HRCI Reviews 

HRCI offers HR certifications, however, to get their certification they require a person to include 1 hour of ethics training. However, though they offer many free trainings none of their free trainings cover the ethics requirement, but they do offer ethics courses for a price. I think this is a conflict of interest; they require something you can only get by paying them for the course.

As an organization HRCI develops the PHR exam so students fail the test and they can generate revenue for retakes. When purchasing the test and exam material, they also recommend a second chance test insurance, almost ensuring students won't pass on first try.
When setting up the exam on the assigned test day, the technology platform is very difficult to navigate, and they don't have adequate tech support (not even AI chat bot) to assist. They are only open for support M-F, and when you send an e-mail for any questions, it takes over 48 hours to get a response, if someone even gets back to you.
I would consider taking SHRM. Stay away! They don't have an issue taking money from an organization or an individual, but once they have your money, they don't follow up and do the right thing.

My daughter who is in HR knows 3 people who took the PHR exam with only about six months HR experience. You’re supposed to have two years. It ends up if you go to their site they say they don’t do background checks, they just randomly grab one here and there to audit. So all you people without the right experience, go at it. Hard to have respect.

Complete SCAM! Go with SHRM if you must. HRCI banks on test retakes. I paid over $1k for study materials and the exam prep, literally (no joke) 4 out of 115 questions related to the study material that you pay good money for. I stopped my test to ask if they gave me the right test. My company HR Director warned me the HRCI was a joke-scam; he was right. I know one person that has a certification from HRCI, he never spent one day studying. Maybe thats the key, or go with a SHRM certification (recommended). Don't waste your time and money like I did.

HRCI isn't all bad - the exam material was fair, the subject matter was relevant and decently covered, and I passed.

What I don't like is their requirement that you renew your aPHR certification every few years. Imagine if colleges used the same logic - "Your bachelor's degree will be revoked if you don't accumulate PDUs every few years!"

Huge scam!!! Absolutely do NOT use these guys. They will take your money and leave you with $h!t classes that mean and do nothing. Total and gross misprepresentation.

Unprofessional management team that could not answer basic questions about the products and services THEY offer. CEO gave a lame overview of HR and her joke of an assistant highlighted all their experience in certification. What’s the company value? (They couldn’t answer, just wanted our money)
How are you incorporating current themes into certification? (They looked puzzled and couldn’t speak intelligently)
A real disappointment what this organization has become