To earn the right to use the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation or the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation, applicants must have a sufficient foundation of HR discipline-specific knowledge. Because coursework is the main way to meet this requirement, it is known as the ‘coursework’ requirement.
The coursework requirement must be met before an individual may be deemed eligible to write the CHRP Knowledge Exam or the CHRL Knowledge Exam – meaning you will not be able to register for the exams until HRPA has confirmed that you have met the coursework requirement.
Currently, for both the CHRP and CHRL designations, the coursework requirement is the same and there are two ways of meeting the requirement: the course-by-course approach and the Alternate Route. For information about the Alternate Route, please click here.
The Course-by-Course Approach
The coursework requirement consists of successful completion of courses in nine subject areas:
- HR Management
- Compensation
- Labour Relations/Industrial Relations
- Finance & Accounting
- HR Planning
- Recruitment & Selection
- Training & Development
- Organizational Behaviour
- Occupational Health & Safety
HRPA has approved courses at most colleges and universities in Ontario. To determine whether specific courses are approved, please use our School Search Tool. If you completed courses outside of Ontario, please refer to our Course Approval Process for assistance.
Successful completion means obtaining a grade of 70% or better overall in the nine subject areas with no single course mark below 65%. If the educational institution at which you completed your courses uses letter grades, HRPA will refer to the numerical equivalency of your letter grade specified by the educational institution. HRPA will take the highest number in the numerical range as the mark achieved. This also applies to courses for which you were granted an exemption. The original course grade on which the exemption is based must be at least 65%.
Submitting your Transcript and Fees
If you are using the course-by-course method to meet the coursework requirement, please have your academic institution email your transcript directly to exams@hrpa.ca. HRPA does not accept transcripts submitted by email from outside of the academic institution. Transcripts must come directly from the academic institution. HRPA has allowed for the submission of transcripts by email, in response to our office closure and the closures of academic institutions. For more information on HRPA’s updated Transcript Submission Policy, please click here.
For the cost to complete the assessment of your transcript(s), please click here. This is a one-time fee and covers the assessment of all subsequent transcripts. You can pay for the assessment here. In order to pay for the assessment, as well as to have your transcript assessed, please note that active membership is required.
We will send you an email confirmation when your transcript has been received. The assessment of your transcript will then take approximately 10 to 15 business days to complete. Once the assessment has been completed, an email with the results of the assessment will be sent to you, with further instructions on how to proceed.
Challenge Exams
Challenge Exams are akin to a 2-hour final exam in each of the nine subject areas. They enable an applicant to achieve credit in a required subject area without taking or retaking a course by assessing their academic or experiential knowledge. The passing grade for a Challenge Exam is 65%. To prepare for a Challenge Exam, please download the Challenge Exam Study Guide. Results are released within 2-3 weeks of the Challenge Exam dates.
The only prerequisite for writing a Challenge Exam is that you are an active HRPA registrant. For the cost to register for a Challenge Exam, please click here. Challenge Exams are currently offered through Captus and proctored by Meazure/ProctorU, which administers the exams online on behalf of HRPA.
Challenge Exam Schedule
2025 Challenge Examinations
| Registration | Registration Deadline | Withdrawal Deadline | Exam Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register | January 17, 2025 | 7 calendar days from exam appointment time | January 20-24, 2025 |
| TBA | March 21, 2025 | 7 calendar days from exam appointment time | March 24-28, 2025 |
| TBA | August 8, 2025 | 7 calendar days from exam appointment time | August 11-15, 2025 |
| TBA | October 17, 2025 | 7 calendar days from exam appointment time | October 20-24, 2025 |
Please note:
In order to use the Meazure/ProctorU online proctoring service, your computer and exam writing environment must meet certain requirements. More information will be provided by Captus upon registration.
On the exam date, please ensure that you have a valid non-expired government-issued photo identification. This is a closed book exam, so no papers, texts or materials are permitted.
You can reschedule your exam to a different date and time within the same exam window up until three days in advance of your scheduled exam date without incurring a rescheduling charge. If you want to reschedule within less than 72 hours, an on-demand fee will apply. Rescheduling must be completed on the Meazure/ProctorU website.
You can also withdraw from a Challenge Exam with a full refund (minus an administrative fee) up until seven calendar days before your scheduled exam date. For the cost of the administrative fee, please click here. Withdrawal requests must be submitted by email to exams@hrpa.ca and you must also cancel your appointment on Examity’s website. If you do not officially withdraw from a Challenge Exam, your registration dues will be forfeit.
If you require accommodations to write a Challenge Exam, HRPA has developed an Examination Accommodations Policy to provide reasonable testing accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. To request accommodations, please complete the Examination Accommodations Request Form and send it to exams@hrpa.ca for review.
For information regarding HRPA’s Privacy Policy on Examination Accommodations, please click here.
If you have questions regarding the coursework requirement, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@hrpa.ca or book an appointment to speak with someone from the Office of the Registrar by phone.