Become a CHRP

Get Started: The CHRP designation path

  • In This Section:

  • As of January 1, 2013, The CHRP Designation Will Require an Experience Requirement

    The CHRP Experience Requirement is a formal step in earning one’s CHRP designation requiring candidates to demonstrate three or more years of professional experience in human resources within the last ten years. HR experience is already a prerequisite in some provincial associations and will be required in all provinces as of January 1, 2013.

    Experience has always been an integral component in achieving one’s CHRP designation. This requirement simply asks HR practitioners to demonstrate their ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained from their formal education and experience to a workplace environment. HR practitioners need to demonstrate that they have worked in a position (or positions) that require a cultivated knowledge and a professional level of responsibility in HR for a minimum of three years. Additionally, experience must have been gained within the last ten years.

    HR practitioners can work toward the Experience Requirement in any sector of the economy: industry, government, public practice, professional associations, education, healthcare, or not-for-profits – essentially anywhere that has a human resources management function.

    For more information on the Experience Requirement and on earning your CHRP designation, please review specific provincial requirements by visiting your Member Association site.

    Reminder: As of January 1, 2011 There is a NEW DEGREE REQUIREMENT for CHRP Designation

    As of January 1, 2011, CHRP Candidates – those who have passed the National Knowledge Exam® (NKE) - will require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university to register for the National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA) and qualify for the CHRP designation.

    In some provinces, the degree requirement varies, or additional requirements may be applicable. Click here for more information on what this change means for you.

    Now that you have discovered the advantages and benefits of pursuing the CHRP designation, what’s next?

    The steps below will lead you on your journey towards obtaining the designation:

    There are three important steps to achieve a CHRP designation:

    • Step 1 – Application for Association Membership

      Join a CHRP designation granting HR association within the province or territory where you reside. If there is no association where you reside, you can obtain membership in the provincial HR association of your choice.

      Prior to writing the national exam(s), you must first meet the prerequisites set by your provincial HR association. Your provincial HR association will provide details regarding membership categories, exam prerequisites or other eligibility requirements for registration.
       
    • Step 2 – Pass the National Knowledge Exam® (NKE)
      The National Knowledge Exam® (NKE) is an exam that tests your academic knowledge of the HR Body of Knowledge. The exam contains 150 multiple-choice questions.

      Important: Cost – $250* plus applicable taxes per sitting. Fees are subject to change without notice at the discretion of CCHRA. Click here to confirm the exam dates and registration deadlines.
       
    • Step 3 – Pass the National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA) 


    Please note: In Quebec and Ontario, it is not necessary for HR professionals to write the NPPA. Please contact the appropriate provincial HR association for more information about the process in those provinces.

    The National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA) is a multiple-choice, scenario-based exam that tests your judgment of situations related to the HR Body of Knowledge. Consisting of 65 incidents, 5 of which are included for pretest only and not counted towards the exam writers’ score, CHRP Candidates are tested on their ability to apply theory and knowledge to scenarios typically encountered by HR professionals, and must identify the one course of action that would be selected by an effective HR professional.

    Candidates should have at least three to five years of practical experience in human resources management prior to writing the exam. In order to obtain certification, the NPPA must be written within five years of passing the NKE.

    Important: Cost – $500* plus applicable taxes per sitting. Fees are subject to change without notice at the discretion of CCHRA. Click here to confirm the testing dates and registration deadlines.