Tips to Help You Pass the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Exam

It's official... I just received notification that I passed the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) exam. For those outside of the human resources arena, this exam is meant to certify human resources professionals. The SPHR certifies that a human resources professional has required experience and has practical and strategic knowledge of the human resources body of knowledge. The certification is determined by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The pass rate for the exam hovers around mid to high 50%. So, it is not an easy test.

I don't want to write this article to pat myself on the back for successfully completing this certification. To be honest, I did better than I thought when I walked out of the exam. But, I think my experiences studying for and taking the SPHR exam could be helpful to those looking to take the exam in the future. Here are the lessons that I learned and my analysis of the experience.

1. Don't take the test until you feel you have had sufficient experience in a majority of the HR bodies of knowledge

Honestly, I made a mistake. I've worked in compensation almost exclusively for my 10 year human resources career. I wanted to obtain the SPHR certification to continue my development in HR and to help guide my future HR career prospects. However, looking back, I would have waited until I had more experience in some of the different HR bodies of knowledge: Strategic Management, Workforce Planning and Employment, HR Development, Total Rewards, Employee and Labor Relations, and Risk Management.

When I decided to sign up for the test, I really put my back against the wall. It wasn't until I really reviewed the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) website and began to read my first study guide that my confidence began to fade and I realized I was in trouble. It was very humbling. Luckily, I had about seven months until test time.

2. Visit the HRCI website and learn all that you can about the test

As I mentioned, I began to realize the depth of my mistake when I visited the HRCI website for some general information on the test. There is demographic information (such as testing dates) on the site along with data regarding the exam itself. This is when I learned that the pass rate for the last testing window was 57% for the SPHR exam. At this point, I was thinking this may not be as easy as I originally thought.

The second, and more disturbing item that I discovered, was a list of test specifications for the SPHR exam. The test specifications listed the bodies of knowledge and the percentage of questions allocated to each area. In addition, the specifications list items that an SPHR candidate should have knowledge of for the exam. While nothing on the list really came as a surprise, it was the realization that HR covered so many different areas that scared the heck out of me.

3. Purchase the online assessment exam(s)

It is not my purpose to recommend any particular study aide, but I will mention that the assessment exams on the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) website were very helpful. Just like the item above, the assessment exams freaked me out a little.

I decided to take one exam at the beginning of studying and the other exam closer to the actual SPHR test. Without telling you the actual score, let's just say that I did not pass the first exam... it wasn't even close. Between this exam, the pass rates, and the test specifications, I knew I'd need to study my butt off to even have a chance to pass the SPHR. So, at least the first assessment exam helped motivate me to do the necessary studying.

As the SPHR test came closer, I took the second assessment exam. I passed this exam (barely), so I developed a little more confidence. However, the best part of the second assessment exam was that I knew which areas I needed more work in.

The other benefit of the assessment exams is that the questions were actually used on past SPHR tests. The wording of the questions is somewhat difficult and is meant to make the test taker think strategically. More on this later...

4. Use multiple study aides and methods

Perhaps yet another mistake I made was to solely rely on study guides to prepare for the SPHR exam. These guides were very helpful, but there are many other options for studying. First, SHRM sells a Learning System to help prepare for the test. In addition, there are classes to help prepare and there are both formal and informal study groups. I believe that it would have made life a little easier for me if I had tried another method (or two) in addition to the study guides.

5. Think strategically

I briefly touched on this in #3, but I can't stress enough that the SPHR test questions are meant to make you think strategically.

Both of the study guides that I used provided sample tests to help with studying. I took these tests and by the time the SPHR test was upon me, I was easily scoring 90%. But, the questions on these tests were straightforward and mostly asked for facts. I knew the material and memorized the facts. That was clear. But, I did myself a disservice by again letting my confidence grow as a result of these sample tests. The SPHR test not only requires that you know the material, but that you know how to apply it and when.

So, when I went to take the actual SPHR test, I began to get nervous after the first 20 questions. Then, I was more nervous after the first 100 questions, and so on. After my first pass on the 225 test questions, there were maybe 20 questions that I was reasonably sure that I had correct.

6. Eliminate the incorrect answers and make an educated guess

When I realized that there were so few questions that I was sure I had right, I went back through the exam and began to seriously cross off any answer I knew was wrong. At this point, I also reread every question very carefully. Once I crossed off the "wrong" answers, I made an educated guess among the remaining answers. I used this method for the entire second pass of the SPHR exam. I made one more pass of the exam, but did not change any answers during this third pass.

I didn't know it at the time, but this methodology for taking the SPHR exam really worked. The test center tells you preliminarily if you passed, but does not tell you the final score. So, I knew I passed immediately. But, until the official scores arrived today, I did not realize that I did better than I thought.

In the end, I passed the SPHR test, but it was not easy. I learned a great deal in studying for the exam, but it was not easy. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Follow these tips, and hopefully it will be much easier (and less stressful) for you to pass the SPHR test.

For more of my tips on studying for and taking a test in general please visit this article.

Sources:

Society for Human Resource Management
Human Resource Certification Institute