How I passed the SHRM-SCP & SPHR (and how you can do it too!)

Last week I sat for both the SPHR test through HRCI and the SHRM-SCP certification through SHRM and I am happy (and relieved) to share that I passed both tests on my first attempt. I had already mastered the PHR exam from HRCI back in 2017. Since that time, I had started to hear about people taking the SHRM-CP and seeing the designation start to pop up on the LinkedIn profiles of fellow HR professionals. It was then that I learned that SHRM had decided to offer their own certifications and break off from HRCI. Since then, I have always wondered which one is better in terms of marketability. When I decided that I wanted to upgrade my HR certifications to the senior level in August of 2020, I had a decision to make. Which one was I going to pursue? The SPHR or the SHRM-SCP? The SPHR is backed by HRCI, who is the longest player in the HR certification space and is still well known and recognized by HR professionals. The SHRM-SCP on the other hand seems to be growing quickly in market share, and from my research some people think that it will have better brand presence and recognition with the SHRM name behind it. There is a part of me that will always continue to root for HRCI even if SHRM surpasses it. Anyway, the verdict still seems to be a big question mark on which one is more marketable or if both are comparable. So, I decided, why not have both? So I registered for both exams and decided I would take them in the same week so that I only had to study the material once.

Before I go into the study materials I purchased, my thoughts on them, and some tips for studying, let me first explain my initial reaction from both tests and the testing experience. Both tests were challenging. Those who are familiar with the pass rates will understand that it is a grueling experience and not something I would recommend that you walk into unprepared or relying only on your experience. I did the remote proctoring for the HRCI test and did the in person test for the SHRM-SCP.

The first test was the SPHR test at 12pm on Wednesday. The remote proctoring experience was not a pleasant one. I could write a lot about that, but basically the proctor didn't show up and the test didn't launch until about 12:50pm after I had to call customer service to figure out what was going on. So I was starting the test after being in panic mode. After I got into the test, everything went fine. The test was challenging. Some of the questions were difficult to understand with the way they were written. Part of me thinks HRCI intentionally is trying to make the questions more tricky to try to make their test more difficult to compete with SHRM. I definitely understand why some of the test prep programs tell you that if English is your second language, that you may find the test even more challenging. Something that was also different from when I took the PHR, is that they added alternative type questions. It is not just multiple choice options. Some questions have more than one answer to check, they have drag and drop matching questions, and fill in the blank options are also a possibility. If you get any portion of those wrong, there is no partial credit. So it makes the chances of answering a question less than the typical 25% compared to when you take a standard multiple choice format. I was flagging a lot of questions throughout the test that I wasn't 100% confident on. I finished my test and only had time to review a few of the flagged answers. Once the time ran out and the test ended, I wasn't sure whether the end result would be a pass or a fail. The test ended around 4pm. I really had to go to the bathroom at that point (the check in process started at 11:40am). Then I got an email within a few minutes saying that my scores were available and then another email from HRCI saying that I had a new badge to add to my account. I was excited!!! I passed! I was relieved to be done with the test and vowed to never do it again. After receiving the score report, I actually scored pretty well on most of the categories.

The next test I took on Friday was the SHRM-SCP. I arrived in the testing center parking lot a couple minutes before 12pm. My test was at 12:15pm and I had always heard to come 15 minutes early. I hit the bathroom and then when I got into the actual testing center lobby it was about 12:10pm. As I was checking in they told me that everything was fine, but that if I ever have to take a test again, that she recommends coming 30 minutes prior to the test time. I guess at 8am they had a huge line of people to check in and you never know how many people will be there and how long you will have to wait on the testing day. Another tip I learned from this experience is that I would recommend wearing long sleeves if you think you will get cold. They won't let you wear a hoodie or zip up sweat shirt into the testing center. Once I got seated and the test began, the time went by quickly. There are two sections of the test and the test is comprised of both multiple choice questions and situational judgement questions. Some of the situational judgement questions are very lengthy. Sometimes they are up to three paragraphs of text that you have to read and then there will be two or three questions following the scenario. The scenarios sometimes seem void of all the necessary information. They are challenging and will require a combination of your experience, business acumen, and what would SHRM do to answer. I could normally narrow these questions down to two of the four responses. Both responses seemed like they would be correct or appropriate responses, but SHRM wants you to pick the best answer. This was difficult to know for sure. I tried to think back to the practice test questions on the SHRM website, my experience, and some of the questions from the SHRM Learning system from my study group partner to select the one of the two that I thought SHRM would think was the best answer. I barely completed the first section in time and did not have time to review more than a few flagged questions. After section one, they tell you that you can take a break, but the time will continue to count down if you take a break. The testing center also forewarned me that it takes about 5-7 minutes to sign out and get checked back in. Given that I barely finished section one of the test in time, I knew I would have to power through it. I completed section 2 and maybe had 2-3 minutes to spare to review answers. Reading the paragraphs on the situational judgement sections eats up a lot of time. They are sandwiched between the other questions, so you need to make sure to manage your time wisely and not spend too much time thinking or dwelling on any one question. By the time the test was over, I was not feeling confident. Once I finished the post-test survey, the screen said that I passed and I was so excited. I was the last person in the testing center. The auto timer on the lights actually shut off on me while I was taking the survey. So, when I saw the pass, I was so excited I put my hands in the air and said YES! I left the testing center and it was 5pm. It was dark outside, I hadn't used the bathroom, had a drink, or eaten any lunch for 5hrs. I felt pretty drained and almost like I was on another planet.

So now, we will get into the actual registration and preparation leading up to the exams. When I registered, I decided not to purchase the second chance insurance since I passed my PHR before and didn't need it the last time. I am grateful and blessed to have an employer who values continuing education and sponsored the cost of the registration and cost to take the tests. I also purchased the untimed and timed practice exam bundle from HRCI for $150. I think when all was said and done, it cost about $1045 just in the exam fees, application fees, and for the practice test. Again, I am very thankful to my employer for helping cover the cost. When I started to study, I decided I wanted to purchase some additional study material. So I bought three books from Amazon for about $150 total. I already had the David Siler PHR/SPHR 2012 audiobook and the 2012 version of the PHR/SPHR Sandra Reed and Anne Bogardus book that helped me pass the PHR back in 2017. So the total cost was about $1200, which is really doing this on the cost conscious route considering this was for two exams and some test prep materials and classes alone can range from $950-$1200. I would love to see a P&L for some of these companies who are doing the test prep. They have got to be raking in the money! ??

For my test preparation, I used a combination of books, audiobooks, LinkedIn learning courses, and a study group with two other HR professionals who were taking the PHR and the SHRM-CP. I did have some exposure to the SHRM learning system from the study partner that was taking the SHRM-CP. I started studying in August and studied approximately 1hr per day in spurts throughout the day on breaks or at night after I put the kids to bed. On the weekends, I would maybe get 3-5 hours of studying in depending on how long the baby would take the eat, if he took a nap, or how long I could stay awake after putting the kids to bed (reading at night often puts me to sleep). In the last week, I took off three days leading up to my test. In total, I probably spent at least 128 hours studying. Some of the material I was already familiar with and just needed to refresh on it. Some of the concepts even if you have experience, you will want to deep dive back into. There is a lot of material to master and it seems impossible to remember every detail leading up to the test. Everyone in my study group still felt like we were learning new things or clarifying things the last week leading up to the test.

Here are the study materials/methods that I found the most helpful:

1. Having a study group: This time compared to when I studied by myself for the PHR, I partnered up with some other HR professionals and friends in the field and it was extremely helpful. Talking about the concepts together helped me deepen my knowledge better than I ever did reading them by myself. I actually felt like I learned and didn't just memorize information about union laws, the process of unionization, collective bargaining, and unfair labor practices. I finally started to understand the difference between all the benefit plans and the terminology. What is the difference between a qualified or non-qualified plan and deferred and defined contribution plans? Or talking about methods of central tendency and validity. I also really enjoyed studying the case laws. I felt like this strengthened my understanding of the difference between a legally mandated AAP and a voluntary one and how that impacts the possibility of a reverse discrimination claim. I could nerd out on case law all day. I love that stuff.
2. HRCI Untimed and Timed Practice Test Bundle: Although, I was really disappointed in this product this time as it seemed there was only one exam version of 50 questions that were the same each time, this is really critical in learning how HRCI will ask questions on the test. The test questions are former test questions from exams. Another thing I did not like is that it is only multiple choice, so it doesn't give you exposure to the alternate test question formats. I also felt it was too pricey for what you get at $150. Last time, when I took the PHR, there were two versions of the test and I felt like it was a great value and an invaluable resource. This time I felt like it was a necessary evil that I needed, but was disappointed with.
3. The David Siler Audiobook: I don't care that this thing is from 2012. It is still solid gold. This time, I took it to a whole different level then the last time when I listened to it twice. This time, I figured out I could actually bookmark and take notes in my audible app. After I did this throughout the union chapters, I felt like I had truly mastered the subject of unions. He also really helped me clarify the difference between a job analysis, job description, and job evaluation. Some of what was challenging when I took the PHR was that a lot of the terminology in the multiple choice questions looks the same and that really threw me off. There are so many concepts that you don't even realize stick with you until you are talking about it with your study group later and you realized you have learned a lot from listening to this book. I have probably listened to this book that's 24 hours long at least four times throughout the past three years. Unfortunately, audible actually doesn't let you download this book anymore so I shared my audible password with my study buddies to help them out. If I paid for a test prep course, I would have probably bought the Distinctive HR one from David Siler. If the audiobook is this helpful, I imagine the course is even better. Also, there is just something about listening to his North Carolina accent that just makes it so much easier to listen to and pay attention to, versus some of the other audiobooks I have listened to.

3. The Sandra Reed and Anne Bogardus PHR/SPHR Study Guide: Mine was from 2012 and again, I don't care that it was outdated. It really is still one of the best resources out there. Some of these concepts just haven't changed over the past 8 years. However, you can buy the newer version of this book, which I'm sure is probably every bit as helpful and more up to date. This book included an excellent summary of major legislation listed chronologically and a summary of relevant case law at the back of the book that was helpful. The glossary came in handy when we needed to look up concepts in the study group. This book is extremely long. I read through it twice when I studied for the PHR and it is a 563 page beast. This time around, with two kids (one four and one 9 months old, I did not have time to read 563 pages again). However, when I realized the biggest section of the test was going to be on business and strategy, I made sure to read that chapter. I also read the chapter on the key concepts for HR professionals. I felt like this book, even though it is long, is the deep dive you really need to get a full picture of the concepts. The chapter on strategic planning was the most helpful resource in helping me understand the full process of strategic planning. Without reading this chapter in the book, I don't think I would have understood it to the level I needed to. I also found the descriptions on the different types of validity extremely helpful.

4. Mometrix SPHR study guide: This study guide is a quick read. I'm not sure it is a deep enough dive into the concepts, but the practice tests were extremely helpful. I marked up the practice tests in the book and my initial score was a 68%. I found out from the practice test some concepts that I did not have a good understanding of, like unions and benefit terminology for 401K plans. Then I focused on those concepts in the David Siler audiobook and used the Sandra Reed and Anne Bogardus book to hone in on those areas. We also discussed those concepts in the study group. Then a week before the exam, I got online to get a clean version of the test printed out and re-took the test and scored a 92%. This helped me feel more confident leading up to the test.

5. SHRM-CP/SCP Study Guide: This book was helpful for learning some of the SHRM terminology. The practice tests were also helpful and made me feel confident in the SHRM material and testing style.

6. LinkedIn Learning courses: If you haven't subscribed to LinkedIn learning yet, I highly recommend it. I love all of the videos that they have on there and they really break down several concepts into layman's terms that you can understand. If you are studying for the test, download the free trial and watch the SHRM-CP and PHR study courses by Joanne Walters with your free trial. Make sure to download the exercise files. They were very helpful. The day before each of my exams, I re-watched both of these courses before the SPHR and the SHRM-SCP exams for a recap overview of the concepts. The morning of the tests, I reviewed the exercise files again and it helped cram those concepts into my short-term memory. The exercise files are also pretty accurate of the material that you need to know and will see on the exam.

7. YouTube Videos: There are a lot of YouTube videos out there that are helpful. I watched several different ones, but I really liked this gentleman's video to quiz yourself with: Rapid Fire Cram Session

Information that I did not find helpful:

1. Newstone Test Prep SHRM CP & SCP Exam Prep 2019-2020: This book is literally garbage. Do not buy it. I was scoring very bad on the practice tests and they barely made sense with all the broken English. Then I went back and looked on Amazon and there are several bad reviews saying there is inaccurate information in here. Many amazon reviewers speculated that the company may have paid some people to post positive reviews and I think that may be true. There also is no author listed to contact. I would not recommend this book. The test questions were not reflective of what is on the exam and will just make you feel like you don't know anything. This book only made me feel less confident and after reading the amazon reviews I didn't want to continue to read it and possibly learn inaccurate information. This book is a hard pass.

Lastly, don't be discouraged if you don't pass the first time around. Remember that this experience has made you stronger as an HR professional and your studying has only strengthened your knowledge. According to the SHRM website, the SHRM-SCP pass rate has ranged from 41%-56% over the past four years. According to the HRCI website, the most recent pass rate from 2019 that is posted for the SPHR is 60%. Another words, if you had a room full of HR professionals walk in to take the exam, almost half of them would fail the test. So, don't beat yourself up. Many people don't pass their first try. If you fail on your first try, I encourage you to continue to study and try again. You can do this!

A note about testing for a new credential when you already have credentials: Something I didn't realize is that if you already have a credential with HRCI, your second credential will automatically match up with the certification cycle of your other credential. I was always under the impression that you could only hold a PHR or an SPHR, but apparently, you can hold both. So, something I didn't plan on doing, was having to renew my new certification already in July since that's when my PHR was set to expire. They do prorate the amount of credits on the second credential cycle though. So, I will be looking into how to get credit hours to re-certify my SPHR 6 months after I tested to achieve the credential. That was just an unexpected development I wasn't anticipating.

Good luck on your testing journey! If you have any questions or want to reach out for any advice or to talk through any concepts, feel free to follow and connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm always looking to talk to and network with other HR professionals. Thank you for reading and I hope to talk to you soon!