Checked 29 September 2026. Workday rules from Exams for Training (23 September 2026) and the Workday Pro FAQ; SAP rules from the C_THR81 page and the CER001 exam listing, read 29 September 2026. SAP's CER001 listing is being discontinued on 30 September 2026.
If you work in HR technology in India, the two core-HR certifications you will hear about are Workday Pro HCM Core and SAP Certified — SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core and Position Management, exam code C_THR81. They cover similar ground — organisations, positions, job data, security, workflows — but they are gated very differently. Workday certifies HCM Core only for employees of Workday customers and partners. SAP lets anyone buy an exam attempt, but gives the provisioning rights that let you configure client systems only to registered SAP partner consultants. So the useful question is not "which is better?" but "which one does my job let me take, and what will it do for me?" This guide compares both on the vendors' own published rules.
Workday Exams for Training, Workday Pro FAQ, Rising 2026 FAQ; SAP C_THR81 page and CER001 listing.
Side by side
| Feature | Workday Pro HCM Core | SAP C_THR81 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Workday Pro HCM Core Certification (Services version for partners) | SAP Certified — SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core and Position Management |
| Who may sit it | Employees of Workday customers and partners | Anyone can buy an attempt; SAP says it is intended for SAP partner consultants |
| Approval | Training Coordinator approves the exam course | None published |
| Format | Up to 55 items (50 scored), closed book, proctored | 1 activity: a system-based practical assessment, open-book and non-proctored per SAP's practical-exam guidance (the generic CER001 page still says remote proctored) |
| Time | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Pass rule | Pass or Fail; no numeric score published | 59% |
| Language | English, French, Japanese (German, Spanish paused from 15 Sep 2026) | English |
| Price of one attempt | 1 training credit; Workday values it at $800 | CER001: ₹21,869 excluding tax, one attempt, sold until 30 Sep 2026 |
| Retake | 1 credit again, after 4 calendar days | Another attempt; the Learning Hub subscription includes four attempts a year |
| Keeping it current | Recertify every 2 years, 0.25 credit per attempt | Valid 12 months; each successfully completed assessment extends it by another 12 months |
| Right to configure client systems | Customers: none. Partners: needs a data loading or data conversion certification too (reported) | Provisioning rights only for registered SAP partner consultants |
| Next change announced | Legacy recertification deadline 2 December 2026 | SAP says the next version should be available mid-December 2026 |
Workday column: Exams for Training (23 Sep 2026), Workday Pro FAQ (21 Jul 2026), Rising 2026 FAQ, and the Workday Services catalogue (reported). SAP column: the C_THR81 certification page, SAP's practical-exam help page and the CER001 course listing, read 29 September 2026. The two SAP sources conflict on proctoring: the CER001 listing describes a remote proctored attempt, while SAP's practical-exam guidance describes system-based assessments such as C_THR81 as open-book and non-proctored. We print both. Currencies are left as each vendor prints them; we do not convert.
Which one can you actually take?
Workday or SAP SuccessFactors first? A route picker
Tell us where you work and what you want the credential to do. The picker applies each vendor's access rule first — a goal you cannot reach is never recommended.
Our reading of the Workday Pro FAQ, Workday's certification pages and SAP's C_THR81 page (29 September 2026). Neither vendor promises a job or a salary for passing.
| You work at | Can take Workday HCM Core | Can take SAP C_THR81 | Sensible first step |
|---|---|---|---|
| A company that runs Workday | Yes | Can buy an attempt; no provisioning rights | Workday Pro HCM Core |
| A Workday partner | Yes, Services version | Can buy an attempt; no provisioning rights unless also an SAP partner | Workday HCM Core Services + a data certification |
| A registered SAP partner consultant | Only if the firm is also a Workday partner | Yes; SAP gives provisioning rights to registered partner consultants | SAP C_THR81 |
| A company that runs SuccessFactors | No | Yes; customers get no provisioning rights | SAP C_THR81, as a knowledge credential |
| Nowhere yet | No (Workday Platform Administrator is open to everyone via Talent Development Partners) | Can buy an attempt; no provisioning rights | Learn first; aim for a customer or partner job |
Our reading of each vendor's published access rules.
SAP is blunt on its C_THR81 page: "Only registered SAP partner consultants will be provided with provisioning rights", and customers and independent consultants, "even if certified, will not" get them. Workday is just as clear from the other side: for customers, "implementor access is restricted to our consulting ecosystem". So neither certificate, on its own, turns a candidate into an implementer. The partner firm does.
What the two exams test
Both certify the core HR object model. Workday's current description names navigation, "supervisory organizations, staffing models, job profiles, compensation, security, and business processes", and reporting with Report Writer. SAP's C_THR81 covers Employee Central core and position management — the SuccessFactors equivalents of organisation, job and position data. The shape of the exam differs: Workday's is a proctored multiple-choice exam of up to 55 items, closed book with a calculator; SAP's C_THR81 is one system-based practical assessment of 3 hours, which SAP's practical-exam guidance describes as open-book. If you move between the two systems later, the concepts transfer well; the navigation, terminology and configuration screens do not.
| Concept | Workday HCM Core (2021 task list) | SAP C_THR81 skill area (SAP page) |
|---|---|---|
| Organisation structure | Supervisory organizations, cost centers, companies, locations, hierarchies (7 tasks) | Corporate Data Management |
| Jobs, positions and worker data | Staffing models, job profiles, jobs and positions (19 tasks) | Position management (in the title); Data Management |
| Security | Security groups, domains, policies (7 tasks) | Access Controls |
| Workflows | Business process framework and configuration (13 tasks) | Workflow Management |
| Loading data | Not in HCM Core; a separate data loading certification for partners | Data Import/Export |
| Pay | Compensation framework, plans, packages (8 tasks) | Not listed as a separate skill |
| Reporting | Report Writer (22 tasks) | Not listed as a separate skill |
Workday task counts are from the 2021 public exam guide. The SAP column uses the five skill tags SAP lists on the C_THR81 page; SAP does not publish topic weights there, and SAP says a new exam version should be available mid-December 2026.
SAP describes C_THR81 as an entry-level qualification proving that a candidate "can apply the knowledge and skills in projects under the guidance of an experienced consultant". Workday frames HCM Core as proof that an administrator or consultant can run the core HCM objects. In our reading, that makes SAP's certificate a consultant's starting badge and Workday's a practitioner's credential for the system in front of them.
Cost, currency and one deadline
The two vendors price differently. Workday charges 1 training credit per attempt from your employer's stock and values a credit at $800 on its Rising 2026 FAQ. SAP's single-attempt product, CER001, is listed at ₹21,869 excluding tax for one certification attempt with a 12-month Certification Hub subscription (the listing's generic text still says remote proctored, which does not match SAP's open-book, non-proctored description of practical exams) — but SAP says it "will only be available for purchase until September 30, 2026". After that, check SAP's current offer: the C_THR81 page points to an SAP Learning Hub subscription with four exam attempts a year. We do not convert between the two currencies, and neither should a comparison that wants to be accurate: one is a contract credit value, the other a list price.
| Item | Workday Pro HCM Core | SAP C_THR81 |
|---|---|---|
| One exam attempt | 1 training credit ($800 stated value) | ₹21,869 excl. tax via CER001 (one certification attempt, 12-month Certification Hub subscription), until 30 Sep 2026 |
| Who pays | Your employer's training credits | You or your employer |
| Conference deal | $99 per exam at Workday Rising (12–15 Oct 2026), in-person Full Experience and Partner Experience Pass holders only | None published on the certification page |
| Keeping it current | 0.25 credit per recertification attempt, every 2 years | Valid 12 months; completing an assessment extends it 12 months each time |
Which one first, in our reading
A plain answer
- If your employer runs Workday or is a Workday partner, take Workday Pro HCM Core: it is the only one of the two it can sponsor with credits, and it certifies the system you use.
- If you are a registered SAP partner consultant, take C_THR81: for registered partner consultants it is the one that comes with provisioning rights.
- If you have no employer yet, neither certificate gives you implementation rights. SAP lets you buy a C_THR81 attempt; Workday does not sell HCM Core to you (its Platform Administrator certification is the one Workday route open to everyone). Spend first on learning the concepts, then on getting into a customer or partner.
- Taking both only for a CV is rarely the best first step: the certificates are platform-specific, so start with the one tied to the platform you use or are targeting.
Our opinion, based on each vendor's published rules.
Practise it, don't just read it
Practising Workday HCM Core concepts? Start with the six free unit quizzes.
The ProSyllabus Workday Pro HCM Core library has 6 quizzes of 10 questions covering six topics from the 2021 public exam guide: Navigation, Finding Data and Business Objects; Organizations; Staffing Models; Job Profiles; Business Process Framework; and Introduction to Matrix Reports. They are written from the task list and public descriptions, audited by two AI reviewers question by question, and are not Workday exam items. There are no quizzes yet for Compensation, Jobs and Positions, Security, or the other Business Process and Report Writer units.
Which is easier, Workday HCM Core or SAP C_THR81?
Neither vendor publishes pass rates. Workday's exam is 2 hours and pass/fail; SAP's is 3 hours with a 59% pass score.
Can I take SAP C_THR81 without a job?
You can buy an attempt, but SAP gives provisioning rights only to registered SAP partner consultants.
Is C_THR81 proctored?
SAP's practical-exam guidance describes system-based assessments as open-book and non-proctored; the generic CER001 purchase page still mentions a remote proctored attempt. Check the exam page before you sit it.
Can I take Workday HCM Core without a job?
No. Workday Pro is for employees of Workday customers and partners, with Training Coordinator approval.
How much does C_THR81 cost in India?
SAP's CER001 single attempt is listed at ₹21,869 excluding tax, on sale until 30 September 2026. Check SAP for the offer after that date.
How much does Workday HCM Core cost?
1 training credit per attempt, which Workday values at $800.
Does either certification let me implement for clients?
Only through a partner firm. Workday restricts implementer access to its consulting ecosystem; SAP gives provisioning rights only to registered partner consultants.
How long do they stay valid?
Workday requires recertification every 2 years. SAP says its certification is valid for 12 months and each successfully completed assessment extends it by another 12 months.
Is a new C_THR81 version coming?
SAP says the next version should be available mid-December 2026.
More in this series
- Exam pattern 2026: what changed from the 2021 guide
- Syllabus: the 2021 task list, 22 topics, 78 tasks
- Eligibility: can a fresher get Workday Pro HCM Core certified?
- Cost: training credits, $800, retakes and waivers
- Salary: Workday HCM consultant pay in India
- Workday Pro HCM Core notice board — alerts and updates
Sources
- official — SAP Learning — SAP Certified: SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core and Position Management (C_THR81)
- official — SAP Learning Help Center — Certification practical exam (system-based, open-book assessments)
- official — SAP Training — CER001 SAP Certification Exam, One Attempt
- official — Workday — Talent Development Partners (Workday Pro Platform Administrator Certification pathways; ASU W. P. Carey and Marymount marked "Available globally")
- official — Workday Community — Exams for Training (updated 23 Sep 2026): current exam policy
- official — Workday Community — Workday Pro FAQ (updated 21 Jul 2026)
- official — Workday Community — Workday Pro Human Capital Management Certifications (updated 31 Jul 2026)
- official — Workday Rising 2026 — Workday Pro Exams page and FAQ
- official — Workday — Workday Pro HCM Core Exam Guide (PDF, created 14 Oct 2021)
- reported — Workday Services Training & Certification Catalog (Workday-branded document, undated, hosted by partner Evoke, not on a Workday domain — hence reported)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
