HRCP Blog

Heh, heh. This is one of my favorites.

Repeatedly, as we talked with visitors at our booth at the SHRM conference, we’d have other people call out as they walked by, “I just passed the SPHR using your materials! Thanks!” or “Your flash cards rock!” or “Our chapter uses HRCP. It’s the best!”

The visitors’ usual response: “Did you pay them to say that?”

Nope. Not a penny.

Right here, probably. We’ve been selling study materials for the PHR and SPHR exams since 1995.

This question, which we’ve heard many times, comes from the frustration of having spent more money than was necessary to prepare for the HR certification exams. We aren’t trying to keep ourselves a secret. Really. We advertise. We use the Internet. We’ve been attending the annual SHRM Conference and Exposition since 2000 in Las Vegas.

Our biggest difficulty is the pervasive misconception that the SHRM Learning System is the official way to prepare for the PHR and SPHR exams. It’s not, of course, but many people assume that it’s true and don’t bother looking any further.

Those who go out looking for an alternative usually find one.

They usually find us.

Yes, sadly, that is true. When the new HR Certification Institute eligibility requirements take effect for the May-June 2011 test window, students without work experience will no longer be able to take the PHR exam. The following is from the HR Certification Institute website:

Students will no longer be eligible to take the exams without the required work experience. Students will be able to take the exam once they have graduated and achieved the required number of years of demonstrated work experience that is required for the certification they wish to achieve and the degree they hold.

The HR QuikStudy Flash Cards are, indeed, sold separately (for just $25). Also, each of the six units of the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program can be purchased individually.

No, we don’t. We sell materials for the PHR and SPHR exams. The HR Certification Institute has been offering the GPHR exam for almost five years, and to this point the level of interest in the global exam has not been high enough to justify the amount of work it would take to produce materials for GPHR preparation materials. We re-evaluate every year, and at a future date we may begin producing GPHR materials. For the time being, however, we will continue to focus on updating and improving the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program for PHR and SPHR exam preparation.

1. Please be reassured that failing the PHR or SPHR exam does not mean that you are not competent at your job. It is not a reflection of your intelligence. It should not be a determinant of your self-worth. Passing or failing the HR certification exam is more about test-taking skills than it is about HR skills.
2. Decide whether it is worth it for you to re-take the exam. Maybe it’s not. You have now been through the preparation and the test-taking experience. Are you prepared to face that again? If so, read on.
3. Learn from your results. The detailed results provided by HRCI can help you identify areas where you may be weak. Be sure to put extra emphasis on those areas as you study.
4. Beef up your study materials. Were the topics included on the exam adequately covered in the study materials you used? You might consider obtaining more or better study aids.
5. Scrutinize your own preparation. Were you sufficiently diligent in your study? Did you put in the time and effort to learn the HR body of knowledge?
6. Work on improving your test-taking skills. Find as many quality practice questions as you can and practice, practice, practice.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. For many people, the decision comes down to time and/or money, but there are other things to consider. Here’s some of the benefits of each:

Benefits of group-study:

• Generally the instructor will have had experience preparing others for the HRCI exams.
• The instructor’s knowledge or expertise may exceed my own in some areas.
• Other group members may have knowledge or expertise that may exceed my own.
• Group members can provide support and encouragement to each other.
• The externally-imposed study schedule might help keep me on track better than my own schedule.

Benefits of self-study:

• Self-study will almost always cost less than group study (unless it’s a free study group and materials are shared).
• I can create a study schedule to fit my situation rather than have a schedule imposed on me.
• I can spend more time focusing on the areas where I am weak and less on the areas I already know well.
• Instead of spending time traveling to a group class, I can study.

We hear this question more than any other. (Almost as much as we hear “Is the HRCP Program exactly the same as the SHRM Learning System?” Um, no. That would be plagiarism.)

The two sets of materials are similar in several ways. First, both the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program and the SHRM Learning System are based on the HR Body of Knowledge used by the HR Certification Institute in preparing the PHR and SPHR certification exams. Both programs cover the six functional areas tested on the exam. And neither the HRCP Program nor the SHRM Learning System is endorsed by the HR Certification Institute; they don’t endorse any particular study method. Nope, not even the SHRM Learning System.

So, how are they different? The HRCP Program costs much less. The retail price of the HRCP Program is $345. The SHRM Learning System runs $650 for SHRM members and $795 for nonmembers. Also, they are written by different authors. The HRCP Program is written by David Cherrington, a noted HR expert, textbook author, and university professor, and by me. The SHRM Learning System is produced by Holmes Corporation. And finally, the HRCP Program includes a set of nifty, multi-colored flash cards.

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. Do you have materials specifically for the SPHR exam?
10. How often do you update the HRCP Program?

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

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