AIR and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) created an examination for assessing the human resource knowledge of graduating college students seeking HR careers. The first tests were administered in May 2011.

Employers will be able to use the results to determine whether job applicants possess the knowledge required for entry-level HR positions. The exam also provides colleges and universities with a way to measure the effectiveness of their HR-related curriculum and help them meet their accrediting body’s assurance-of-learning requirements. Some institutions are considering adopting the test as an exit requirement.

Undergraduate and graduate students in HR or HR-related degree programs are eligible to take the exam beginning one year before graduation and ending one year after graduation. The test consists of 160 multiple choice questions that cover 18 HR-related content areas covered by SHRM’s HR Curriculum guidelines.
 
The examination is based on the results of a series of studies AIR and SHRM conducted to identify the key topics and knowledge areas that HR practitioners need. Collaborating with SHRM staff, AIR was responsible for creating the exam and tracking quality assurance, performing psychometric analyses and scoring, developing support materials and setting performance standards.

The studies were commissioned by SHRM, the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. It represents more than 250,000 members in more than 140 countries.