Question dissection
The number one complaint I hear about the PHR and SPHR exams is the level of ambiguity in many of the questions. The frustration is not usually due to an inability to find a right answer, but rather that you could make a plausible argument for every one of the alternatives. Here’s where you’ve got to take the question apart and figure out what the item writer is looking for. Each exam question is assessing your knowledge or skill in a particular area. Ask yourself, what am I being tested on here? Is this item trying to determine if I know some particular fact? Is it trying to assess if I can do something? By asking yourself these questions, you can often eliminate the extraneous garbage and get to the heart of the matter.
If, when you’ve dissected the question, you find that you don’t know the pertinent fact or don’t possess the necessary skill, then make your best guess. Often you’ll find, however, that breaking the question down and finding the concept that is being tested will help you arrive at the best answer.