The current SHRM exam format is 134 multiple-choice questions with 3 hours and 40 minutes of testing time. Both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP use two separately timed 110-minute sections. The 134 questions include 80 stand-alone knowledge items and 54 situational judgment items; 24 of the 134 are unscored field-test items mixed into the exam.
SHRM describes the full appointment as four hours because administrative steps sit outside the 220 minutes of question time. The current exams are computer-based and delivered in person at authorized Prometric test centers. This structure is the same for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP, although the two exams assess candidates at different proficiency levels.
How many questions are on the SHRM exam?
The SHRM-CP exam and the SHRM-SCP exam each contain 134 total questions. According to the 2026 SHRM Certification Handbook, the total is divided by question type as follows:
- 80 stand-alone knowledge-based questions that assess understanding or application of factual information.
- 54 scenario-based situational judgment items that assess judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making in realistic workplace situations.
- 24 unscored field-test items included within the 134-question total, not added on top of it.
Because 24 questions are unscored, 110 questions contribute to the scoring calculation. Candidates cannot tell which items are field-test questions: SHRM randomly mixes them with scored items. Treat every question as scored and answer every item before leaving its section.
Older descriptions of 170 total questions, 134 scored questions, and 36 field-test questions are not the current SHRM-CP exam format or SHRM-SCP exam format. Those numbers should not be used to set practice-test length or pacing.
How long is the SHRM exam?
Candidates receive 3 hours and 40 minutes of actual testing time, divided into two 110-minute sections. SHRM's current SHRM-CP exam page and SHRM-SCP exam page describe the appointment as four hours in length, including the 3 hours and 40 minutes used to answer questions.
The 2026 handbook's testing-time table allocates the four-hour appointment this way:
- Confidentiality reminder: 2 minutes.
- Introduction and tutorial: 10 minutes.
- Exam Section 1: up to 110 minutes.
- Exam Section 2: up to 110 minutes.
- Survey: 8 minutes.
The two exam sections are separate and independently timed. Finishing Section 1 early does not transfer unused minutes to Section 2. Time used for the tutorial also does not increase question time.
Across all 134 questions, 220 minutes works out to about 98 seconds per question. That is an average rather than a target for every item. Stand-alone knowledge questions may take less time, while scenario-based items can require more reading. SHRM's certification team recommends practicing with mixed sets so candidates learn how to redistribute that average without losing control of the section clock.
How are the two SHRM exam sections organized?
Each section contains 67 questions and allows up to 110 minutes. SHRM's current exam guidance explains that candidates may review and flag questions while they remain in the active section. Before submitting a section, the platform indicates whether any items are unanswered or flagged.
Once Section 1 is submitted and the candidate moves forward, the section is final. You cannot return to Section 1 from Section 2. The same rule applies when Section 2 is submitted. SHRM uses multiple confirmation steps before closing a section, but the practical preparation rule is simple: complete your review and answer every item before advancing.
A full-length practice session should mirror those boundaries. Two 67-question blocks are more useful than one unrestricted 134-question block because they train the no-return rule and the separate countdown timers. The SHRM-CP practice-test readiness guide explains how to review timing and error patterns without inventing a passing percentage.
What question types appear on SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP?
Both exams use knowledge items and situational judgment items. The item distribution is the same for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. The difference is the level at which the content is assessed: SHRM-CP centers on operational HR work, while SHRM-SCP centers on strategic HR work.
What are knowledge items?
The 80 stand-alone knowledge-based questions include two official categories. HR-specific knowledge items cover key concepts in the HR Knowledge Domains. Foundational knowledge items cover concepts that support the Behavioral Competency Clusters. Each item asks the candidate to select one correct answer; SHRM awards credit for the correct selection and no credit otherwise.
Knowledge-item preparation should therefore include recall and application. A candidate may need to recognize a concept, distinguish two related concepts, or apply factual information to a short prompt. These are not all simple definition questions, and SHRM does not promise a fixed time per item.
What are situational judgment items?
The 54 situational judgment items present realistic work-related scenarios and ask the candidate to choose the best available action. SHRM notes that more than one approach might work in an actual workplace, but the exam awards credit only for the best or most effective response among the choices.
These questions assess judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making in relation to the SHRM BASK. They require careful reading because the candidate must respond to the facts given rather than add assumptions. For focused practice, use the SHRM situational judgment item guide alongside the site's free SHRM practice questions.
What are field-test questions?
The exam includes 24 unscored field-test items so SHRM can evaluate questions before using them as scored items on future exams. They look like other exam questions and are randomly mixed throughout the test. Your answers to those 24 items do not affect the score, but there is no reliable way to identify them during the appointment.
Field-test status is separate from question type. A field-test item may appear among the knowledge or situational judgment questions. Do not assume an unfamiliar or unusually difficult item is unscored.
Does the SHRM exam include a break?
There is no scheduled, clock-stopping break. SHRM's current exam options and fees page permits one optional break of up to 15 minutes, but the active section clock continues to run. The handbook likewise states that candidates may leave the testing room for a break, may not leave the testing facility, and remain subject to testing rules throughout the break.
A break therefore uses time from one of the 110-minute sections. Plan it into a timed simulation if you expect to take one. Do not build a study plan around receiving 15 additional minutes between sections.
How is the SHRM exam scored?
Only 110 of the 134 questions contribute to the score, and SHRM reports results on a 120-to-200 scaled-score range. The 2026 handbook says the exams measure candidates against predetermined competency and knowledge standards rather than against one another. SHRM sets those standards using the Modified Angoff method.
The current handbook also states that every candidate who passes receives the maximum scaled score of 200. That makes older advice about targeting a reported score of 150, 160, or another unofficial cutoff unsuitable for the current exam. SHRM does not provide a simple raw-correct percentage that candidates can apply to a third-party practice test.
At the end of the appointment, the testing center provides a preliminary pass/did-not-pass decision. SHRM says the official Candidate Score and Feedback Report is placed in the candidate's SHRM Certification Portal approximately two to three weeks later. The report includes the official result and diagnostic information for the Behavioral Competency Clusters and HR Knowledge Domains.
What happens during the Prometric testing process?
The 2026 SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams are taken in person on a computer at an authorized Prometric testing center. After SHRM approves an application, the candidate receives an Authorization to Test letter with scheduling instructions. Remote proctoring is not listed as a current testing option.
The handbook requires an original, unexpired government-issued photo ID with a signature. The identifying information must match the ATT letter. A secondary ID is necessary only when the primary ID is missing a required photo or signature; the secondary ID must supply the missing element and use the same name.
Prometric provides lockers for personal items. Phones, smartwatches, tablets, study materials, and other prohibited devices cannot be accessed after check-in, during the test, or during a break. Candidates may be asked to turn out their pockets and pass a security screening. The test appointment then proceeds through the confidentiality reminder, tutorial, two exam sections, and survey before the preliminary result is issued.
How should your preparation match the current SHRM exam format?
Practice in two separately timed 67-question sections, and make every item count. A prep source that still describes 170 questions, four hours of uninterrupted question time, 36 field-test items, or at-home remote testing is training you for an outdated process.
- Use 110 minutes as the hard limit for each 67-question practice section.
- Review flagged and unanswered items before closing the section, then do not return to it.
- Mix knowledge and situational judgment items instead of drilling only one type.
- Include any planned break inside the 110-minute clock rather than pausing the timer.
- Review error patterns by question type and content area, not by an invented pass-score percentage.
The 90-day SHRM-CP study plan organizes content review and timed practice around the current structure. The SHRM-CP Study Guide PDF adds BASK-aligned review, practice explanations, a 134-question practice exam, and a section-based study schedule. For interactive review of difficult scenarios, the native SHRM AI tutor can help you compare response choices and explain the reasoning behind a decision.