HRPA will continue with the hybrid delivery model for the CHRP and CHRL Employment Law Exams. If you are planning to write either the CHRP Employment Law Exam (CHRP-ELE) or the CHRL Employment Law Exam (CHRL-ELE), you have the choice of writing the exam remotely via an online delivery module, or – if you prefer at a test centres in your area – in-person.
Online Exams
HRPA’s exams are currently delivered by Prometric via computer-based testing and this partnership was expanded to include online delivery through a secure remote proctoring system – ProProctor.
Click here to learn more about online examinations.
Registration for the CHRP or CHRL Employment Law Exam involves a simple three-step process:
- Establish your eligibility with HRPA; eligibility means being an active registrant who is approved for the Public Register and who has passed either the CHRP Knowledge Exam or the CHRL Knowledge Exam (*If you have not met the eligibility requirement you will not be permitted to register for the exam)
- Register and make payment for the exam with HRPA.
- Schedule your date, time and location directly on Prometric’s website. You will be given the option of either scheduling your exam at a test centre or through remote proctoring.
NOTE: Register early to ensure you obtain a seat in your preferred city/location or your preferred time if you are testing remotely.
Registrants are encouraged to review the Guide to HRPA’s Certification Exams and Exam Candidate Handbook here.
2024 Employment Law Exam Schedule
| Exam | Registration | Registration Deadline | Withdrawal Deadline | Exam Testing Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHRP Employment Law Exam | Closed | February 6, 2024 | 14 calendar days from exam appointment date | February 6 – 20, 2024 |
| CHRL Employment Law Exam | Closed | March 12, 2024 | 14 calendar days from exam appointment date | March 12 – 26, 2024 |
| CHRP Employment Law Exam | Open as of May 1, 2024 | September 3, 2024 | 14 calendar days from exam appointment date | September 3 – 17, 2024 |
| CHRL Employment Law Exam | Open as of June 1, 2024 | September 24, 2024 | 14 calendar days from exam appointment date | September 24 – October 8, 2024 |
Please Note: There are specific eligibility requirements for the exams that must be met in order to complete the registration process.
Registrants are encouraged to review the Guide to HRPA’s Certification Exams and Exam Candidate Handbook which outlines requirements.
Once you log into your profile, the “register online” button will only appear on the exam registration page and be enabled for use if you have met all eligibility requirements. If this button does not appear, please verify that you meet all requirements.
If you believe you have met all requirements but still require assistance with registration, please contact our Exam Team within HRPA’s Office of the Registrar at exams@hrpa.ca.
Exam Content and Delivery
The CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam will consist of 110 questions, 8-12 of which are test questions that will not count toward your final score. These test questions are scattered randomly throughout the exam. The format of the exam will be multiple-choice based on scenarios, with only one correct answer. The time allotment for the exam is 3 hours and 30 minutes. The exam is available in French upon request.
The CHRP and the CHRL Employment Law Exams will be divided into 2 content sections. You will be permitted to take one 15-minute break between content section 1 and content section 2. This is the only break permitted during the exam.
| Category Weight | Topic Weight | Topic | Sub-Topic Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46% | A. | Employment Contracts & Terminations | ||
| 28% | A1. | Termination | ||
| A1.1 | Termination with or without cause | 8% | ||
| A1.2 | Termination pay, termination notice, and pay in lieu of notice | 6% | ||
| A1.3 | Continuation of benefits to employee after termination | 5% | ||
| A1.4 | Severance pay entitlements | 5% | ||
| A1.5 | What type of income is considered part of terminated employee's salary | 2% | ||
| A1.6 | Whether or not it is legal to lay off an employee | 1% | ||
| A1.7 | When and how to lay off an employee | 1% | ||
| 11% | A2. | Contracts | ||
| A2.1 | Contracts and employment agreements | 9% | ||
| A2.2 | Collective bargaining contracts | 2% | ||
| 7% | A3. | Employee Benefits and Perquisites | ||
| A3.1 | Vacation time, vacation pay and bonuses | 5% | ||
| A3.2 | Misunderstanding overtime exemptions | 2% | ||
| 33% | B. | Employer Obligations | ||
| 16% | B1. | Duty to Accommodate | ||
| B1.1 | Mental health or physical disabilities | 9% | ||
| B1.2 | Discriminatory grounds (such as family status, age, marital status, etc.) | 5% | ||
| B1.3 | The duty to accommodate until undue hardship (the threshold) | 2% | ||
| 9% | B2. | Misconduct in the Workplace | ||
| B2.1 | Dealing with harassment and violence in the workplace | 5% | ||
| B2.2 | HR professional approach to dealing with discipline | 2% | ||
| B2.3 | Workplace investigations | 2% | ||
| 6% | B3. | Common Law | ||
| B3.1 | Including consideration of Common Law principles | 5% | ||
| B3.2 | Employers' obligations under Common Law | 1% | ||
| 2% | B4. | Sale of Business | ||
| B4.1 | The effects of the sale of the business | 2% | ||
| 21% | | C. | Regulations and Legislation | |
| 10% | C1. | Employment Standards Act | ||
| C1.1 | How to properly interpret the Employment Standards Act, 2000 | 5% | ||
| C1.2 | Probation period under Employment Standards Act, 2000 | 2% | ||
| C1.3 | Different leaves permitted under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 | 2% | ||
| C1.4 | Employers' obligations under Employment Standards Act, 2000 | 1% | ||
| 4% | C2. | Occupational Health and Safety Act | ||
| C2.1 | Making policies that are compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990 | 2% | ||
| C2.2 | Ministry of Labour's rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990 | 2% | ||
| 4% | C3. | Jurisdiction | ||
| C3.1 | The difference between federal and provincial legislations | 2% | ||
| C3.2 | Determining governing legislation when the organization is interprovincial | 2% | ||
| 2% | C4. | Pay Equity Act | ||
| C4.1 | Application of Pay Equity Act, 1990 | 2% | ||
| 1% | C5. | Canada Labour Code | ||
| C5.1 | Employers' obligations under Canada Labour Code | 1% |
Examination Accommodations Policy
If you require accommodations to write the CHRP or CHRL Employment Law Exam, HRPA has developed an Examination Accommodations Policy to provide reasonable testing accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. Reasonable accommodation refers to any adjustment to the examination materials or testing environment that permits a qualified applicant with a disability to perform without undue hardship to the institution providing accommodation. Documented disabilities are those for which there is a diagnosis by a qualified professional.
The purpose of accommodations is to provide equity, not advantage. Any requested modification that would substantially alter essential elements of the examination will not be granted.
To request accommodations for your examination, please complete the Examination Accommodations Request Form and submit it to exams@hrpa.ca for review. This form, as well as supporting documentation, must be received at least 20 calendar days from the first day of the testing window you are writing into allow for sufficient time to review and implement your accommodations.
For information regarding HRPA’s Privacy Policy on Examination Accommodations, please click here.
May 20, 2021 – Examination Accommodations Policy and Process
Webinar Recording
Presentation Slides
Cancellation, Withdrawal and Reschedule Policy
All requests for withdrawals must be sent to HRPA using the Exam Withdrawal Form (PDF).
If you no longer wish to write a scheduled exam, you have the option to cancel your exam registration and withdraw from the sitting. Withdrawals from the exam are permitted up to fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the examination appointment date. All exam withdrawals are subject to a $65.00 + HST administration fee that will be deducted from the refund issued
Withdrawals are not permitted less than fourteen (14) calendar days from the scheduled examination date. Registrants requesting to withdraw less than fourteen (14) calendar days from the scheduled examination date will forfeit their fees.
In certain extenuating circumstances (such as illness or bereavement) the withdrawal fee may be waived at HRPA’s discretion. Supporting documentation must be submitted along with the Exam Withdrawal Form.
Individuals who do not show up for the exam will be considered “no-shows” and will forfeit the full exam fee.
Alternatively, you can reschedule your exam date, appointment time or location within the same exam window, as long as you do so more than two full calendar days before your scheduled appointment time. However, a $50.00 fee will be charged to you if you reschedule your exam date, time or location less than 29 calendar days of the scheduled exam date and time. Rescheduling is not possible within two calendar days of your scheduled exam date and time.
To change your exam date, time or location please use the reschedule/cancel option on the Prometric website or contact Prometric’s automated voice response system at: 1-800-369-6268 (in North America) or Prometric’s Regional Registration Centre (outside of North America); available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Exam Results
The CHRP Employment Law Exam and the CHRL Employment Law Exam results will be released via email approximately 3 – 4 weeks from the end of the testing window. The exact date and time will be communicated to all exam writers via email together with instructions on how to access the results online in their HRPA profile. Members and students must ensure that the email address HRPA has on file is up to date and that their email provider recognizes HRPA as a safe source for emails. Results cannot be released over the phone.
If you experienced an incident during your exam session, it must be indicated on the post-exam survey you are asked to complete at the end of the exam, and you should also email the Office of the Registrar with your concerns within 7 days of your exam date. No action will be taken by HRPA with respect to any potential incident once exam results have been released.
| CHRP Employment Law Exam (ELE 1) | Candidates | Exam Out Of | Cut Score | Cut Score % | Pass Rate | Mode of administration | Technical Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 2022 | 140 | 102 | 57 | 56% | 0.95 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report - Jan 2022 |
| Mar. 2022 | 120 | 102 | 58 | 57% | 0.95 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report - Mar 2022 |
| Sept. 2022 | 209 | 102 | 55 | 54% | 0.95 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Sept 2022 |
| Feb. 2023 | 229 | 101 | 53 | 52% | 0.95 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Feb 2022 |
| Sept. 2023 | 223 | 102 | 56 | 55% | 0.95 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Sept 2023 |
| CHRL Employment Law Exam (ELE 2) | Candidates | Exam Out Of | Cut Score | Cut Score % | Pass Rate | Mode of administration | Technical Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 2022 | 142 | 101 | 62 | 61% | 0.85 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Jan 2022 |
| Mar. 2022 | 152 | 102 | 64 | 62% | 0.82 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report - Mar 2022 |
| Sept. – Oct. 2022 | 227 | 102 | 64 | 62% | 0.86 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Sept/Oct 2022 |
| Mar. 2023 | 216 | 102 | 64 | 62% | 0.89 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report - Mar 20223 |
| Sept. – Oct. 2023 | 204 | 102 | 66 | 64% | 0.85 | Dual modality delivery | Technical Report – Sept/Oct 2023 |
CHRP and CHRL Employment Law Exam Prep Program
HRPA offers an online, self-paced prep program for the CHRP Employment Law Exam and the CHRL Employment Law Exam – consisting of audible, downloadable review narratives, timed exam simulations, and a glossary of HR law terms. Both programs also feature a Q&A facility monitored by HR faculty. The programs have been authored for HRPA and are delivered by Captus Press. Learn More/Register
CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam FAQ
What do the employment law exams test?
The CHRP and CHRL Employment Law exams will test your ability to correctly apply the knowledge of employment and workplace law to various situations.
Should I write the CHRP Employment Law Exam or the CHRL Employment Law Exam?
If you are pursuing the CHRP designation and have passed the CHRP Knowledge Exam, you need to pass the CHRP Employment Law exam; if you are pursuing the CHRL designation and have passed the CHRL Knowledge Exam, you need to pass the CHRL Employment Law exam.
Note: The CHRL Employment Law exam is valid for both the CHRP and CHRL designations. However, you must have passed the CHRL Knowledge Exam to be eligible to write the CHRL Employment Law exam.
How are the CHRP Employment Law exam and the CHRL Employment Law exam different?
While both employment law exams have the same format, same number of questions and same test blueprint, they have independent standard setting processes, which means that the cut-score of each exam may differ from the other. The cut-score is determined after each exam administration, so the cut-score for each exam is never known before the actual exam sitting.
When will the exam be administered and what is the length of the exams?
Please consult the exam schedule above for the upcoming testing window dates. The time allotment for the exams is 3.5 hours.
Who is eligible to write the exam?
Active registrants who have passed the CHRP Knowledge Exam are eligible to write the CHRP Employment Law Exam. Active registrants who have passed the CHRL Knowledge Exam are eligible to write the CHRL Employment Law.
Note: The CHRL Employment Law exam is valid for both the CHRP and CHRL designations. To be eligible to write the CHRL Employment Law exam you are required to have passed the CHRL Knowledge Exam.
How much does it cost to write the exam?
The fees for HRPA’s certification exams can be found here.
How long are the exam results valid?
The exam results are valid for 10 years.
How should I study for the exam?
The employment law exams do not cover new ground. Employment and workplace law was always part of the coursework requirement. Some HR programs do have a separate employment law course whereas other HR programs have chosen to distribute different aspects of workplace and employment law in their relevant functional area courses.