Using your existing resources
The best place to start is to ensure the exam prep materials you select come with free assessment exams. For example, PHR/SPHR Exam For Dummies comes with more than 700 questions for both the PHR and SPHR, including four total exams — two PHR exams and two SPHR exams. No matter what assessment guides you use, make sure that they mirror the content of the exam, which means that the question content should be approximately as follows:| Functional Area | Number of Questions SPHR | Number of Questions PHR |
|---|---|---|
| Business Management and Strategy | 53 | 19 |
| Workforce Planning & Employment | 30 | 42 |
| Human Resource Development | 33 | 32 |
| Compensation & Benefits | 23 | 33 |
| Employee and Labor Relations | 25 | 35 |
| Risk Management | 12 | 14 |
Maximizing HRCI resources
The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) as the exam administrator is the most reliable place to start when seeking exam simulation. For less than $100, students may purchase two practice exams that use retired exam questions for content, which is a realistic preview of what to expect when facing exam day format. Take one before you begin to study to identify areas of weakness and take the second one about two weeks before your exam to see where you still need support. Don’t underestimate these exams. They are difficult, and being overprepared is better than being underprepared. Check out hrci.org for more information.For less than $30, you may want to consider purchasing HRCI’s Certification Study Guide. You can find sample questions in all functional areas along with answer explanations. It’s a bonus because you’re taking an exam simulation while also learning content all at the same time.
Tapping into free sources
Other exam preparers offer free or low-cost assessments and worksheets such as upstarthr.com which also offers a bank of test questions.Consider joining HR forums such as at indeed.com to tap into other exam-taker recommendations. goconqr.com and quizlet.com have past student materials such as flashcards that you can study in quiz mode. Tapping into the experiences of others is an excellent way to get out of the textbook and round out your studying efforts.