How I passed my HRCI — SPHR Exam in less than 4 weeks
My approach and personal experience with my recent SPHR certification.
Why I got certified
I had a lot of experience in the field of Human Resources (after all, I was VP of Global Talent for a tech organization for the last 10 years) but had never gotten around to getting certified. A couple of months ago, as a New Year resolution, I finally decided to do it. I had to decide between SHRM and HRCI, and I couldn’t find much of an edge on any of the 2, so I chose more or less randomly.
I figured either of these would help me fill up some gaps in knowledge and experience, to include some topics and situations I had never had to face directly in my career in the United States since more than half of my career was in Argentina.
Based on my experience, I felt the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) test would be the one to take. You do need to have some prequalification (as regard experience, degrees, etc.) and it’s one of the hardest ones they offer (53% pass rate, according to their website). But I felt it was the one that would be the most valuable for me.
How I prepared for the exam
I had the benefit of not having to work full-time during the preparation, so this shortened the study period. I researched some advice on how to pass the exam and read that people usually take 3–4 months to prepare for it. I figured 3–4 weeks of full-time dedication would be the equivalent time for me. In the end, it was more like 2.5 weeks of part-time and 1 week of full-time dedication.
My approach was to start by reading the HRCI Body of Knowledge (which I bought as a used book on Amazon for about $25) and to create summaries of the key topics, with a special focus on the ones that I was not 100% confident on. I have found that engaging more senses (through reading, listening, and writing) helps me retain more information. While reading, I like to put on some brown noise videos like these. I found they help me concentrate and isolate other distracting noises.
I also watched many YouTube videos that included questions and answers, some with a detailed explanation of why the chosen answer was correct.
Then, I took many tests with the PocketPrep app ($19/month at the time of my taking) and the ExamEdge website, until I was consistently getting around 90% of correct answers. I took the test in study mode first (where I could check after every question whether I got it right or wrong), then in exam mode, making sure I noted which questions I got wrong on the first pass, and the rationale behind the correct answer, so I made sure I wasn’t just memorizing the responses.
The PocketPrep app cites the source of the answer when explaining the correct answer, and I noticed that for some of the responses, the source was the HRCI Study Guide only, which meant it was not covered by the HRCI BoK, but there were just a few of them. Still, if I had to start over, I might buy the Study Guide instead of the BoK, to be safer.
Note: Many test takers find it valuable to study with someone else and/or have an accountability partner, but since I was aiming to take the test in just 4 weeks, I felt I would be spending more time on finding someone and coordinating dates, so I went solo. Still, if you feel it would add value to you, and can easily identify someone who would be a good fit, studying with someone else can make learning more enjoyable.
On the day of the exam
The check-in to the exam platform PearsonVUE was a bit bumpy, and I advise exam takers to check in with enough time to account for any hiccups (it becomes available 30 minutes before the exam starts). PearsonVUE has published some tips so that it doesn’t take you by surprise, but even then, there are things that can fail, so you’re better off with a good time buffer. In my case, the proctor could not see through my computer camera at first, so I had to restart the process and work with a different proctor.
Also keep in mind that you need to have a tidy, quiet exam space where no one interrupts you during the 2.5 hours of the exam. You have to show the space with your camera as part of the check-in process, and no study material could be within your reach while you are taking the test.
When faced with the actual questions, I noticed that my exam (SPHR) was less focused on knowledge and more on case studies and situational decisions. Some of the questions were tricky due to the lack of context provided in most cases, but I found that what worked for me was not to overthink the answers and analyze the language used in the question for any clues pointing to the correct answer. And to analyze the language in the answers, to point to the obviously wrong ones.
I answered all the questions (you should always try to answer, even if you are not sure about the answer because unanswered questions impact your score negatively), and then took a second pass to take another look at the questions I had flagged for review and still finished the test in about 2 hours.
Note: From my prior research, I had seen that the results should be online available on the test platform within 1 hour of finishing the exam, but I didn’t get a message confirming the passing until almost 12 hours, as I was going to bed. So don’t get too anxious!
In summary
All in all, I enjoyed the process because it gave me some more tools and context for some of the knowledge that I already had and some validation for some of the decisions I had made in the past. I do recommend taking one of these exams, and I think these make more sense to take after you have had a few years of experience, rather than fresh out of school. Since a lot of the questions rely on cases and their context, it is useful to have a little bit of hands-on time in HR.
I hope this was helpful to you, fellow HR professional!
About me
I am a People and Product leader, with a high focus on Tech companies and HR Tech, and learning is something I do for fun, not just for work. I love to learn new tools, frameworks, and ways of thinking so that I can apply them in my consulting practice and my mentoring.
I am constantly exploring how technology can impact people (and vice versa) and you’ll see me writing about technology, data science & analytics, AI, product management, and agile methodologies, usually as applied to HR. I also have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, and I believe HR Tech is one of the ways to support this effort. Follow me on LinkedIn and/or Medium for more articles.