HRCP Blog

We had a great trip to New Orleans. It is always fun to talk with human resource people from across the country and from around the world. While attendance was down significantly this year at the SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, we still were able to talk with many people getting ready to take the PHR and SPHR exams. We answer a lot of questions at these events. I’ve made a list of the top ten questions we heard this year at the conference:

1. What is difference between the HRCP Program and the SHRM Learning System?
2. Is it better to take a PHR/SPHR prep class or study on my own?
3. I failed the certification exam; what do I do now?
4. Does HRCP sell materials for the GPHR exam?
5. Are the HR QuikStudy Flash Cards sold separately?
6. Is it true that soon students won’t be able to sit for the PHR exam?
7. Where were you when I was studying for the HR certification exam?
8. Did you pay them to say that?
9. How much does the HRCP Program cost?
10. Will you be in San Diego next year?

My next 10 blog entries will be devoted to responding to these questions.

That should keep me busy for the rest of the summer.

We’re off for New Orleans to attend the 2009 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and visit us at booth #2329.

I’m not sure my decompression is complete, but I’m ready to begin sharing my thoughts regarding my recent experience taking the SPHR exam.

Have you ever watched or participated in a sporting event where the teams were so evenly matched it seemed the final outcome was determined not by the players in the game, but due to a call made by the officials? It’s absolutely unfair. But unfortunately, it’s part of the game. Referees and umpires are (for the most part) human and are subject to the limitations of human perception and, sadly, even to bias. That is why in order to win a game, a team must play well enough to beat their opponent and well enough to overcome any potentially adverse decisions by the officials.

I think there is a similar situation with the PHR and SPHR exams. The HR certification exam item writers are (for the most part) human and are subject to all manner of weaknesses and bias. The questions on the exams are imperfect. Some are more imperfect that others. Many of the questions are straightforward and easy to answer if you know the HR body of knowledge. Some questions are ambiguous and confusing, even if you know HR inside out and backward. You could make a valid argument in favor of all four of the alternatives, or you could make a case that none of them is true. It was frustrating for me as a test-taker, but it’s even more perplexing to me as one who is trying to help other HR professionals pass the exam. I can teach how to accurately calculate overtime, and I can describe the systems model of training and development, but how do I help people prepare for the bewildering ambiguity?

I don’t know. Yet.

But what I can say right now is that those taking the PHR and SPHR exams must know the HR body of knowledge well enough to nail the straightforward questions and not leave the outcome of the exam to be determined by how well they fair on the more imperfect questions.

Whew! I passed the SPHR exam today. Again. As I’ve previously mentioned, I take the HR certification exam every three years to re-certify.

And I’m never taking it again. Ever.*

That exam is a ridiculously frustrating, stress-inducing monster. A man exiting the testing center told the center supervisor, “You should have a decompression chamber here for people finishing their tests.” I agreed. This was my sixth time taking (and sixth time passing, I might add) the HR certification exam, and the experience does not become more pleasant with the repetition.

I’m planning to go knock the stuffing out of a few softballs tonight. That should help relieve some stress.

And after I’ve decompressed a bit, I’ll provide more thoughts on my experience.

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*I really will be taking the exam again in three years. But right now, I’m not going to let myself think about it.

The May-June 2009 HRCI test window opened today to cloudy skies and light rain. (At least where I am.) Three years ago I took the SPHR exam on the last day of June, the final day of the testing period. I won’t be able to procrastinate this year because I’ll be at the SHRM conference in New Orleans on the last day of June, working at the HRCP booth (booth #2329–come see us!)

I’ve scheduled my exam for later this month so I can take the exam before the kids are out of school for the summer. And so I can just be done with it. Mostly so I can just be done with it.

I haven’t started studying yet. Sigh. Why do I do this every three years?

I really must be nuts.

If anyone knows what looks good on a resume it’s a human resource manager. As evidenced by our brisk sales so far this quarter, many HR managers are trying to enhance their resumes by becoming certified. They understand what a tight labor market means for job seekers. You’ve got to find ways to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack. PHR and SPHR certification can do that.

Interestingly, some of the organizations that use our materials for their study groups have had lower enrollments this go around, but our sales to individuals using the HRCP Program for self-study are up dramatically. It appears that many HR professionals are looking for an economical way to prepare for the PHR and SPHR exams. The HRCP Program is comprehensive, up-to-date, and perhaps most important in these tough economic times, it is affordable.

And to make it even a little more affordable, we’re offering a discount for readers of the HRCP Blog. Order before April 15, 2009, and use the discount code BUILDRESUME for $30 off the price of the complete HRCP Program.

Two years ago today I began the HRCP blog. In my first blog entry, I mentioned that I have taken the HR certification exam five times. Soon it will be six. That’s right, I’ll be taking the SPHR exam again during the May-June 2009 test window. I’m among the tiny one-percent of certified HR professionals who choose to re-certify by examination every three years. It’s crazy, I know, but how better could I assess the adequacy of our materials in preparing people for the PHR and SPHR exams?

I haven’t started studying yet. I always say to myself, “This time I’m not going to study; I’ll just walk in there and see how it goes.” But ultimately I decide that I don’t want to take any chances. What if I didn’t pass? How embarrassing would that be? And now that I’ve mentioned it here, it increases the pressure by a factor of ten. Yep, I’ll study. And I’ll let you know how it’s going. I’ll share any ideas and insights that hit me along the way.

If you’re contemplating human resource certification, please come and join me in the journey.

We have a number of HR associations, employers’ associations, colleges, and universities who have adopted the HRCP Program for their PHR and SPHR exam preparation courses. We love to hear of their success.

Congratulations to the Capital Region Human Resource Association in Albany, New York: 25 of 27 participants in their HR certification prep course passed the exam during the December 2008-January 2009 test window. That’s a 93% pass rate!

Way to go!

Now that the December-January test window has closed, we’ve been hearing from many who used the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program to prepare for their PHR and SPHR exams, and we’ve been delighted by what we’ve heard. Here is a sampling of the comments we’ve received:

“The [HRCP] materials are great! Really aided in my prep and my ability to pass!”

“I was very hesitant to buy your system, given the fact that HRCP is not assumed to be as credible as the SHRM learning system. But I’m glad I did - you saved me tons of $$ and I passed the SPHR on my first try through self-study alone! All I did was read through the materials once, take 3.5 rounds of the practice exams, and run through the flashcards with my husband some evenings.”

“Just wanted to let you know that I just took the PHR exam yesterday and passed (!) the only study materials I used were your books and flashcards.”

This kind of feedback is very gratifying. Congrats to all those who passed the exams!

In April I wrote about proposed changes to the PHR and SPHR eligibility requirements. The HR Certification Institute announced today that those changes will take effect in 2011. Beginning with the May-June 2011 test window, the following eligibility requirements will apply:

For the PHR

• 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree
• 2 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree
• 1 year of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher

For the SPHR

• 7 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree
• 5 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree
• 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher

For the GPHR

• 4 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience (with 2 of the 4 being global HR experience) with less than a Bachelor’s degree
• 3 years of demonstrated exempt-level HR experience (with 2 of the 3 being global HR experience) with a Bachelor’s degree
• 2 years of demonstrated global exempt-level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher