Who Should Take the PHR or SPHR Exam?

What makes the perfect background profile to qualify someone to take the PHR or SPHR exam? Just how qualified does a human resources professional have to be to take the certification exam? Test-takers can actually come from a virtually unlimited number of backgrounds, and that's also why I've also included a few of my most common tips for the exam in this article. We're all over the map. Here are a few of the types that I have run across.

Veterans-These people have 10-20 years of HR experience and want to solidify that with a certification. They know HR backwards and forwards, but they want a little formality to enhance their status in the organization (and possibly get a little pay raise, too!).

Professionals-These people have 5-10 years of HR under their collective belts, and they want to move into a position of more authority, but a PHR or SPHR is the only way to make that leap. While they may have held a role as a generalist, or they could have been a specialist in benefits, recruiting, or employee relations, they now have to focus on all aspects of HR to prepare for the exam.

Newbies-These people have 1-5 years of HR practice. They are innovative and enthusiastic, and they want the proverbial "seat at the table." In order to earn the respect from their peers and others, they decide to take the certification exam. Because of the limited experience, they have to learn about several HR fields that they may not be intimately familiar with.

Crazies-These people are completely inexperienced with the practical applications of HR. The acronyms BFOQ, ADA, and FMLA may bring a few puzzled looks from this crowd, but they still want to go for it. Thus far, all of their experience with human resources has been learned from a book, so it is somewhat difficult to understand some of the strategic business applications. They say, "Darn the torpedoes; full speed ahead!" (I was a member of this group.)

Because of the various backgrounds described above, it is tough to give a simple answer to those that request information on how to prepare for the PHR or SPHR certification exams. However, even with this diverse and varied group of HR aficionados, it is possible to provide some general help for preparation.

Baby Steps

Start early. Study often. Repeat. It's that simple, really. If you want to be successful, then you have to give yourself adequate time to prepare for the exam. I scheduled mine on the last day of regular registration to save some money, and that gave me twelve weeks to prepare for the PHR exam (click here for the free 12 week PHR exam study guide).

Test and Re-Test

I purchased the pair of exams from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). That was the most expensive study aid that I used, but they were definitely worth the seventy dollar price tag. On the first exam, I made a 66%. On the second exam, I made a 78%. In my final weekly study summary, I detailed the comparisons between my scores.

Share the Love

You only have so much time and attention to spare. Therefore, you should not use it all on one study source. I have heard of people that failed using any one of the SPHR and PHR certification exam study materials (click here for the HR certification resources that I recommend). Don't settle for a single source of information, even if it is the almighty SHRM Learning System.

I plan to write more about the PHR and SPHR certification exams soon. If you have a question or comment, leave it below, and I would be glad to answer it in an article! You can also keep up with free email updates.