PHR / SPHR Exam For Dummies
Overview
Adding the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification to your resume immediately places you above less qualified competitors. After studying with PHR/SPHR Exam For Dummies, you will conquer the exam armed with confidence and a solid understanding of the test and its presentation. This book + online product includes 4 unique practice tests: two in the book (one PHR one SPHR) and two additional tests online (one additional PHR one additional SPHR).
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About The Author
Sandra M. Reed, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is a leading expert in the certification of HR professionals. She is the author of the 2nd edition of The Official Guide to the Human Resource Body of Knowledge and the 5th edition of the PHR and SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Complete Study Guide: 2018 Exams. Reed is also the author of case studies and learning modules for the Society of Human Resource Management, teaching and writing content for undergraduate studies at both public and private universities.
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phr / sphr exam for dummies
CHEAT SHEET
If you decide to take the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exam to earn your HR certification, you have chosen to undergo an important pursuit in your career.These exams test you on what you should know to be a proficient human resources professional. You may begin to study before you're approved to test, so the application process often runs concurrent with your study efforts.
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PHR/SPHR Exam
So you’ve decided to take the PHR or the SPHR exam. Congratulations! This career decision is an excellent place to invest your time and resources, mainly because it’s all about you. You need to do a few things to get started, and this list is a practical guide to get you prepared to prepare.
An important note: The pace you set early on in your study plan is indicative of your time commitment throughout the preparation process.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The PHR/SPHR exam format can ambush even the best-laid plans. Know that both the PHR and the SPHR exams are designed to test your knowledge and competencies, not to measure whether you're a good test taker or not. Having said that, you should be aware of several exam-specific pitfalls. Note that awareness without action is pointless, so this chapter focuses on a few of the most common snags you should prepare to avoid.
PHR/SPHR Exam
One of the biggest oversights of people planning to take the PHR or SPHR exams is that they don't properly utilize the roadmap that is the exam body of knowledge (BOK). This document is straight from the horse's mouth — the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).
Although many excellent preparation resources are on the market that have successfully prepared exam takers for decades, the exam BOK should be the foundation of all of your efforts.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Individuals choose to take the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exams and become professionally certified for many reasons, and those reasons come from multiple perspectives. More and more employers are looking for certified professionals to draw higher value from their HR talent.
HRCI has contracted with Prometric to administer the exams. The company has hundreds of computer-based facilities around the United States (and internationally). After you have been approved to sit for the exam, you'll be directed to the Prometric's website to schedule your exam. At this time, you'll be able to select the facility where you'll test and take note of the address and phone number.
PHR/SPHR Exam
You may be wondering how you're going to find the time to go deep and study all of the material on the PHR and/or SPHR exams. At this stage of your studying, your daily commitment is to success is critical. Reading every book and absorbing enough to apply to the exam is ideal, but probably not necessary. Instead, consider implementing the following study goals:
Commit to spending 10 or 20 minutes each day outside of your normal study time to research the authors recommended by the Human Resource Certification Institute and their work: Warren Bennis, Charles Handy, Geert Hofstede, Henry Mintzberg, Kenichi Ohmae, Michael Porter, C.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Subjective tools often determine the value of business activities. Make sure that you're familiar with these as you prepare to take the PHR and SPHR exams.
Cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) measures the effectiveness of a community of intervention activities focused on company operations.
Taking the right exam, either the PHR or the SPHR, has an effect on more than simply making the preparation process less stressful. Choosing the appropriate test also can impact your future job and earnings potential.
Think about applying for an upper level HR job that requires exposure, experience, and problem-solving in business management and strategy that may be validated by the SPHR credential.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The PHR and SPHR exams are experience based; therefore, it stands to reason that the application process will begin with a review of your HR work history. Start by creating an online account with the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). You also will log in your recertification credit activities after you've been successful taking the exam at this account.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The expectation of the newly certified HR professional is that you continue to engage in professional development activities; therefore, both the PHR and SPHR certificates are valid for three years. That means that you must recertify your credentials in one of two ways: retake the exam or earn credits. Not surprisingly, many choose to earn the 60 recertification credits over the three-year active window rather than sit for the exam again.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The PHR and SPHR exams support a baseline of knowledge that you must have in order to best serve the multiple industries where you work. In fact, the process of preparing for these exams may make you feel like you're in graduate school.
In addition, these exams require recertification, which means those individuals certified must engage in development activities that support the variety of exam objectives based on best practices.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The lure of “free” is everywhere — free shipping, free samples, free resources. The PHR and SPHR exams are no exception. Here are a few ways to access free and low-cost assessments to supplement your primary study materials as you prepare for these exams.
Using your existing resources
The best place to start is to ensure the exam prep materials you select come with free assessment exams.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Preparing for the PHR or SPHR test and answering the questions can be similar to the way a golfer approaches a shot. Addressing this exam requires the same mind-set.
Approaching a shot references how the golfer goes through a few phases of preparation before actually swinging the club. He selects the right club, stands back to view the landscape, tees up the ball, and squares up to the shot.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Both the PHR and SPHR exams are multiple choice with four possible options. The stems, or premise of the question, are phrased in a few different ways.
Direct questions
These types of items ask a specific question, usually offering background information or a summary. Here is an example of a direct question.
What type of interview bias is the result of the interviewer applying a widely held but not necessarily true characteristic to an applicant, often based on a protected class characteristic?
PHR/SPHR Exam
Answer choices that contain absolutes such as never, none, all, or always are virtually never correct. Absolutes must apply to all circumstances, and HR professionals know that very few things in day-to-day activities are universal. For this reason, eliminating these answers as incorrect is a safe bet.
A bit more difficult to navigate are the most and least questions.
PHR/SPHR Exam
After you have successfully achieved PHR/SPHR certification, your role at work is going to change. It's not just because you now have initials next to your name. The preparation process taught you new things, and as the consummate professional that you are, you'll begin to seek change in your workgroup.
These changes will apply in two areas:
In your department: Depending on the size of your HR department, you may suddenly become a go-to person for input and advice.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The PHR/SPHR exam content is less murky then you may think. The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) has established the exam components in a very systematic way. Your ability to take what HRCI is telling you and apply it to exam conditions is directly correlated to a pass or fail. For this reason, it behooves you to train yourself to the exam objectives and core knowledge requirements.
PHR/SPHR Exam
In addition to the two good answer choices, a question on the PHR or SPHR exam usually also has distractors. Distractors can show up in a couple of different places:
In the question stem: This extraneous information isn't relevant to the correct answer.
In one of the four answer choices: Some distractors are answers based on common misconceptions.
PHR/SPHR Exam
You'll inevitably run into a question (or a few) on the PHR or SPHR exam where you simply won't know the answer. Don't be surprised when you encounter one. Stay calm and don't panic. Here are some strategies to deal with the unknown:
Trust your first instinct. Try not to overthink the question. If you really don't know the answer, trust your first instinct and move on, marking it for review if time permits.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The choice to become PHR/SPHR certified is often quite personal. Although directly related to your professional development, it’s a personal achievement that distinguishes you in your industrial community. The feeling of pride and accomplishment that successful certification will bring is legitimate — you worked hard!
PHR/SPHR Exam
In order to get the most out of taking practice exams for the PHR/SPHR, you need to use your time wisely. You want to practice with as many as you can before you take the actual exam. These tips can help you maximize your results.
When you're practicing with content review in mind, consider the following:
Take the practice tests open book.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Both the PHR and SPHR exams rely heavily on the concept of the best answer. It means that in a group of experts, all would agree that the answer is the best answer to a given premise. The exams use these types of questions to measure how well you're able to apply your work experience to an exam item.
To tackle these types of questions, keep in mind that you're looking for the answer that serves the exam objectives and the industry as a whole.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Each question on the PHR or SPHR exam has four multiple choice options, of which two seem highly possible but only one is correct. When faced with this choice, think about how you would answer this question at work.
Consider both answers from a federal versus a state perspective and remind yourself that these exams are based on federal law.
You may not have sat for an exam in a long period of time, so the prospect of writing a study plan for the PHR or SPHR exam may be daunting. The good news is that there isn't a single best practice in preparing for this exam. It's the collection of multiple efforts that will help you perform well and reach your goal.
PHR/SPHR Exam
In addition to publishing the body of knowledge (BOK) and core knowledge requirements (CKR), the HRCI gives you hints and tips on what material to study for the PHR/SPHR exams. They include must-reads by authors such as:
Warren Bennis: Bennis is a management theorist in the areas of leadership and behavior management.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Business Management is the functional area of the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exams that focuses specifically on the need for human resources to be strategic business partners. It requires a thorough understanding of the relationships between human resources and the stakeholders.
PHR/SPHR Exam
When planning your PHR or SPHR exam preparations, 14 weeks is your goal. Fourteen weeks of studying and immersion. In the big scheme of things, 14 weeks isn't a long time for a successful exam experience.
You clearly have a baseline of knowledge that marks you eligible to sit for the exam, so your goal in the 90 or so prep days is to expand your knowledge of the areas that you already are comfortable with and expand your familiarity with the areas in which you may be less familiar.
One of the first decisions you'll have to make is which exam to take. The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) offers six accredited designations in the field of human resources. The institute's generalist certificates are the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
If you decide to take the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exam to earn your HR certification, you have chosen to undergo an important pursuit in your career.These exams test you on what you should know to be a proficient human resources professional. You may begin to study before you're approved to test, so the application process often runs concurrent with your study efforts.
Weighting the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exam content allows the test builders to rank information in the order of importance and level of difficulty. Exam weights are expressed as percentages—the higher the percentage, the more important or difficult the information and the more likely it is that you will see it on your test.
PHR/SPHR Exam
A study plan is a tool that you can use to prepare for the PHR or SPHR exam. Hence, you want your study plan to be specific to your needs. Needs to consider include the date of your exam, the amount of time you have available to dedicate to studying, and your specific strengths and weaknesses.
Prior to writing your plan, complete the following activities:
Select the right exam.
PHR/SPHR Exam
After you achieve your PHR or SPHR certification, you'll want to bring that knowledge to work. Business as usual isn't always the best policy, but wanting to change too much too fast can actually damage your credibility. Think carefully about what is book smart compared to changes that your employer or teammates can reasonably be expected to tolerate.
Very few individuals take this test with no preparation. The degree to which you prepare is based on your unique work experience and education. They include the following:
Study plans: A study plan is a tool that you design. It's a written plan of attack that addresses the things that make you unique — your specific strengths and weaknesses and the amount of time you have available to study — which means that you'll need to have a general idea of your exam date and assessment scores.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Back in the day, exam takers had to wait up to six weeks for results after they took the PHR or SPHR Exam, but with computerized testing, you fortunately get a preliminary pass or fail right after you complete the exam and subsequent survey. It's recommended that you wait to publish your exam success until you receive the certification in the mail.
After you receive your PHR or SPHR certification (which means you passed the PHR or SPHR Exam), your work isn't finished. You're required to keep up your certification. You're granted three years to earn the 60 recertification credit hours necessary to maintain your credential, so it's never too early to begin thinking about the process.
PHR/SPHR Exam
In designing exam objectives, HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute) uses a practice analysis study (PAS), in which a job analysis of sorts is conducted on the work of HR, producing the industry's job description. Two primary elements make up this job description:
Exam objectives: They describe the responsibilities of a HR professional and are independently numbered for each functional area.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Both the PHR and SPHR exams are based on experience performance, not rote memorization. As a result, it's unreasonable to expect that any one exam preparation system will completely prepare you to take these tests. View the core knowledge requirements (CKR) areas through the filter based on your experience. If you lack in any area, you should focus on resources to fill the gap.
After you apply to take the PHR or SPHR Exam and your application has been approved and you have received the authorization-to-test (ATT) email, you're now cleared to schedule when you want to take the exam. Both the PHR and SPHR exams are administered through Prometric.
The receipt page of your application payment will have a link to the Prometric website.
Some popular theorists say that cramming for your exam or putting off studying until the last moment — the week or the night before the test — is useless. Short-term memory gains are often at the expense of lost information elsewhere, which is especially true if your late-night studying breaches your normal sleep patterns, because a well-rested exam taker is more successful than one who just pulled an all-nighter.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Regardless of how long you prepare for the PHR or SPHR exam, nothing is quite like the trio — the day before, the day of, and the day after the exam day.
Before the test: You'll need to be make many decisions in advance of the 24 hours before test day. For example, some individuals prefer to book a hotel room near the exam facility, which minimizes the possibility of heavy traffic and allows for a quiet evening before to review.
A few common factors can contribute to success on PHR/SPHR test day, no matter your education or experience. Here are three important tips that can help you get in the right frame of mind.
Attitude: Believe that you can succeed
Conduct a web search on the term "the power of positive thinking" and you may be surprised at the amount of material that is available on the impact of how a person's attitude affects successful outcomes.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Business Management and Strategy (BMS) is the functional area of the PHR/SPHR exams that focuses specifically on the need for human resources to be strategic business partners. The BMS exam objectives can be categorized as related to general business principles and best practices and the process of strategic planning.
PHR/SPHR Exam
When preparing to take the PHR or SPHR, you may want to join a study group, which has these advantages, the same that Abraham Maslow wrote about in Hierarchy of Needs:
Belonging: Adults are motivated when they belong to a group of peers, those with similar needs and desires. Aligning yourself with others in a study group creates a sense of camaraderie while reiterating the fact that you aren't, in fact, alone on this journey.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Both the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exams have unique functional areas in terms of content, and you need to know what to do with this information in order for it to serve you. Similar to the test questions, you must be able to apply the knowledge from a workplace perspective to be successful.
The history of what is currently known as the PHR and SPHR exams is really quite interesting. Under its earlier name, the Society for Human Resources (SHRM) commissioned a taskforce based on a study of industrial relations in the 1960s. The focus was on whether or not the field of human resources was a true profession, similar to that of a lawyer, doctor, or accountant.
PHR/SPHR Exam
There are multiple ways to study for the PHR/SPHR exam. Most human resources professionals today are working in a never-ending cycle of both planned and unplanned activities. One day you may be peacefully ensconced in your office and other days you’re fighting fires on the front line. For this reason, having access to your study materials for the PHR or SPHR exam in multiple formats is an excellent way to maximize moments of downtime.
PHR/SPHR Exam
You can use the PEST analysis — the political, economic, social, and technological changes — to interpret a muddy PHR/SPHR exam objective as part of your studying efforts. Suggestions include HR needs such as substance abuse, union organizing, and hiring veterans.
The role of HR has continued to evolve alongside the needs of the employers that they support.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Prometric is strict about what you can't take into the PHR/SPHR testing room. Prometric requires that you place all items — outerwear, hats, watches, purses, cell phones, food, drink — everything except your ID — into a locker to which you're given a key. Prior to entering the testing room, someone wands you with a metal detector, and you're required to turn out your pockets.
PHR/SPHR Exam
An environmental scan reviews the internal and external factors that influence an organization's ability to compete in its space. Internal strengths and weaknesses and external threats and opportunities are identified, and plans then are generated to respond to these conditions on a short-term and long-term basis.
PHR/SPHR Exam
You should be familiar with several evaluation tools in preparation for the PHR/SPRH exam. Strategy evaluation is the process of measuring how well or how poorly an organization is doing when compared to the strategic plan. The timing of the evaluations are important because they shouldn't be completed only at the end of the plan year.
PHR/SPHR Exam
The mission statement, vision statement, and values statement (MVV) are at the foundation of strategy formulation. You probably already know what they mean, but here is what they can tell about an organization:
The mission statement answers the question: Why do we exist?
The vision statement answers the question: Where do we want to be?
PHR/SPHR Exam
For purposes of the PHR/SPHR exams, knowing information related to the operational functions of business is important. These functions include a general understanding of finance, accounting, production, sales and marketing, customer service, purchasing, and information technology (IT).
Finance and accounting
Some people commonly misperceive accounting and finance as one and the same.
PHR/SPHR Exam
Prometric is meticulous for security on exam day to ensure the integrity of the PHR/SPHR exams aren't breached and that you are who you say you are on exam day. Make sure that you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time to allow for security procedures.
You must present an unexpired government-issued ID when registering, when entering the test room, and when returning from a break.
Congratulations. You clicked the finish button and completed the strenuous experience of taking the PHR or SPHR exam. However before you can leave, you have a few small tasks to do — most importantly receiving your score. Here's what you need to do after you finish.
Completing the survey
Before you find out how you performed, you'll be asked to complete a short survey, conducted by HRCI.
Anticipation is often worse than the actual experience, which seems to hold particularly true for both the PHR and SPHR exam day. Here's a quick overview.
Looking at the exams' structure and types of questions
Both exams have questions that are written by certified HR professionals, not academics. HRCI correlates exam scores to the years of experience that are required for the tests, which is in part to justify the need for practical work experience for a successful test.
Many individuals believe that if they meet the SPHR exam eligibility requirements, then they should start there. However, this assumption is both important and dangerous for three reasons:
If you take the SPHR and fail it the first time around, you'll have to pay a second exam fee to take it again. Starting with the PHR makes more sense.
PHR/SPHR Exam
HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) offers a wide range of exams, with more than 135,000 professionals certified in 100 countries. The HRCI exams have evolved along with the profession, adding tests in HR disciplines that are broad in scope, yet address the global diversity that the industry represents.
HRCI makes no secret that the PHR and SPHR exams can't be taught. Yet individuals who fail the exams gnash their teeth and wail loudly, wondering how they're supposed to prepare for an exam that has no precise preparation resource. Thinking this way is unfair and unrealistic perspective, because of the following reasons:
The exam is deeply experience based.
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