PHR/SPHR

sohappytobe

I will be taking a crash course to obtain my PHR/SPHR. Has anyone out there tested out of either/or of those two? If so, how difficult was it?

Lola815

I'm pretty sure that there was a thread on this topic not too long ago. I have been contemplating taking the test also. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

Nrdgrrl

All of my collegues have one or the other, and yes, they are hard. (I couldn't take the test because my mom had cancer surgery a few days before.)

They said that even with all the study materials they had, what really helped them was their practical knowledge- gained through experience.

NrdGrrl

flaroyale

I took the PHR and passed May 2003. I used the SHRM Learning system to study and participated in a study group. A lot of the test was common sense HR. SOme of it was pretty much geared to the Learning system also. If you had not heard of the particular term they are using you would not have a clue what answer they were looking for. If you have access to the Learning system if for no other reason but to learn the terms you should do fine. Good Luck.

Dasher

Yes, flaroyale, you are right. I took the SPHR last December and missed getting the certification because of just a few needed points. I was so disappointed! Will retake it in December. I am using the SHRM Learning System this time to prepare. It is not that the test is hard, it is tricky in that you have four possible answers, two of which can easily be ruled out but the remaining two may be so closely related and unless you know what they really want it is easy to answer incorrectly. Or, at least that was my take on it.

sohappytobe

Thanks to everyone. One other question about the PHR/SPHR test - does it consist mostly of questions regarding the many, many, many laws that apply to HR or is it workplace scenarios ... or both? And where might I obtain a SHRM Learning System?

Tina

HR Diva

I felt the PHR test was pretty much about knowing terminology, laws and practical experience combined. I am planning to take the SPHR in Dec. I have heard that it is pretty much about taking the terminology and laws and applying them to situations. You then have to decide what the best course of action will be. You can purchase the HR Learning System online at SHRM's website: [url]www.shrm.org[/url]
(Society of Human Resource Managers) for about $500. It covers each section the exam tests you on. A good text book to study is "Human Resource Management" by Mathis and Jackson 10th ed. That too can be purchased at SHRM's website or at a college bookstore. I felt it helped me obtain the PHR. Good Luck!

scottorr

In Albany SHRM offers a 14 week prep course. The cost is around $900 plus the amount to take the test. I will be taking the PHR test in about 1 1/2 years. I believe that the last passing rate was around 60% of people that took the test. The students that took the course passed at a rate of about 80%.

LarryC

I passed the SPHR about a year ago now. The study material helps, but it's your practical experience that will pull you through. Also, the practice tests in the material do not mirror the actual test at all. When I first opened my exam booklet I thought, "My God, I'm not in the right room..or maybe not even on the right planet." I could hear the panic around me as others opened their booklets. Some even left. At that point I took a deep breath and just concentrated on the questions as best I could. Afterwards, almost everybody in our study group commented that we would be lucky to have passed it. However, our study group ended up with a 100% pass rate. Good luck!!!

Crout

I was one of those folks who gathered some material, studied a little and took the SPHR test last May, assuming that my experience would pull me through. Missed it by 7 crummy points. So this time I'm being a little smarter and taking an HR certification class out at Villanova. The SPHR test was a lot tougher than I anticipated. The format was pick the BEST solution out of four correct solutions. Yeeesh. In regard to the SHRM learning system, what I've heard is that the glossaries in the back of every section are extremely valuable.