2017

Guide to the CHRP

Designation
HRPA | OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
GUIDE TO THE CHRP

The Human Resources Professionals Associaton (HRPA) is the regulatory authority for human resource
(HR) professionals in Ontario. The overarching objectve of HRPAs certfcaton processes is to ensure
that HR professionals who are certfed by HRPA possess sufcient knowledge and skills to perform
important occupatonal actvites at a level of competence that is required to protect the public interest.
There are a number of interests to balance in setng the certfcaton standard. Its important to exclude
individuals who are deemed not qualifed to do the work, but the standards must not be so strict as to
unduly restrain the right of qualifed individuals to ofer their services to employers or clients.

HRPAs Ofce of the Registrar is the contact point for all maters relatng to certfcaton. Should you
have any questons, please contact the Ofce of the Registrar.

Please note that HR is not a licensed profession in Canada. As such, being a registrant of HRPA and/or
holding a designaton are not prerequisites for working in HR.

AN OVERVIEW OF HRPAS CERTIFICATION PROCESSES

HRPA ofers three core designatons to meet the needs of HR professionals at each level of their career:

Entry Level Professional Level Executive Level

Certified Human Certified Human Certified Human

Resources Professional Resources Leader Resources Executive
(CHRP) (CHRL) (Formerly the (CHRE) (Formerly the
CHRP Designation) SHRP Designation)

The Certfed Human Resources Professional (CHRP) is the entry level designaton. Human Resources
professionals at entry level act in roles that are mostly administratve in nature, such as a contributng
role in a larger HR functon, or a sole HR practtoner in a small HR functon. Individuals at this level
would have responsibilites such as supportng HR initatves, executng tasks passed down from
management, and operatng at the tactcal and transactonal levels. They ofen have ttles such as
Human Resources Assistant, Stafng Coordinator, Human Resources Clerk, or Human Resources
Coordinator.

Completon of the CHRP requirements confers the right to use the ttle Certfed Human Resources
Professional and the right to use the initals CHRP afer your name.

The Certfed Human Resources Leader (CHRL) is the professional level designaton. Completon of the
CHRL requirements confers the right to use the ttle Certfed Human Resources Leader and the right to
use the initals CHRL afer your name. For more informaton about this designaton, please visit the CHRL
secton of our website.
The Certfed Human Resources Executve (CHRE) is the executve level designaton. Completon of the
CHRE requirements confers the right to use the ttle Certfed Human Resources Executve and the right
to use the initals CHRE afer your name. For more informaton about this designaton, please visit the
CHRE secton of our website.

Use of designaton
Certfed Human Resources Professional, Certfed Human Resources Leader and Certfed Human
Resources Executve are protected ttles under the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act,
2013. It is an ofence to use the CHRP, CHRL or CHRE if you are not a designated member of HRPA.

CHRP DESIGNATION REQUIREMENTS

The foundaton of HRPAs certfcaton framework are the Registered Human Resources Professionals
Act, 2013 and the HRPA By-laws.

There are fve requirements to obtain the CHRP designaton:

Actve HRPA registraton in good standing

Successful completon of the coursework requirement

Successful completon of either Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 1 or Comprehensive

Knowledge Exam 2
Successful completon of either the CHRP Employment Law exam (Jurisprudence 1) or the CHRL
Employment Law exam (Jurisprudence 2)
Successful completon of the Job Ready Program

The frst two requirements are interchangeable in sequence meaning you can complete your courses
frst and then become an actve registrant of HRPA or vice versa. All other requirements have to be
completed in sequence once the registraton and the coursework requirements have been met.

Once you have been granted the CHRP designaton, the requirements for maintaining the designaton
are as follows:

Maintain your actve registraton in good standing with HRPA annually

Meet the ongoing contnuing professional development (CPD) requirement

For an overview of any fees related to a certfcaton requirement, please take a look at the Ofce of the
Registrar Price List.

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT
In order to obtain and maintain a designaton you need to be an actve registrant of HRPA. This
requirement follows directly from the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013 .
Professions require that the regulatory body have ongoing jurisdicton over its registrants. HRPA
registrants are bound by HRPAs Rules of Professional Conduct and are subject to discipline by
the Associaton.

HRPAs registraton year runs from June 1 to May 31 each year. Fees are pro-rated, ensuring that new
registrants who join throughout the registraton year do not pay for months that have already passed.
Please visit the Member Centre secton of our website for more informaton about types of registraton,
fees, and to become an actve registrant of HRPA.

In order to be admited as an actve registrant, you must:

1. Meet the criteria for a category of registraton;

2. Complete an applicaton form including questons related to good character;
3. Atest that you have read and agree to abide by the Act, HRPAs By-laws and the Rules of
Professional Conduct; and
4. Pay registraton dues.

COURSEWORK REQUIREMENT
The purpose of the coursework requirement is to ensure that potental CHRPs have the required
discipline-specifc knowledge foundaton that CHRPs must possess. Formal training requirements are
also a fundamental aspect of what it means to be a profession.

While formal training is the best way to acquire foundatonal knowledge and skills in HR, HRPA actually
ofers two ways to meet the coursework requirement for the CHRP: the course-by-course approach or
the Alternate Route.

 Coursework Requirement

Course-by-course Alternate Route

The course-by-course approach to fulflling the coursework requirement

The course-by-course approach to meetng the coursework requirement consists of successful
completon of courses in nine subject areas which form the core curriculum in HR :

Human Resources Management

Organizatonal Behaviour
Finance and Accountng
Human Resources Planning
Occupatonal Health and Safety
Training and Development
Labour Relatons
Recruitment and Selecton
Compensaton

There are various ways of getng credit for these nine courses:

Successful completon of approved courses ofered by colleges and universites across

Ontario;
Successful completon of courses ofered through HRPAs Online Academic Program;
Achievement of equivalent score on HRPA challenge exams; or
Any combinaton of the above.

Courses must be completed within 10 years before writng the knowledge exam in order to be
considered for eligibility.

HRPA maintains a School Search Tool which lists all courses that have been approved by HRPA at each
school. Individuals may fnd that the course codes listed in HRPAs list of approved courses do not match
their course codes. The list of approved courses includes the most recent informaton provided to HRPA.
The course code may also refer to a course that was approved in the past but is no longer ofered by the
school. If your course codes do not match the course codes listed on the website, please contact the
Ofce of the Registrar.

Required grades

HRPA requires that an average of 70% or beter is achieved across all nine courses with no single course
grade below 65%.

Some courses are approved as course combinatons due to how a school has structured its courses. This
means that more than one course would need to be completed to meet the course requirement for that
subject area, which is indicated with a + sign in our School Search Tool. Where courses are approved as
a course combinaton, HRPA takes the average of the grades. The average for the course combinaton
needs to be a minimum of 65% to count towards meetng the coursework requirement.

Some schools use leter grades rather than numerical grades. Where leter grades are used, HRPA refers
to the numerical range assigned by the school to each leter grade. HRPA will accept the highest
numerical value within the assigned range.

Advanced standing/transfer credit granted for previous courses

HRPA accepts advanced standings or transfer credit for courses when they are granted by a school whose
HR courses are approved by HRPA. To be accepted, you must forward both an original transcript from the
school that granted the exempton and the school where the original course that the exempton was
based on was taken.

The original course on which the exempton was based must have been taken within the last 10 years
and the grade achieved must be at least 65%.

Credit for non-approved courses

The fact that a course does not appear on HRPAs list of approved courses does not necessarily mean
that the course cannot be counted towards the coursework requirement. If you have taken equivalent
courses in another jurisdicton, you can apply to have your courses approved by submitng a Course
Approval Applicaton form along with the required supportng documentaton to HRPA for review by the
Academic Standards Commitee.

Approval is based on two criteria:

1. That the course has a robust assessment or grading component; and

2. That the content of the course covers 80% or more of the required topics in the standard
course template.

You must be a registrant of HRPA if you wish to have your course(s) reviewed. Requests for review of
courses should be sent to the Ofce of the Registrar. Individuals who, for legitmate reasons, do not have
access to the documentaton required in the applicaton should contact HRPAs Ofce of the Registrar.

HRPA will only grant approval status to courses ofered by accredited educatonal insttutons. The
criteria that must be met for a course to be approved are available on the Course Approval secton of our
website.

HRPAs Online Academic Program

HRPAs Online Academic Program provides the courses required to meet the coursework requirement in
a convenient, online format. Please note that HRPA is not an educatonal insttuton and we will not be
able to grant you a diploma or certfcate in HR upon completon of the courses via the Online Academic
Program. For more informaton please visit the Online Academic Program secton of our website.

Challenge exams

For the purposes of meetng HRPAs coursework requirement, an alternatve to specifc course
requirements are the challenge exams. Challenge exams are similar to a fnal exam in the subject. They
enable you to achieve credit in a required subject area without completng or re-taking a full academic
course, thereby creditng you for previous academic or experiental knowledge in a subject.

The challenge exam sitngs are typically held three tmes per year in February, May and September.
Challenge exams for all nine courses are ofered at each sitng, however a maximum of three subjects
can be writen per sitng.

Challenge exams are typically recommended when:

A course grade does not meet HRPA's minimum grade requirement
A course was taken more than 10 years ago
An individual has extensive job-related or academic experience in a subject area

Please review the Challenge Exam secton of our website for more informaton about the exams,
administraton, deferral and withdrawal policies.

The Alternate Route to fulflling the coursework requirement

The alternate routes for meetng the coursework requirement are intended for experienced HR
professionals or those with advanced educaton in HR. To provide the greatest flexibility, a points-based
system was developed. This system gives points for experience, formal training, coursework and other
relevant designations. Fifty points are needed to pass the Alternate Route and meet the coursework
requirement to be eligible to write either the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 1 or the Comprehensive
Knowledge Exam 2.

There are two streams for Alternate Route applicatons:

1. Educaton and HR Designatons

o No adjudicaton required, processed by the Ofce of the Registrar
o Can be submited at any tme

2. Educaton, HR Designatons and/or Experience

o Must be reviewed by a panel of the Experience Assessment Commitee (adjudicaton
required for the experience component)
o Deadline for submission is the last business day of each month

Detailed informaton about the Alternate Route streams and how to apply is available in the Alternate
Route secton of our website.

EXAM REQUIREMENT
The exam requirement was established to ensure that those individuals certfed by HRPA have the
requisite discipline-specifc knowledge to perform in human resources roles at the required level. The
exam requirement ensures that all individuals certfed by HRPA have the discipline-specifc knowledge
to perform as a human resources professional at the required level. There are no exceptons or
alternatves to the exam requirement. All individuals seeking to earn the CHRP designaton from HRPA
must pass the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 1 (CKE 1). Those individuals seeking the CHRL
designaton from HRPA must pass the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 2 (CKE 2).

Should you fail the knowledge exam, there are no limits on the number of tmes the exam may be re-
writen as long as you contnue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Please note: The knowledge exam required for the CHRP designaton is the Comprehensive Knowledge
Exam 1 (CKE 1). Because it is a higher level exam though, the knowledge exam required for the CHRL, the
Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 2 (CKE 2), can also be used to meet the exam requirement for the
CHRP.

The Comprehensive Knowledge Exam (CKE 1) and (CK E 2)

The CKE 1 is based on the HRPA Competency Framework which features nine functonal dimensions as it
relates to academic knowledge. Academic knowledge refers to basic facts, policies, practces, methods,
legislaton, etc. It is informaton that can be writen into procedures and transferred fairly accurately
during the learning process. Examples of academic knowledge include: the rights and responsibilites of
management and labour during union organizing and negotaton processes; the various methods of
training and developing staf; and human rights, employment equity and pay equity legislaton.

The CKE 1 and CKE 2 exam consist solely of multple choice questons. Detailed informaton about the
format, structure and content of the CKE 1 and CKE 2 is available on the CKE 1/CKE 2 Exam Central
secton of HRPAs website.

Applying for the exam

Startng in 2017, HRPA administers its exams, including the CKE 1, via computer-based testng (CBT) at
test centre locatons throughout the world. Test-takers will be able to schedule their exam tme within a
two-week window ofered three tmes a year. Upcoming registraton dates are available on the CKE
1/CKE 2 Exam Central secton of HRPAs website.

To register for an upcoming sitng of the exam you have to complete the following steps:

 1. Establish your eligibility with HRPA (be an actve registrant in good standing of HRPA and meet
the coursework requirement).
2. Register for the exam with HRPA.
3. Schedule your seat and testng window directly on the exam vendors site at:

www.prometric.com/hrpa.

For more informaton about registering for the exam and the applicable registraton fees please visit the
CKE 1/CKE 2 Exam Central secton of HRPAs website.

Accommodatons for disabilites

It is HRPAs policy to provide reasonable testng accommodatons for individuals with documented
disabilites. Reasonable accommodaton refers to any adjustment to the examinaton materials or testng
environment that permits a qualifed applicant with a disability to perform, without undue hardship to
the insttuton providing accommodaton. Documented disabilites are those for which there is a
diagnosis by a qualifed professional.

The purpose of accommodatons is to provide equity, not advantage. Any requested modifcaton that
would substantally alter essental elements of the examinaton will not be granted. As a general
principle, it is desirable to retain as much of the original examinaton materials and testng environment
and make the accommodatons specifc to the disability or disabilites in queston.

Please review HRPAs Accommodaton Policy for more informaton.

Confrmaton of Eligibility

Once you register for the exam with HRPA, you should receive a Confrmaton of Eligibility email within
48 hours. The email will provide you with informaton regarding what to bring to the exam, the security
measures in place, etc. The email will also include a link to Prometrics site to allow you to select your
testng locaton and seat.

Withdrawing from or rescheduling the exam

For informaton regarding HRPAs policy on withdrawing from or rescheduling the exam please refer to
HRPAs Exam Withdrawal Form.

Exam results

The exam results for the CKE 1 and CKE 2 exams are released via email approximately six weeks afer the
two-week exam window has closed.

Validity period of exam result

Once you have completed CKE 1 or CKE 2, your exam result is valid untl December 31 st ten years afer
you passed the exam. This means that you have to complete the CHRP or CHRL Employment Law Exam
and the Job Ready Program within that ten year tmeframe.

For more informaton about the exam please visit our CKE 1/CKE 2 Exam Central secton of HRPAs
website.

CHRP EMPLOYMENT LAW EXAM (JURISPRUDENCE)

The CHRP Employment Law exam assesses your understanding of the applicable employment law
legislaton in Ontario. Specifcally, the CHRP Employment Law exam will test the ability to correctly apply
the knowledge of employment and workplace law to various situatons.

Please note: The employment law exam required for the CHRP designaton is the CHRP Employment Law
exam. Because it is a higher level exam though, the employment law exam required for the CHRL, the
CHRL Employment Law exam, can also be used to meet the employment law exam requirement for the
CHRP. For informaton about the CHRL Employment Law exam, please visit the CHRP/CHRL Employment
Law Exam Central secton of our website.

The CHRP Employment Law exam and CHRL Employment Law exam consist solely of scenario-based
multple choice questons. Detailed informaton about the format, structure and content of the CHRP
Employment Law Exam and the CHRL Employment Law exam is available on the CHRP/CHRL Employment
Law Exam Central secton of HRPAs website.

Applying for the exam

Startng in 2017, HRPA administers its exams, including the CHRP Employment Law exam, via computer-
based testng (CBT) at test centre locatons throughout the world. Test-takers will be able to schedule
their exam tme within a two-week window ofered three tmes a year. Upcoming registraton dates are
available on the CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam Central secton of HRPAs website.

To register for an upcoming sitng of the exam you have to complete the following steps:

1. Establish your eligibility with HRPA (must have passed the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 1
(CKE 1) or the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 2 (CKE 2)).
2. Register for the exam with HRPA.
3. Schedule your seat and testng window directly on the exam vendors site at:

www.prometric.com/hrpa.

For more informaton about registering for the exam and the applicable registraton fees please visit the
CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam Central secton of HRPAs website.

Accommodatons for disabilites

It is HRPAs policy to provide reasonable testng accommodatons for individuals with documented
disabilites. Reasonable accommodaton refers to any adjustment to the examinaton materials or testng

environment that permits a qualifed applicant with a disability to perform, without undue hardship to
the insttuton providing accommodaton. Documented disabilites are those for which there is a
diagnosis by a qualifed professional.

The purpose of accommodatons is to provide equity, not advantage. Any requested modifcaton that
would substantally alter essental elements of the examinaton will not be granted. As a general
principle, it is desirable to retain as much of the original examinaton materials and testng environment
and make the accommodatons specifc to the disability or disabilites in queston.

Please review HRPAs Accommodaton Policy for more informaton.

Confrmaton of Eligibility

Once you register for the exam with HRPA, you should receive a Confrmaton of Eligibility email within
48 hours. The email will provide you with informaton regarding what to bring to the exam, the security
measures in place, etc. The email will also include a link to Prometrics site to allow you to select your
testng locaton and seat.

Withdrawing from or rescheduling the exam

For informaton regarding HRPAs policy on withdrawing from or rescheduling the exam please refer to
HRPAs Exam Withdrawal Form.

Exam results

The exam results for the CHRP Employment Law exam and CHRL Employment law exam are released via
email approximately six weeks afer the two-week exam window has closed.

Validity period of exam result

Once you have completed CHRP Employment Law exam or the CHRL Employment Law exam, your exam
result is valid untl December 31st ten years afer you passed the exam.

For more informaton about the exam please visit our CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam Central secton
of HRPAs website

JOB READY PROGRAM

The last step to obtain the CHRP is the Job Ready Program. The purpose of the Job Ready Program is to
assist registrants with the transiton into the workplace including training around professionalism and
ethics. The Job Ready Program consists of the following four modules:

Module 1: Professionalismwhat does it mean for HR professionals?

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 Module 2: The challenges of being a Human Resource Professionalour dutes as regulated

professionals

Module 3: Tricky situatons and how to handle them professionallywhere the ethical integrity
of HR professionals is most ofen tested

Module 4: HRPA's Rules of Professional Conduct and how they apply in everyday situatons

Partcipaton in the Job Ready Program is mandatory for those wishing to qualify for the CHRP
designaton but it is not intended to be a hurdle. There is no fee for the Job Ready Program and it is only
required that you complete the program in order to pass.

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF CERTIFICATION STATUS, REGISTER

ENTRY AND THE CERTIFICATE
Once you have met the CHRP requirements, ofcial confrmaton is sent to you grantng you the CHRP
designaton. The grantng leter is an ofcial document and can be used wherever confrmaton of status
is required.

At the same tme as the grantng leter is sent, your informaton is updated in HRPAs online public
register. The register is a record of all registrants of HRPA with their registraton status, business contact
informaton, registraton history, etc.

Finally, a certfcate is issued atestng to the fact that you have met all the requirements for the CHRP.
The name on the certfcate must be your legal name and will be the same as the name in the HRPA
database. The certfcate remains the property of HRPA and must be returned if you cease to be certfed.

For more informaton about certfcates please visit the Designaton Certfcates secton of HRPAs
website.

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HRPA POLICY ON RECOGNITION OF HR DESIGNATIONS GRANTED

IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS
The requirements and standards for any of the designatons granted by HRPA are the same regardless of
the candidates jurisdicton of origin. HRPA will recognise equivalent designatons where mutual
recogniton is mandated by applicable inter-provincial labour mobility agreements. In all other cases,
candidates must meet all the requirements and standards for the designaton for which they are
applying. For more informaton, please contact the Ofce of the Registrar.

MAINTAINING THE DESIGNATION CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT
Once you have been granted the CHRP, you need to remain a registrant in good standing as well as meet
the contnuing professional development (CPD) requirement to maintain the designaton. The purpose of
HRPA's CPD requirement is to ensure that designated members partcipate in ongoing professional
development actvites that:

Enhance their abilites as an HR practtoner and strategic business partner

Contribute to the acquisiton of new knowledge
Build familiarity with contemporary HR issues
Reinforce essental skills related to HR practce
Contribute to the development of new skills that enhance performance as a HR professional

CHRP members are required to obtain 66.67 hours of professional development actvites for every
three-year CPD cycle. There is no requirement to obtain a certain number of hours each year but
certfed members are strongly encouraged to design a personal professional development plan that
outlines an annual schedule. Advanced planning is very strongly encouraged and will ensure that
meetng the CPD requirement is manageable and a professionally enriching experience.

CPD hours can be earned through contnuing educaton, leadership actvites, instructonal actvites,
completon of signifcant work projects and/or initatves, and research or publicaton. Members are
expected to choose professional development actvites that will best meet their own professional
development needs.

For more informaton about CPD, please visit the Contnuing Professional Development secton of HRPAs
website.

REINSTATEMENT AND RE-ACHIEVEMENT OF DESIGNATION

HRPA has a Designaton Reinstatement and Re-Achievement Policy. The policy outlines the steps
you would need to take to re-achieve or reinstate your CHRP designaton if your designaton is
revoked for non-payment of dues and/or non-compliance with the CPD requirement, as well as the

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steps required to re-achieve your designaton if you resigned your designaton. If you have any
questons about the Designaton Reinstatement and Re-achievement Policy please contact the
Ofce of the Registrar.

PRIVACY POLICY
As a regulatory body, HRPA is responsible for safeguarding the personal informaton that it collects in the
context of its certfcaton processes. Please refer to our website for more informaton on HRPAs Privacy
Policy. Any concerns regarding the privacy of informaton collected, stored, and accessed in the context
of HRPAs certfcaton process should be directed to HRPAs Chief Privacy Ofcer, Claude Balthazard.
Please note that by law, HRPAs register must be accessible to the public and may be consulted on-line.

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