PHR Certification Prep

9/25/2020

I am currently studying to take and pass the PHR exam. The PHR exam is an official certification by HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) that demonstrates that you have mastered the body of knowledge for HR professionals. It covers a wide range of areas of Human Resources including: Business Management, Talent Planning and Acquisition, Learning and Development, Total Rewards and Employee and Labor Relations.

To prepare for the test, I am taking a class for certification prep, reading a certification prep book, using the BenchPrep system and taking practice tests. About a week before the class started, I started taking mini practice tests every single day (about 25 to 50 questions a day) and my range of scores have been varied...50%,72%,90%,85%, 100% which shows, I need more study time and more practice. As the class continues forward, I hope to learn more and do better on these practice tests. How well I do really depends on what questions I get. Some questions are a piece of cake and others are tricky. Its a matter of knowing the HR terms, laws, case studies, priorities of HR and how to apply the information that you have learned.

I have more knowledge in certain areas of Human Resources and others not so much knowledge. To do well on this test, you really have to study EVERYTHING in HR because you don't know what types of questions you are going to get. Guessing the answer is not the best way to take the test. Sometimes you can figure out the answer by the process of elimination of the answers that are not correct. But really, the best way to take the test is to study, know and understand the material.

I find it helps to have a structured class to be in because in class you have deadlines and quizzes to take that will guide you along in your studying and will help to keep you on track. As long as I put in the time to study, I know I will do well, I have always done well in the school setting. I plan to continue to take 25 to 50 question practice tests every day and then 3 or 4 175 question tests to simulate the actual exam day. I think this is a good way to determine what I still need to study and gauge where I am at. I can then adjust my study schedule to what I think I still need to learn to pass the test. I will probably take between 4 or 5 months to study. This way I can make sure that I have time to study everything I need to know for the test. review any weak areas and do everything in my power to ensure that I know everything to pass the exam. I have read that the pass rate for the PHR is 52%. At first, this was troubling to me because I am in entry level HR positions and thought my knowledge of HR was not up to par to someone who has been in HR for a long time, but now I know if I study and practice enough, I will PASS!

I am using the book PHR / SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Exam Guide by Christina Nishiyama, William Truesdell and Dory Willer. So far its good. I have read through all of the PHR guidelines, recommendations on how to study for the test, all the federal employment laws and the HRCI core knowledge areas.

BenchPrep system I just started using a little bit yesterday. It has a schedule for you to study on that helps you to pace your studying, sections to read through, practice questions and flashcards. Hoping to use BenchPrep while I am also going through the class lectures, discussion board, quizzes and tests. It seems like a lot of work and I will probably be using all my free time to study for this exam. It helps that I am unemployed now and have the free time to commit to this.

Some suggestions for studying for the PHR:

Having a study schedule, structured time to study or class with a timeline of when to study and what to study will help you keep on track

Using more than one resource to study will help reinforce the material you are learning ( I am using a class, book and computer program with study aids to help me prepare for the exam)

Plan to study for a few months to ensure you know everything you need to know for the exam ( I plan to study between 4 and 5 months).

Read the guidelines and handbook on the HRCI website www.hrci.org to make sure you understand the process for applying to take the exam, setting up of the exam day and what to expect on exam day so you can prepare ahead.

Determine what areas are your strengths and what areas are your weaknesses. Plan a study schedule to focus on the weak areas.

Focus on the areas that are weighted more heavily on the exam Employee and Labor Relations (39% of the exam questions) and Business Management (20% of the exam questions) are the two largest sections of HR that will be on the exam.