Getting Started with Recertification
Identify Skill Gaps
Review your Certification Exam Score Report or ask your supervisor what areas you might need to focus on.
Create Your PDC Plan
Select qualifying activities, such as HR related courses, books, events or work projects.
Track Your Progress
Enter PDCs in your Certification Portal. Remember Advancing Your Education has no PDC Limit!
Recertify
Submit your completed record by your end date. Your end date is the last day of your birth month.
Two Ways to Recertify
As a SHRM certification-holder, you can choose one of two options for recertification.
Earn 60 professional development credits within your three-year recertification cycle.
Enter your PDCs in your SHRM certification portal, submit your completed recertification record before your expiration date and pay the recertification processing fee.
Qualifying activities include projects that advance your education, your organization or your profession.
Retake the certification exam within the last year of your recertification cycle.
Contact us before you apply online and pay the exam fee. You must test at your current level no earlier than 12 months before the end of your three-year recertification cycle.
If you fail the exam, your credential will be revoked and you will need to reapply and pass the exam to regain it. You will not be able to pursue recertification with PDCs.
Contact us at Recertification@shrm.org or 1-800-283-7476.
Note: To avoid the applicable late fee, you must achieve the required PDCs and submit a paid recertification application by the recertification end date (your birth month in year 3 of your recertification cycle).
GRACE PERIOD: While you can complete your PDC requirements within the 60-day grace period between your end date and expiration date, you must pay both the recertification fee and the applicable late fee.
RETIRED STATUS: To apply for SHRM certification retired status you must be completely retired from the profession with no plans to continue working in the human resources area. Download and complete the retired status request form to submit your request.
Ways to Earn PDCs
Earn 20+ PDCs
Earn 7.5-36 PDCs
Earn 3 PDCs per year
Earn 1-2 PDCs
Earn 13.5-26 PDCs
Earn 1-60 PDCs
Earn 1-5 PDCs
Earn 1 PDC each
How To Enter PDCs
Click on "Add PDCs" and indicate whether you have an activity code or not. If you have a code, enter it into the space provided. If you do not have a code, select one of the PDC categories listed below and enter the required activity information.
When entering PDCs, ensure that the activities you enter occurred between the beginning and end dates of your three-year recertification cycle. You must wait until the activity end date to record any activity.
PDCs for SHRM-sponsored conferences and educational programs/events will be automatically uploaded to your SHRM Certification Portal if you use the same Single-Sign On ID in your SHRM Certification Portal that you use for enrolling in SHRM events or for SHRM membership. Please e-mail recertification@shrm.org if you do not see your PDCs uploaded to your recertification record.
Note: It is recommended that all professional development activities be logged in the SHRM certification portal upon completion. Please track all professional development activities during your 3-year recertification cycle, even those beyond the required 60 PDCs.
When you are one year into your cycle and have reached 60 PDCs, a message will appear letting you know you are now ready to recertify. To complete the process, do the following:
- Click on the "Click Here to Recertify" button.
- Review your PDC history record.
- Update your personal and employment information.
- Acknowledge the Terms and Conditions.
- Pay the recertification processing fee that applies to your situation.
Download the App
The convenience of tracking your professional development credits is in your hands!
Recertification Cycle and Fees
Once certified, your recertification cycle begins the day you pass the exam and ends three years later, on the last day of your birth month.
You must complete your recertification within this three-year time frame. Credential-holders who do not complete these requirements then enter a 60-day grace period. However, the recertification fee increases by $75 and your certification will be revoked at the end of the grace period if your recertification is not completed by then.
HR professionals attain recertification by engaging in professional development activities that relate to the behavioral competencies and HR knowledge identified in the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge® (SHRM BASK®).
Processing Fees
| Fee Type | Member | Nonmember |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | $165 | $210 |
| Late | $240 | $285 |
Recertification processing fees apply to recertification by PDCs only.
Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Late fee applies to completed records submitted during the 60-day grace period (after the cycle end date and before the expiration date).
Recertification Cycle Example
- Your birth month is July.
- You take and pass the exam on May 3, 2025.
- Initial recertification cycle start date: May 3, 2025.
- Cycle end date: July 31, 2028.
- Certification revoked: September 30, 2028.