You must be a BC HRMA member in good standing to begin the CHRP certification process. To obtain the CHRP designation, you will be required to successfully complete two exams. The National Knowledge Exam® (NKE) tests your knowledge of the theory and standards upon which HR practices are based and the National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA) tests your HR experience and your ability to determine how to best handle typical situations.

You must successfully pass the NKE before writing the NPPA. After passing the NKE you will become a CHRP Candidate. This status is recognized nationally and can be transferred between provinces. You will then have five years within which to pass the NPPA and receive your CHRP designation. You must maintain your BC HRMA membership to retain your Candidate status.

After passing the NPPA you will have achieved your CHRP designation. You will then be required to recertify every three years. Information about this process is available on both the CCHRA and BC HRMA websites. You will also be charged professional dues of $105 plus GST annually in addition to your membership dues.

These fees enable BC HRMA to maintain, monitor and promote the CHRP designation throughout BC ensuring we increase the value of holding the designation. The remainder of the fees allows BC HRMA to work in conjunction with the CCHRA to maintain the standards and continuously raise the profile of CHRP at a national level. One hundred per cent of professional dues collected are reinvested in the CHRP designation.

Please note the new degree requirement:

Effective January 1, 2011, CHRP Candidates - those who have passed the National Knowledge Exam® (NKE) - will require a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in order to register for the National Professional Practice Assessment® (NPPA) and qualify for the CHRP designation. More information is available on the CCHRA website.

The CCHRA approves a one-time exception to the requirement to any CHRP Candidate who has attempted the NPPA at least once prior to December 31, 2010. If you do not pass the NPPA before this date, you will be granted a chance to re-write the exam, even if you do not have a degree. However, this exception is only valid for the May 2011 NPPA session.

Both exams will cover your expertise in the following seven core competencies of Human Resources: