Membership FAQ

CPHR Canada implemented the coursework requirement so that when people write the National Knowledge Exam, they are well prepared to be successful on the exam and on the path to their CPHR Designation. This requirement has been introduced to set the bar for academic comprehension, establish a standard for educational requirements and build on credibility of the CPHR designation.

There are nine (9) required HR courses you must complete to be eligible to write the National Knowledge Exam (NKE). These courses are:

1. Accounting and Financial Management
2. Human Resources Management
3. Industrial Relations
4. Organizational Behaviour
5. Occupational Health and Safety 
6. Recruitment and Selection
7. Strategic Compensation
8. Strategic Human Resources Planning
9. Training and Development

These courses directly align with CPHR Canada's Competency Framework and are fundamental knowledge areas of human resources. 

You can meet the coursework requirement through: 

• A post-secondary degree or diploma in HR

Completion of an HR Certificate that covers the foundational courses:

• Continuing Education courses in HR; or
• The CPHR Canada Program with Captus Press

Yes, eligible Human Resource courses you completed within your non-HR diploma or degree can be applied to the coursework requirement. A review of your official transcripts will be conducted to determine eligibility.

A diploma or degree in HR fulfills the coursework requirement so you can move to the next step in obtaining your designation – registering for the National Knowledge Exam.

Courses completed within your certificate in HR can be applied to the coursework requirement. A review of your official transcripts will be conducted to determine eligibility.

If your education was completed outside of Canada, we require that a course-by-course IQAS or WES assessment be completed, and then sent to us directly from IQAS/WES.

You can register for the NKE once you become an Associate Member. 

Associate Members are individuals who have either: 

1. Completed a post-secondary two-year Diploma or Degree in HR or 
2. Completed a non-HR two-year Diploma or Degree AND have completed the nine required HR Foundational Courses.

In order to waive the NKE, a student must achieve 70% overall average grade in the program, as well as be an Associate member in good standing of CPHR Alberta.

You are required to have graduated from said program within the time frame outlined in the Accreditation Agreement.

Yes, you can still pursue the designation without having completed a CPHR accredited program. If you are not eligible for the accredited pathway, you may still be eligible for the Standard, Coursework, or Senior Path - learn more about these here.

There are no international programs that have been accredited by CPHR Canada therefore you cannot waive the NKE with international education programs. If you have completed an international program, you must complete an assessment of your program and apply to write the National Knowledge Exam.

Once you are an active Associate Member, you will be able to submit a NKE waiver application through your CPHR Alberta Member portal;

• Login to your Member Profile
• Select 'NKE - Exam and Waiver Application'
• Follow prompts to waive the NKE

You can apply to waive the NKE once you have been approved for an Associate membership.

Once you have completed your program you can request to transfer your membership category to Associate in your profile. Be sure to have your post-secondary send in your official transcripts.

You should apply for an Associate Membership.

Yes, for the time being all post-secondary institutions that receive scholarships from CPHR Alberta will continue to receive those.

Yes, the Experience Validation Assessment is required in order to attain the CPHR designation, even if the NKE is waived.

CPHR Alberta recognizes that many post-secondary programs cover the majority of the information included on the National Knowledge Exam. The accreditation process will allow CPHR Alberta to assess which programs cover 80% or more of the CPHR Competency Framework content. If a student has achieved 70% or higher as an overall grade in an accredited program, CPHR Alberta is confident that the student already possesses the knowledge tested in the National Knowledge Exam, so CPHR Alberta is comfortable waiving the exam in that case.

Yes, there is a fee for waiving the NKE. Please click here for details.

As long as the program content has been the same for your whole education in that program, CPHR Alberta will recognize your accredited education toward waiving the NKE.

Graduates of accredited programs after January 1, 2022 have 5 years from their graduation date to apply for the NKE waiver.

All graduates who have graduated under existing accreditation agreements prior to January 1, 2022 have until August 2025 to claim the NKE waiver through their provincial Member Association irrespective of their graduation date (as long as all other criteria are met), or 5 years from graduating, whichever is the latter. For example, an individual with a graduation date in 2016 would have until August 2025 to claim the NKE waiver.

Consult your provincial Member Association regarding dates and eligibility as needed.

Yes. Members must meet the minimum education requirement of either a 2-year diploma or degree to be eligible for the CPHR designation.

No, there is no cost to the post-secondary institution for the process

The process requires the post-secondary institution to provide extensive information to CPHR Alberta with regard to the content of their programs. The process will vary from program to program, but it is expected to take a number of months in each case.

If your program is accredited, it will be listed on the CPHR Alberta website. Please find this list of accredited institutions and programs here. If it is in the process of becoming accredited, CPHR Alberta will not provide that information, but you can inquire with the administrator of your program for more information.

Yes, all provinces that are members of CPHR Canada (Chartered Professionals in Human Resources) will recognize the programs accredited by CPHR Alberta, and CPHR Alberta will do the same for programs accredited by other member associations of CPHR Canada.

CPHR Alberta will engage qualified consultation used by our fellow CPHR Canada Provincial Associations to review the application submission and determine if the program curriculum content covers at least 80% of the CPHR Competency Framework.

No, the Senior Path is not a new or separate designation. It's an alternative path to achieve the CPHR Designation.

The Senior Path to the CPHR is an alternative path to achieving the CPHR Designation. It provides an opportunity for HR professionals with extensive HR experience at the senior level to be recognized within their profession. Applicants will need to pass a rigorous Experience Validation Assessment to be granted the CPHR designation.

To qualify for the Senior Path, you must have the following:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
• A minimum of 10 years professional HR experience
• At least 5 of the 10 years must be on a leadership or executive team

As a first step, login to your online account with CPHR Alberta and click on Senior Pathway Questionnaire in the menu on the right hand side. Fill out the pre-screening questionnaire. Dependent upon your answers in the questionnaire, you will then be notified on next steps. Those approved for the Senior Path will apply for a General Membership and upload a copy of your current resume with your application.

You should apply for a General Membership.

A significant number of HR professionals have worked in human resources for many years, and are in the upper echelons of the profession working on or consulting to executive or leadership teams in a variety of organizations. The bottom line is that these people have been working in the business for many years and are far removed from the textbook HR knowledge from current post-secondary programs. As a result of this, an exam becomes an obstacle for senior-level professionals. These individuals have the experience, expertise, and knowledge to warrant a professional designation. As a result, several provincial members of CPHR Canada decided to make a path for professionals in this situation. The Senior Path allows members with considerable experience to skip the exam portion of the designation process and move directly into the experience validation assessment. CPHR Alberta's Board of Directors and staff carefully considered the benefits, concerns, and implications of introducing a Senior Path in Alberta, and in June 2019, the Board approved the implementation of a Senior Path to the CPHR. We thoroughly explored the feasibility of this option to attain the CPHR, and to ensure that we were applying a rigorous process for those going through the Senior Path.

Yes, the minimum education required for the Senior Path is a Bachelor’s degree. We accept international education, but an IQAS (or equivalent) assessment must be completed for your degree.

No, your Senior level HR experience exempts you from the NKE requirement. To achieve the designation with this pathway, you must complete a more comprehensive experience requirement.

The following are some of the qualities that would help to define senior level professional experience in Human Resources:

• Progressive and credible HR background
• At least 5 years of experience on a leadership or executive team
• A very high amount of independence in their day-to-day work
• High impact decision-making authority
• Considerable budgetary responsibility
• Influence on the organizational strategy and business decisions
• Experience counselling senior managers on HR related matters and leading a team of other HR professionals
• Authority to recommend on most HR decisions in an organization
• Strategic thinking and execution
• Strong leadership qualities
• Personal integrity/high ethical standards
• Negotiating/influencing skills
• Ability to balance strategic with operational issues
• Strong understanding of the business and economic environment
• Authority and skill to design and implement leadership succession plans

International experience can be used for the Senior Path.

For your Senior Path EVA application, you must submit:

• The online SPEVA form through your account
• Job descriptions for the roles outlined in your application
• Organizational charts when possible
• A current resume

The Director of Professional Standards & Registrar assesses if you are eligible to apply for the Senior Path by using a pre-screening questionnaire to ensure you meet the basic requirements for the Senior Path. This assessment does not guarantee that you will pass the Senior Path EVA as it is a pre-screening process.

A sub-committee of the Registration Committee made up of Senior Path Reviewers assesses SPEVA applications. They follow CPHR Alberta Board approved guidelines to assess each application independently. The committee is made up of CPHR members who have more than 15 years of HR experience.

You can apply for the Senior Path at any time. Senior Path Experience Validation Assessment applications are reviewed twice each year – in June and October. The application deadlines for SPEVA applications are May 31 and September 30.

You should apply for an Associate Membership with CPHR Alberta

No - If you are eligible for the Standard Path, this means you have a diploma or degree in Human Resources, and would not be subject to the coursework requirement.

You can register for the NKE once you have been approved for an Associate membership.

Once you are an active Associate Member, you will be able to register for the NKE through your CPHR Alberta Member portal:

• Login to your Member Profile
• Select 'NKE - Exam and Waiver Application'
• Follow prompts to register for the NKE

No. Your experience is not dependent on your job title. Experience is reviewed based on the Functional Dimensions and the Competencies within them, which may be demonstrated in a variety of different positions.

The human resources field is very diverse and presents many opportunities to obtain both a breadth of experience and a specialization. Each individual experience submission presents a unique background and set of accomplishments. We recommend reviewing the CPHR Competency Framework to ensure your current position and any others you might consider, align with the competencies set out for an HR professional. Remember, you will need to show evidence of experience in at least 8 of the 49 competencies from your Advisory experience.

Experience is reviewed by a panel of CPHRs who have been selected for their expertise in various employment sectors. Work experience submissions are also subject to audit by a committee.

The Experience Validation Assessment must be submitted and approved within 10 years of passing the NKE.

The assessment can be submitted through your member profile.

The assessment costs $600 plus GST. Candidates will pay $225 plus GST upon submission of the Assessment and will pay the balance when it is approved. If an assessment is not approved, you will not be charged the second fee.

There are three admission deadlines throughout the year for the Experience Validation Assessment - January 31, May 31 and September 30. Your assessment will be completed within 8 weeks of the intake deadline.

The experience must be obtained within the last 10 years prior to your submission deadline.

CPHR Alberta does not have a Canadian experience requirement and does not limit the amount of international experience that may be submitted towards experience validation.

Candidates should fill out the experience section in the EVA form using their most recent past employer if currently unemployed. This employer can also complete the Employer Verification section of the EVA form.

Advisory HR Experience refers to work that will involve thinking at the strategic level, delivery may be operational, working autonomously with a range of stakeholders. Experience will include the creation and implementation of policies, practices and processes to effectively organize and manage human capital resources in the workplace in service of the ultimate goal of enhancing business outcomes.

Administrative HR Experience refers to Human resources positions performing administrative or transactional tasks. It may include HR tasks that are routine in nature, lower in complexity and/or autonomy and executed with direction that is clearly defined.

National Knowledge Exam®(NKE) candidates must be members of their provincial association and register with the association to write the exam. In Alberta, only Associate members are eligible to write the NKE.

The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, based on knowledge of the nine Functional Dimensions of the CPHR Competency Framework. The exam is delivered through computer-based testing (CBT).

Exam candidates have 10 years from the time they pass/waive the NKE to the time they successfully complete the Experience Validation Assessment. Candidates and CPHRs must keep their membership active (in good standing) with their provincial HR association in order to keep their Candidate status or CPHR active.

The exam fee is $550 + GST.

Exams are held in the  Fall of each year. Please refer to the NKE schedule for specific dates.

Exam registrants must register for the NKE at least two months in advance. Please refer to the NKE schedule for specific dates.

Yes, you may defer writing the exam by submitting an exam schedule change through your member profile. Please refer to the Exam Policies for information regarding deferral fees, deadlines and maximum allowances.

If you do not attend on the day of the exam, your score will be marked as a fail and you forfeit your exam fee.

The exams are scored using scaled scoring. A scaled score of 500 is the passing grade for the NKE.

Yes, you must have government issued photo ID when writing the exam. Please note that you must register with CPHR Alberta and the exam under your legal name, as it appears on your photo ID. Do not register under a name or variation of your name, excluding middle names, that differs from your name as it appears on your photo ID.

In a nutshell, self-regulation is a privilege given to certain professions who can demonstrate a commitment to protecting the public interest. Self-regulation means that human resources practitioners are capable of assuming the responsibilities of governing their profession in accordance with best practices, high ethical standards and a defined code of conduct.

Self-regulation of the human resources profession is the cornerstone to becoming a recognized profession; it puts us on similar footing as professional engineers, accountants and lawyers. It also demonstrates to the business community, government and the public that the human resources profession abides by a code of conduct and standards of practice that protect the public interest.

One of the greatest concerns of any professional is the risk to the public of unethical and incompetent practitioners. Self-regulated professions empower their professional associations to enforce standards of practice and codes of ethics to protect the reputation of the profession while ensuring the public receives a high quality of service. Instead of the Alberta government regulating the actions of CPHR Alberta members directly, CPHR Alberta would be mandated with ensuring that qualified professionals are providing trusted services to all their stakeholders. This delegation of responsibility would be conditional on CPHR Alberta being able to demonstrate its commitment to doing what is best for the public and not necessarily what is best for the individual professional.

This does not mean that the Alberta government will let CPHR Alberta take any action it wishes. Self-regulation will provide similar legal tools that organizations responsible for the oversight of the accounting and engineering profession currently enjoy.

One of the greatest concerns of any unregulated profession is the risk to the public of unscrupulous practitioners. As a self-regulated profession, we will be entrusted with “protecting the public” from incompetent practice or work performed by an HR profession through self-policing. Instead of the Alberta government regulating the actions of CPHR Alberta members directly, CPHR Alberta will be mandated with ensuring that qualified professionals are providing trusted services to all their stakeholders.

As a CPHR designation-holder or CPHR Candidate, you will be required to abide by a set of best practices, ethical standards and a code of conduct as well as regularly participate in professional development. This will uphold our commitment to protecting the public from unethical or incompetent practice.

Over the past eight years CPHR Alberta has worked to align its regulatory practices with the best practices of leading professional associations.  This includes elevating the registration standards related to assessment, such as introducing an academic requirement, a professional experience requirement and good character attestation requirements.

CPHR Alberta completed a series of member consultations sessions across Alberta, including two sessions at the annual conference, on a new Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. The Code and Standard were approved by the Board of Directors in May 2014 and implemented January 1, 2015. The Code and Standard aligns the HR profession towards achieving self-regulation by raising the credibility of the designation and elevating the quality of HR practice in Alberta.

The Association has in place many of the components expected from a professional association seeking to become self-regulated including a discipline function, continuing professional development, a rigorous registration process, and a defined scope of practice. The Association is not requesting a limited scope of practice on behalf of the membership. Specific changes you may see under a self-regulated model include:

Certain volunteer committees will assume formal legal functions such as the Registration Committee, the Discipline Committee and the Appeal Committee.

Further improvements to the Discipline Committee’s processes to better protect members and the public.

Addition of public member(s) to the Board of Directors, appointed by the Alberta government to serve in the public interest.

The Human Resources Institute of Alberta, now CPHR Alberta, received a mandate from its members for self-regulation in 1999 and again in 2002. After successfully becoming a unified provincial association in 2013, we turned our attention to elevating the credibility of the profession through achieving self-governance.  In the 2013 member survey, 80% of members identified professional self-regulation as a priority for CPHR Alberta.

In 2014, a motion by special resolution was put forward to the Chartered members asking them to approve the following:

"I am in favour of CPHR Alberta applying for self-regulation of the HR profession under the Professions and Occupations Association Act and obtaining legislation and recognition in Alberta in the same manner as other professions."

The special resolution passed with 93% voting in favour.

At this time we do not anticipate added costs to members. Any additional expenses arising from self-regulation (i.e. legal expenses) will be funded through our reserve funds. We are in a healthy financial position to accomplish this task.

The Human Resources Institute of Alberta, now CPHR Alberta, formally applied for self-regulation of the human resources profession in December 2014 under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act (POARA). We undertook a comprehensive public and stakeholder consultation process in 2014, including the setup of an advisory group of Chartered members to advise on the initiative. The Alberta government is currently reviewing the application.

Please refer to the Continuing Professional Development page for detailed information about maintaining your designation.

To complete the CPD Log, login to your Member Profile and click on “Continuing Professional Development Log”. Click “create new process” to enter activities. Once all your activities have been entered, click “summary” to submit. Find a detailed guide here CPD Log Guide.

Completed logs may be for previous years. Ensure that you do not have pending logs or the option to create new process.

In order to be a strategic partner in an organization, general (or “non-HR”) business knowledge is essential. As such, when professional development activities are evaluated in this log, the applicability of the activity to an HR professional’s role in the business community is taken into consideration. It is the responsibility of the HR professional to indicate in the log how this activity has contributed to his/her professional development.

CPHRs can request a CPD log submission extension or exemption when taking a leave. A letter from the employer indicating the length of the absence from work is required to grant the extension or exemption. For more details on how CPD Log Submission exemptions work, refer to the page on Continuing Professional Development.

CPHR Alberta can offer extensions in certain circumstances. Please refer to the Continuing Professional Development page under 'CPD Log Extensions' for more information, or contact us.

No, however, if a CPD log is submitted late it is subject to a $50.00+GST late fee.

When you open your CPD page, navigate to summary of CPD. This page will display the total number of hours you have recorded in your rolling 3-year period. Please see CPD Log Guide for more details.

On your CPD page, select “Summary”. This page will show if all requirements have been met. If everything is complete, the system will give you the option to Submit>Complete.

Use your CPHR number to register for the ethics course. Log into your member portal and click on “My Profile”. The CPHR number can be found in the member details section on this page.

Every 3 years. If you met the ethics requirement in 2022, you would have to complete it again by 2025.

You will be given an opportunity to complete it – a grace period. If after the grace period, you are not able to meet the requirement, your designation will be revoked.