HRCP Blog

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.

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.