CPHR Canada Announces New Requirements as Prerequisites to Take the NKE Exam starting 2021
Building from the results of the 2013 Professional Practice Analysis, CPHR Canada has been working collaboratively with the other member associations throughout Canada to introduce further enhancements to the CPHR designation.
With the goal of raising the bar for academic comprehension and establishing a standard for educational requirements, CPHR Canada will be adding a new requirement that’s applicable for anyone writing the National Knowledge Exam (NKE), starting January, 2021. This is being done to build upon credibility of the CPHR designation and ensure that all designates have the same base knowledge in each of the nine core competencies of human resources.
Anyone wishing to write the NKE after January, 2021, who is following pathway one to earn the CPHR designation will be required to complete the nine foundational HR courses offered by CPHR Canada in partnership with Captus Press Inc. These nine foundational courses meet the CPHR Competency Framework.
Pathway one requirements currently state that a person can have a bachelor degree in any field or discipline, three years of professional-level HR experience within the past 10 years and successfully passing the NKE to earn the CPHR designation.
And as a reminder, there are three exam dates that will take place prior to this change to pathway one:
- Fall, 2019
- Spring, 2020
- Fall. 2020
Individuals who have not graduated from a CPHR Canada member association’s Post-Secondary Institution Accreditation Program, or have not covered the below courses in an equivalent program, and wish to write the NKE will be required to enroll in the nine accredited HR courses offered by CPHR Canada in partnership with Captus Press Inc. These nine foundational courses meet the CPHR Competency Framework.
CPHR Academic Program and Course Descriptions
CPHR Canada is offering the following list of semester-length courses:
- Accounting & Financial Management
- Human Resources Management
- Industrial Relations
- Organizational Behaviour
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Recruitment and Selection
- Strategic Compensation
- Strategic Human Resources Planning
- Training and Development
Click here to read the course descriptions.
In each course, students are required to access multimedia online lectures, study readings in the assigned textbook(s), participate in interactive discussion boards with their fellow students and the instructor, submit midterms or assignments, and write a proctored final examination.
Other Key Details
- Past Education – If you have successfully completed any courses that are equivalent to any of the listed courses offered, you may be able to transfer credits.
- Graduates from Accredited Programs – If you are a graduate from one of our listed CPHR Post-Secondary Institution Accreditation Programs but do not meet our educational requirements – passing with an average of 70% or more, or grade-point average of 3.0 or higher – you will not be required to enroll in the accredited HR courses offered by CPHR Canada for up to 10 years upon graduation.
- Writing the NKE after 2021 – Starting January 1, 2021, you will need to prove that you meet the educational requirements in order to write the NKE; therefore, if you plan to enroll in the June 2021 NKE, please ensure that you have successfully completed all nine accredited HR courses offered by CPHR Canada or other post-secondary courses previously approved by CPHR BC & Yukon.
