Women dominate HR exams as enrolment hits record high

HRMPEB examinations Chairperson Abdiwahab Abdi, Chief Executive Officer Magret Nguu and staff during the release of August 2026 examination results. [Noel Nabiswa, Standard] 

Women accounted for nearly four in every five candidates who sat Kenya’s latest professional human resource examinations, highlighting their growing dominance in the profession.

A total of 2,143 candidates sat the August 2026 examinations administered by the Human Resource Management Professionals Examination Board (HRMPEB), the highest number since the Board was established.

Of these, 1,697 were women, representing 79.19 per cent, while 446 were men, or 20.81 per cent.

The figure was a three per cent increase from the April 2026 examination series, pointing to continued growth in demand for professional HR qualifications.

HRMPEB Chairperson Abdiwahab Abdi said the Board would work with industry partners to provide internships and job-shadowing opportunities while promoting role models of both genders in the profession.

The examinations recorded mixed performance across the various HR subjects.

While 95.30 per cent of candidates who sat individual CHRP papers met the requirements to pass, the average pass rate across CHRP Parts I, II and III was 63.13 per cent. CHRP Part I recorded an average pass rate of 61.39 per cent, Part II 63.10 per cent and Part III 64.90 per cent.

Accounting and Financial Management recorded the lowest mean score in Part I at 53.28, while Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling had the lowest mean score in Part II at 56.08.

In Part III, HR Accounting, Metrics and Analytics recorded the lowest mean score at 58.88.

The examinations also recorded isolated cases of malpractice, with the Board putting the level of cheating at below one per cent.

“We have recorded very minimal exam cheating, less than one per cent. We have also put in place targeted interventions to mitigate that, and we will continue with those interventions in the next series,” Abdi said.

The Board is also expanding entry routes into the HR profession through its Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) programme, which allows students who do not meet the traditional entry requirements for the Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) qualification to begin with a craft certificate or diploma.

In August, 259 candidates sat the CBET diploma examinations, while 49 took the Craft Certificate examinations.

The programme has grown from six candidates during its first examination administration at Kabete in November 2023 to more than 250 candidates currently. The Board is targeting about 500 CBET candidates by the end of the year.

“This, for us, is what we are calling inclusivity. We do not want to leave out anyone who aspires to be in this critical HR profession,” HRMPEB Chief Executive Officer Margaret Nguu said.

The Board is also working with universities to enable students to pursue professional HR certification alongside their degree programmes.

Under the Dual Certification programme, students can graduate with both a university degree and a professional HR qualification. Tharaka University is already participating in the programme, with the Board calling on more institutions to join.

Nguu said professional certification provides an important pathway for career progression, particularly as employers increasingly demand qualified HR practitioners.

“Certification is a mark of competence. It declares them competent in the industry,” she said.

The Board has increased examination sittings from two to three annually and introduced certificates for candidates who complete individual CHRP stages.

It has also introduced Recognition of Prior Learning, allowing experienced HR practitioners to have skills acquired outside formal classroom training assessed for certification.

The August examinations were administered from August 5 to 12 at 20 centres across the country.

Abdi said the Board’s priority was to produce HR practitioners capable of promoting ethical and fair workplace practices while contributing to national development.

“Our goal as a board is to ensure that Kenya develops human resource practitioners who are competent and ethical,” he said.

He urged candidates who did not achieve their desired results to remain focused and make another attempt.