compensated for their involvement but are reimbursed for their fair and reasonable expenses that are directly related to the commission’s business activities.

The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge

Increasingly, business leaders understand that effective people management is a strategic imperative. Employers expect that HR professionals will demonstrate, in addition to a basic knowledge of HR concepts and requirements, the behavioral competencies required to effectively apply their knowledge in the modern workplace. Because the HR profession is constantly changing and evolving, it is important for certified professionals to continually update their HR knowledge and competencies. Achieving certification as an SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP is a first step in this process.

The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge⁶ (SHRM BoCK) is the basis for the new SHRM credentials. The SHRM BoCK draws heavily from the SHRM Competency Study, as it describes the behavioral competencies and functional areas of knowledge needed for effective job performance. The SHRM BoCK explains not only what HR professionals need to know but also how they must apply this expertise to perform effectively in the workplace.

SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Exam Eligibility

Exam applicants are required to meet specific educational and work experience at the time they submit their application.⁷ The following general eligibility criteria, shown in Table 2-2, will also apply:

Table 2-2     SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Exam Eligibility Criteria

•   Applicants must show that they have at least 1,000 hours within a calendar year devoted to HR-related activities. This equates to a year of HR-related experience. (More than 1,000 hours does not equate to more than 1 year of experience.)

•   HR-related experience is any work within the 15 functional areas of HR knowledge that make up the technical competency HR Expertise, as explained in the SHRM BoCK.

•   Part-time work qualifies, as long as the 1,000-hour requirement is met within a calendar year.

•   HR experience may be in an exempt or nonexempt capacity.

•   Applicants are not required to hold an HR title. HR-related work determines eligibility, not the job title.

•   Applicants who have mixed roles, such as an office or payroll manager with HR responsibilities, may qualify with their experience, as long as their HR-related duties total at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year (i.e., recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and benefits enrollment).

•   Supervising employees in and of itself is not considered qualifying as HR-related experience.

•   SHRM membership is not required to qualify for the exam.

HR-Related Degrees

The following degrees meet the HR-related degree requirements:

•   Graduate (or global equivalent) HR-related degrees may include but are not limited to the following: MA in Human Resource Management (HRM), MS in Human Resources (HR), MA or MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, MA in Management (MAM) with HR concentration, MBA with concentration in HRM, Organizational Leadership or Leadership Development with HR concentration, Human Capital Development, Organizational Behavior, Labor Relations, and Industrial Relations.

•   Bachelor’s (or global equivalent) HR-related degrees may include but are not limited to the following: BA or BS in HRM, BA or BS in Management with concentration in HR, BA or BS in Business Administration with concentration in HRM, Bachelor of Business Administration with emphasis in HR, Organizational Behavior, Industrial Relations, Organizational Development, and Management and Leadership.

•   Associate’s Applicants with less than a bachelor’s degree may have HR-related associate’s degrees that may include but are not limited to Associate – HR Specialist, Associate – Business: HR Management, and Associate – HR Administration.

•   Certificate program Applicants with less than a bachelor’s degree may complete an HR Certificate Program from an accredited institution, completing eight courses that cover the fundamentals in HR (i.e., Principles of HRM, Compensation and Benefits, Organizational Development, Recruitment and Selection, Employment Law, Training and Development, Employee Relations, and Performance Management). A qualifying certificate program typically lasts 18 months.

•   Outside the United States

•   HR-related bachelor’s programs may include but are not limited to the following: BBA with emphasis in HRM, Bachelor of Commerce with concentration in Managing People and Organizations, and Bachelor of Business in Pedagogy with concentration in HR.

•   HR-related master’s programs may include the following: MA in International HRM, Professional Post-Graduate Diploma in HRM, and Executive Master in HRM.

•   Student eligibility Students who are enrolled in their final year of an undergraduate or graduate HR degree program at a college or university that has been approved by SHRM’s Academic Initiatives, aligned to SHRM’s curriculum guidelines, are eligible to sit for the SHRM-CP exam. Students must have accumulated at least 500 hours of an internship or practical HR experience and must be in good standing with their school.

Which Certification Is Right for You?

Which credential to choose is an important decision that involves several factors. While education and years of experience are the criteria that determine eligibility, it is even more important to consider the nature of your HR experience and the range of your HR responsibilities. The following are general guidelines to consider:

•   SHRM-SCP certification is designed for HR professionals at a senior level who operate primarily in a strategic role developing policies and strategies, overseeing the execution of HR operations, analyzing performance metrics, and/or contributing to the alignment of HR strategies to organizational goals.

•   SHRM-CP certification is designed for HR practitioners who are engaged primarily in an operational HR role implementing policies, serving as the HR point of contact for staff and stakeholders, and/or performing day-to-day HR functions. If this is your focus, the SHRM-CP is likely your best option, even if you meet the eligibility criteria for the SHRM-SCP.

To ensure that you take the exam that best reflects your experience, first determine your eligibility. Then compare your core responsibilities as reflected in your experience with the key responsibilities that are highlighted in the SHRM BoCK. This should help you, as a test taker, make the choice most appropriate for achieving success.

Application Deadlines and Exam Windows

The exam windows are the dates within which the exams are administered.⁸ Currently, SHRM has two 75-day exam windows, one in the spring and one in the fall. The testing windows are the dates during which the exams are administered. Candidates can register for the exam between the application’s accepted starting date and the regular application deadline. As of this writing, the application fees are $300 USD for SHRM members or $400 USD for non-SHRM members for either the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exam. Candidates who apply after the regular application deadline and before the late application deadline will incur a late application fee. Applications submitted after the late application deadline date will not be accepted.

Go to www.shrm.org/certification/apply for detailed information.

Exam Delivery, Duration, and Format

Prometric is SHRM’s test delivery vendor that provides computerized exam administration at more than 8,000 testing centers in 160 countries.⁹ The time allowed and the exam format are as follows:

•   The exam taker has up to 4 hours to answer a total of 160 multiple-choice questions, of which approximately 60 percent are knowledge-based questions and approximately 40 percent are scenario-based situational judgment items focused on the behavioral competencies.

•   Also included are 30 “field test” items that do not count toward an exam taker’s final score.

•   Two minutes are allotted for applicant confirmation details, eight minutes are allotted for an introduction and tutorial prior to the exam, and another five minutes at the end of the exam are for a survey.

Exam Content Outline¹⁰

The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams are based on the SHRM BoCK and its two major aspects of modern HR practice, competencies and knowledge. Accordingly, the exams contain two types of questions:

•   Knowledge items, which cover the three knowledge domains (People, Organization, and Workplace) associated with the SHRM BoCK’s technical competency. There are two categories of stand-alone knowledge-based items on the exams. Items in the first category are referred to as HR-specific knowledge items (KIs), covering key concept topics associated with the 15 HR functional areas. Items in the second category, referred to as foundational knowledge items (FKIs), cover key concept topics considered foundational to the eight behavioral competencies.

•   Situational judgment items (SJIs), which cover the KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) associated with the SHRM BoCK’s behavioral competencies.

Answers to these questions determine the final score for the exams. In addition, both exams contain “field test” items, the answers for which will not be scored. Field test items are unscored because they are being presented for the first time for the purpose of statistically determining their validity and reliability. Field test items are randomly distributed throughout the exam. Candidate answers to field test questions will not count toward any part of their final exam scores.

Knowledge items assess candidate understanding of factual information. Examinees are asked questions on particular subject areas. Correct answers receive full credit. Incorrect answers receive no credit.

Situational judgment items assess candidate KSA capabilities and decision-making skills, which are not easily measured using traditional knowledge-based questions. Examinees are presented with realistic work-related scenarios and asked to choose the best of several possible strategies to resolve or address the issues described in each scenario. Because more than one strategy may be effective for addressing actual work-related scenarios, examinees receive full credit for choosing the best possible answer. All other answers, which reflect either less effective or ineffective strategies, receive no credit.

Table 2-3 shows the score weighting for each subject area.

Table 2-3     Exam Score Content Weighting

Exam Identification and Conduct Guidelines

The SHRM certification exams are administered in highly secure testing centers.¹¹ All exam candidates are required to provide proof of identity with an unexpired government-issued photo identification with signature, such as a driver’s license, a passport, or a military ID. The name and photo on the primary or secondary ID must exactly match the name on the candidate’s authorization to test (ATT) letter.

If the ID used does not have a photo or signature, a second form of identification must be provided that contains the missing information. The name on the second ID must be the same as the name on the first ID.

The following are acceptable forms of secondary identification:

•   Valid employer identification card

•   Valid credit card with signature

•   Valid bank card with photo

If you do not have the appropriate form of ID, contact SHRM at least five business days before your scheduled exam appointment date to determine your options.

Trained proctors, called test center administrators (TCAs), supervise the Prometric testing centers. Irregularities observed or suspected by the proctors, or identified by subsequent statistical analysis of your answers on the exam, may result in your removal from participation in the test or invalidation of your score. Irregularities include creating a disturbance, giving or receiving unauthorized information or aid to or from other examinees, and attempting to remove materials from the testing room. SHRM has the right to investigate each incident of misconduct or irregularity.

Testing center rules of conduct include the following:

•   You must present an unexpired government-issued ID with a photo and signature to be admitted to the exam.

•   Arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before your scheduled exam appointment time to check in. Late arrivals are not admitted.

•   Note taking and the use of audible beepers, mobile phones, or memory-capable devices are prohibited in the testing room.

•   You will be asked to empty and turn out your pockets.

•   No breaks are scheduled during the exam. Candidates who have to leave the testing room to take a break will not be given extra time on the exams.

•   Candidates cannot leave the testing center during a break.

•   Accessing your mobile phone or study materials after your arrival at the testing center or during breaks is prohibited.

•   Smoking is prohibited at the testing center and during breaks.

•   Religious headwear can be worn into the testing room; however, it may be subject to inspection by a TCA before entry into the testing room is permitted.

•   All exams are monitored and may be recorded in both audio and video format.

•   Prometric will provide lockers for exam candidates to store their purses, cell phones, jackets, food, drinks, and medical supplies.

How Exams Are Scored

The SHRM certification exams are designed to distinguish candidates who have the appropriate levels of competency and knowledge from those who do not.

Your performance on the certification exam is measured against a predetermined standard. The SHRM-CP standard is the level of competency and knowledge that can be reasonably expected of individuals with basic competence in HR management. The SHRM-SCP standard is the level of competency and knowledge that can be reasonably expected of individuals with senior-level competence in HR management.

Your performance is not measured against the performance of other individuals taking the test. Thus, if everyone who takes the test meets the knowledge and competency standards, everyone will pass.

The passing scores for the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams are set using the Modified Angoff method, a best-practice procedure setting performance standards for certification, licensure, and admissions tests.¹²

Candidates will receive a provisional on-screen pass/did not pass decision at the testing center upon completion of the exam. An electronic version of the provisional report will be e-mailed to the address provided when scheduling the exam. Approximately 3 to 4 weeks after sitting for the exam, candidates will receive an e-mail directing them to retrieve their official results from the SHRM online portal. Those who pass their exam will be able to download a PDF file of their certificate.

Official test results will be sent by postal mail to the primary address in the candidate’s online account. To protect confidentiality, results are not provided by e-mail, phone, or fax.

Candidates who pass the exam receive an official score report plus a credential certificate and a lapel pin. The report confirms that they passed the exam, successfully completing the certification process.

Candidates who do not pass the exam receive an official score report with their actual score, plus a diagnostic report outlining their performance. This information is provided to help candidates decide whether to retake the exam and how to prepare.

Chapter Review

Human resource management has evolved over the years into a complex, multidimensional endeavor with expansive global as well as domestic implications. The need to establish competency in today’s world requires HR professionals to apply both knowledge and behavioral competencies in order to carry out their responsibilities. The SHRM-Certified Professional (CP) and SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SCP) certification credentials are designed to test and validate the HR professional’s capabilities at all levels in order to meet today’s requirements on a global scale.

References

1.   The SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge (BoCK), Introduction, page 1.

2.   The SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge (BoCK), Development of the SHRM BoCK, page 4.

3.   BoCK, Competency Definitions, page 4.

4.   The SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge (BoCK), HR Expertise, page 32.

5.   SHRM Certification Handbook, The SHRM Certification Commission, page 26.

6.   SHRM Certification Handbook, The SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge, page 4.

7.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Exam Eligibility Criteria, page 5.

8.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Application Deadlines and Exam Windows, page 107.

9.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Preparing for the Exam, page 15.

10.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Exam Content Outline, page 16.

11.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Taking the Exam, page 18.

12.   SHRM Certification Handbook, Test Results, page 21.