HRCP Blog

We’ll have a booth at SHRM’s annual conference and exposition later this month. The event will be held in Chicago this year, June 22-24. If you will be there too, come see us! We’ll be in booth number 3841 at the expo and hope that many of you will stop by to visit. If you’ll be in the Chicago area but aren’t registered for the SHRM conference, we can still get you in to the exposition. We have free expo-only passes available for the asking. Give us a call or send an email, and we’ll get you set up. Click here to contact us.

Hope to see you there!

When a young, uninitiated human resource professional fails the certification exam, we chalk it up to inexperience. Give her a few years, we say. But what about a respected, seasoned HR veteran failing the exam? The person who knows it all, whom everyone else goes to for advice. What does it mean when he fails?

The SPHR and PHR exams are as much an assessment of test-taking skills as they are an evaluation of human resource knowledge. Often, when a competent, experienced HR professional fails the exam, the deficiency is not in knowledge and understanding of the HRCI Body of Knowledge, but a lack of skill in taking tests. Some people are naturally better test-takers than others, but, as with any skill, those of any skill level who work at it can improve. Read through the test-taking tips I’ve listed in this blog. And practice, practice, practice. (No, I can’t say “practice” too many times.)

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 recently received an invitation from HRCI to provide feedback on their proposed changes for PHR and SPHR certification.

The proposed new eligibility requirements for the PHR examination are:

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

The proposed new eligibility requirements for the SPHR credential are:

• 7 years demonstrated exempt-level HR experience without a Bachelor’s degree
• 5 years demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree
• 4 years demonstrated exempt-level HR experience with Master’s degree

My feedback to them was a resounding “YES!” I strongly favor these proposed changes. They address several issues I have had with the current eligibility requirements since they changed them some years ago. The two designations should not have the same eligibility requirements. That has never made any sense. I like that they value education, something the current requirements ignore. I believe that if these changes are implemented, it will strongly enhance the value of human resource certification, and I support the proposed changes, even though they could negatively impact my business, at least in the short run.

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.

This week’s question of the week on the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) website examines the significance of the “PHR Only” and “SPHR Only” designations in the HRCI body of knowledge. The information is worth repeating here:

Q. I am preparing to take the PHR exam in May, and I noticed that some areas covered in the HRCI body of knowledge are marked either “PHR Only” or “SPHR Only.” Why is this, and does it mean that I don’t need to know anything about the items marked “SPHR Only?”

A. When HRCI conducted its most recent practice analysis in 2005, the HR professionals who responded to our survey indicated that a few responsibility areas were performed chiefly by those at the PHR level and some others chiefly by those at the SPHR level. Therefore, exam questions that relate specifically to those job responsibilities were moved to the appropriate level exam.

This does not mean, however, that you may not need to know something about the related knowledge level or underlying concept. For example, in the Employee and Labor Relations functional area, responsibility #11 “Participate in collective bargaining activities, including contract negotiation and administration” is now marked SPHR ONLY. Therefore a question dealing with specific contract negotiation strategies or activities would appear on the SPHR exam. However, in the US, the National Labor Relations Act covers most collective bargaining agreements in the private sector. Therefore, the PHR exam might appropriately ask a question about the NLRA and its impact on the collective bargaining process, since it appears in Knowledge Area #48 of the body of knowledge.

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.

Day 1: Server crashes, all data lost. Web host’s most recent backup, five and a half months old. Many tears.

Day 2:  Begin rebuilding websites.

Days 3-7: Continue rebuilding websites.

Day 8: Web hosting company finds backup that was made right before server crashed.

Day 9: Begin re-rebuilding websites.

Days 10-13: Continue re-rebuilding websites.

Day 14: Restore lost months to HRCPblog. Tired from all this time travel.