HRCP Blog

According to our server data, fewer than half of those who purchase the HRCP Program ever set up a username and password to access the online tests that accompany the program. Imagine that. I’m sure that some of them have very good reasons for not using the tests, though I’m hard pressed to come up with any at the moment. But I can think of a lot of reasons in favor of using the online practice tests:

1. You’ve already paid for it. Not using a resource you’ve already paid for would be like ordering a meal at a restaurant that includes a drink and desert and saying, “Nah, I’ll pass on the milk and the double-fudge sundae. And I can’t see why I’d want a fork, either.” Seriously.
2. Studying is one thing, practicing is another. Reading the study materials without ever taking a practice exam would be like a basketball team doing drills for dribbling, running, and passing, without ever attempting to throw the ball in the hoop. It is just as important to develop test-taking skills as it is to review the content of the exam. The best way to do this is by drilling a lot of questions.
3. Are you learning anything? The practice tests are a great way to assess whether anything you’re studying is penetrating the cranium.
4. The tests are graded for you. The online tests are so much better than a paper-and-pencil alternative. The questions are checked for you and you get immediate feedback, including a reference to the page of the HRCP Program where you’ll find more info.
5. It’s a no brainer. You’ve already paid for it. It’s great practice. It’s a good assessment. It’s auto-graded. Do yourself a huge favor and use the online review questions. If you have trouble getting an account set up, just contact our office for help.

I have commented many times on the importance of practice in your PHR and SPHR exam preparation. (See, for example, “Does practice make perfect?”) The more practice questions you can review, the better. And the closer you can approximate the human resource certification exam environment, the more prepared you’ll be.

I should include a caveat, however: Most practice questions are written as a review for a particular set of study materials. Scoring well on such a practice test is good, and it shows that you know the study material, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll do well on the HR certification exam. In order for your knowledge of the subject matter to translate into success on the PHR and SPHR exams, you need to be able to effectively apply that knowledge to question that are written by different authors, with a different writing style, and sometimes using different terminology. The best way to accomplish this is to expose yourself to many different practice tests. Don’t limit yourself to those associated with your study materials.

There are many practice tests available, both free and for a fee. You should be able to find many resources with a web search. Here are some guidelines for selecting practice tests:

1. Choose tests from legitimate sources. By legitimate I mean legal (as in they don’t infringe someone’s copyright) and reliable (the source is reputable, a known HR expert).
2. Look for tests that provide feedback. An overall score is not very helpful in your study process. Practice tests that allow you to review, show which questions you missed, and provide explanations (such as our online practice test) are most useful.
3. Diversify. Choose a number of different sources. The actual HR certification exam questions are written by many, many different people. It’s a good idea to experience questions written by numerous authors.

I always worry when I hear that a PHR or SPHR candidate has purchased two different sets of HR certification study materials, acquired several HR textbooks, printed a variety of study aids and outlines, made thousands of flash cards, and has enrolled in two exam preparation classes. Generally, those who amass this amount of information do so to combat the anxiety they feel about their exam readiness. The net result of their efforts, however, is a higher level of stress. They are overwhelmed by the insurmountable task of learning it all.

But here’s the good news: You don’t need to know everything. It’s not practical, and it’s not necessary. Keep in mind that you can miss one out of every five questions on the exam and still be on very safe ground to pass. So, how do you find the balance between enough and too much? Here are a few suggestions:

• Focus on quality rather than quantity.  A good set of HR certification preparation materials should be sufficient to prepare you for the exam, and you probably won’t need other sources. If you are studying from a textbook or outline that is not expressly designed for exam preparation, though, you’ll need to supplement your study with other materials.
• Find a balance between depth and breadth. You have a limited amount of time in which to study. It is better to know a smaller number topics very well than a broader range of topics only superficially. On the other hand, don’t get so mired in the minutia that you leave important topics unlearned.
• Create a written schedule and stick to it. Identify the topics that you need to know and determine how much time you will study each area. Break up the content into manageable chunks so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Be sure to focus on the concepts that carry the most weight on the exam.

Yes, I get caught up in the madness that is NCAA basketball. I closely followed a conference championship tournament last week and was delighted when three of the four quarter-final games were decided by a total of seven points (a one-point game, a two-point game, and a four-point game). I love the drama and tension of the nail-biters. I like to think about what makes the difference in the close games, and here’s my (admittedly incomplete and oversimplified) list:

• Execution
• Stamina
• Luck

And (surprise, surprise), each of these items can also make the difference in the close ones on the PHR and SPHR exams. (Yes, I can relate anything to HR certification. Try me.)

• Execution. Just as you’ve got to put the ball in the hoop to win a basketball game, so must you answer questions correctly to pass the human resource certification exam. Simple, I know, but that’s what it all boils down to in the end. Ability to execute on the PHR and SPHR exams depends principally on 1) knowing enough about the right stuff, and 2) accurately applying that knowledge to the exam. Your preparation for the exam should include both the acquisition of information and the improvement of test-taking skills.
• Stamina. The HR certification exam may not be as physically exhausting as playing 40 minutes of basketball, but it is mentally draining. You’ve got to condition yourself. You’ve got to be toned. You’ve got to be tough. The best workout you can do to prepare for the exam is to simulate the timed test environment and bench press a bazillion questions.
• Luck. Sometimes the ball bounces your way, and sometimes it doesn’t. You can only study so many topics, memorize so many terms, review so many pieces of legislation. Which of the thousands of potential topics will be reflected in the 225 questions on the PHR or SPHR exam is essentially a matter of luck. It’s out of your hands. However, keep in mind the wise words attributed to Thomas Jefferson: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”

What is the difference between the HRCP Program and the SHRM Learning System?

We get this question a lot. I’ll start out by telling you how they’re similar:

• Both the Human Resource Certification Preparation Program and the SHRM Learning System are based on the HR Body of Knowledge used by the HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) in preparing the PHR and SPHR certification exams.
• Neither the HRCP Program nor the SHRM Learning System is endorsed by HRCI; the Human Resource Certification Institute doesn’t endorse any particular study method. See this previous blog entry for more details.

Now, how are they different?

• The HRCP Program costs much less. The retail price of the HRCP Program is $345. The SHRM Learning System runs $595 for SHRM members and $695 for nonmembers.
• 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.
• The HRCP Program includes a set of nifty, multi-colored flash cards.

Since Terri took and passed the human resource certification exam a week and a half a go, she is the resident expert. Here are more words of wisdom from Terri, PHR:

Surprised or not surprised…that is the question!

When taking the PHR exam last week I was not surprised by what I saw. Perhaps I can share some information with you, so you’re not surprised either. First off, don’t be surprised when you see questions that start off like the following:

What is the MOST LIKELY….
The BEST method for…
Which of the following is NOT…
Fortunately, those capitalized key words you see are also in capital letters on the exam. Pay attention to them, especially when you see them in your study materials!

Don’t be surprised when you are asked which employers a piece of legislation applies to or you are given the legislation and have to identify the correct provision of that act. You may also be given a scenario and asked to choose the piece of legislation that applies to the situation.

Don’t be surprised when you see OWBPA, ADR, or BFOQ. It’s in your best interest to know the acronyms since you will see them on the exam.

Don’t be surprised when you see numbers and have to calculate something, whether it be a compa-ratio, overtime, or the amount covered by an insurance plan.

Don’t be surprised if you are asked about alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, training methods, learning theories, performance evaluation, selection tests, reliability, and validity (just to name a few of the things I saw on my exam).

Don’t be surprised if you see something that was not covered in your preparation materials. Since no one knows exactly what will be on the exam, it is virtually impossible for everything to be covered in your books. I estimate that 97% of the topics covered on my exam were discussed in the HRCP Program (yes, I kept track).

Don’t be surprised when it takes 5 minutes after your exam to find out whether you’ve passed and that you have to answer survey questions while waiting.

Don’t be surprised when you pass! If you’ve put forth the time and effort to learn the material and are a reasonably good test taker, it will be a relief when you see “pass” but it shouldn’t be a surprise!

This week I’ve been updating Unit 3 of the HRCP Program, which covers human resource development. I added a section about reporting training’s return on investment. It reads, in part:

Business managers expect to know the return they are getting for their investments. This is true of expenditures in training, just as is it for money invested in new equipment or technology. One of the ways human resource professionals can demonstrate the impact of training on the goals and objectives of an organization is by conducting return on investment (ROI) analysis and annually reporting the results to management, just as other business units report on their capital investments.

Such an annual report on training serves two important purposes. First, it justifies the training function by showing the value of training to the bottom line. Second, it helps the training department assess itself internally and make adjustments.

Training can be expensive, as those preparing for the PHR and SPHR exams can attest. If you combine the costs of study materials, review courses, and practice exams, and add the value of the study time invested, many HR certification exam candidates are spending several thousand dollars to get ready to take the exam. And that doesn’t include the fee for taking exam itself.

So, how can you get the best return on your PHR or SPHR preparation investment? Treat yourself like a business unit. Have specific study goals. Make reports to yourself on your progress. Squeeze every dollar’s worth out of your investment. Make sure you know what you need to know, then learn everything you can about it. Push yourself. Test yourself.

Oh, and pass. Most especially, pass the exam.

If you have

a) registered for the PHR or SPHR exam for the December/January test window but haven’t begun studying, or

b) not registered yet but are still thinking about doing it (with the late fee) but aren’t sure you’ll have time enough to prepare,

this blog entry is for you.

You still have time, folks. Lots and lots of time. If you start studying now, and you schedule your exam for the end of January, you still have three months to study. Three months. Ninety-three days. That’s long enough to sail across the Pacific, train for a marathon*, hand stitch a quilt, ride a bike from New York to Los Angeles, complete a term of college, or graduate from the Police Academy. It is also long enough to circumnavigate the globe, apparently—with 13 days left over. It is certainly enough time to prepare for the PHR or SPHR exam. But you’ve got to start now.

Terri, the business manager here at HRCP, is preparing to take the PHR exam in December. She has just completed all of the reading and is moving on to the “review” portion of her study schedule. She has covered a specific number of pages of the HRCP Program each day, which usually took her an hour or less. If you take on a similar schedule, studying for an hour each weekday between now and the end of January, there is no reason you can’t be prepared to pass the exam. But you’ve got to start now.

*Disclaimer: Training for a marathon in three months assumes that you’re already in shape. If you’re currently a couch potato, it will take a bit longer.

I’ve seen it time and time again: the nightmares, the flashbacks, the anxiety, and the absolute insistence that nothing they studied was on the PHR or SPHR exam. Okay, the nightmares and flashbacks might be a bit of an exaggeration, but many people who have recently suffered through taken the HR certification exam truly believe that what they studied had no correspondence with what they found on the actual exam.

I can understand the feeling. When I was in my early twenties, I lived in Honduras, Central America, for a year and a half. In preparation for my time abroad, I studied Spanish intensively for nine weeks, and I felt pretty confident in my ability to carry on basic conversations in the language. When I arrived in Honduras, however, I couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying. I thought, “Oh, no, they taught me the wrong language.” Of course, I soon found that I had, indeed, studied the right language, but I needed some time to adapt to the accent and the speed with with the people spoke. I had studied the right stuff. The application of the knowledge was the difficult part.

For many, their experience with the PHR and SPHR exam is similar. The exam seems to be written in a different language. There are more application questions than many test-takers are expecting. The “which of the following would you do first” and “which is the most important consideration” questions baffle even the most seasoned HR professional. In most cases, the topics are not unfamiliar and are included in any decent set of HR certification study materials. The oh-no-they-taught-me-the-wrong-language reaction is due to the nature of the exam questions. When we study, we tend to focus on facts. We review, we drill, we memorize, and we assess our progress by how much we can regurgitate. On the exam we are expected to be able to apply the facts.

True, there will almost always be some topics covered on the exam that we didn’t study. Every time I’ve taken the exam, I’ve been blindsided by one or more questions. In stressful situations, we tend to become fixated on, and remember, the difficult parts, while the easy stuff makes no lasting impression.

So, is there a treatment for HRCI post-traumatic stress disorder? Yes. It’s the same one that worked for me in Central America: hang in there. Fluency comes when facts and application meld.

Disclaimer: I don’t recommend cramming as a viable preparation method for the PHR and SPHR exams. But if you are sitting for the HR certification exam during the current testing window (which slams shut on June 30) and haven’t yet begun to study, you haven’t got time left for much else, my friend.

Scenario: You registered to take the human resource certification exam four months ago. Your study materials arrived eight weeks ago. You’ve been busy with other things. Important things. But the exam is now 48 hours away, and you haven’t cracked a book.

My advice:

• Don’t panic. Some people march in and take the exam without studying a lick and pass on their first try. Not many people, but some. One thing is for sure: anxiety won’t get you any closer to a passing score. Try to relax and just do what you can in the time remaining.
• Focus on the essentials. Scan your study materials for the key concepts. You probably won’t have time to read every word, so make a reasonable list of things you want to know for the exam. You might want to give special attention to the areas covered in the exam that are not part of your current job. For example, if you don’t work in a unionized environment, spend some quality time brushing up on labor relations.
• Know the models. There are several models on which many other theories and concepts hang. Make sure you understand them thoroughly. I spent some time carefully learning the systems model for training just before going in to take the SPHR exam, and found that it helped me in answering at least three questions correctly.
• Brush up on the laws. Federal legislation is so important in the human resource field, and that importance is reflected in the PHR and SPHR exams.
• Review the terms and definitions. You did it in school. It works here, too. Study the glossary terms. If you don’t know a term’s definition, it is difficult to find the right answer on the exam. The HRCP Program includes lists of key terms in each unit and a set of flash cards with more than 500 terms and definitions. Other HR certification prep materials have similar study aids.
• Don’t overdo. You can only stuff so much information into your brain in a limited amount of time. Be sure to take regular breaks for meals and exercise. Your study time will be more productive if you do.
• Sleep. It is tempting to sacrifice sleep for study, and truthfully, at this point some sacrifice might be necessary. However, sleep is an important component in memory. It is during REM sleep that things are committed to our long-term memory. And caffeine is not a substitute for sleep. Getting a reasonable amount of shut-eye will help you more on the exam that drilling yourself on job evaluation methods.