Human Resources Certification Exam Prep

The program's designers, David J. Cherrington, DBA, SPHR and Laura Z. Middleton, SPHR, both teach human resource management courses at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Dr. Cherrington, a university professor, previously served on the HR Certification Institute Board of Directors, where he was the Director of Codification and Research and the National Director of Exam Development. Mrs. Middleton serves as the president of HRCP, L.C.

Aziksa Certification Preparation Program is carefully updated each year to reflect changes in the field of human resource management. Particular attention is given to changes in the legal environment.

The human resource certification exams are administered by HRCI. You can download a Certification Handbook, which includes information regarding the content of the exam and exam qualifications, and you can register to take the exam by visiting the HR Certification Institute website.

We do not attempt to track success rates for those using our program for two main reasons. First, we would be forced to rely on self-reported data, where those who passed the certification exam might be more likely to respond than those who didn't. Second, the fact that people participates in our program does not insure that they study the materials carefully. A poor exam performance reflects more on that individual's lack of diligence than on the quality of our program.

The PHR and SPHR credentials are based on experience.

PHR Requirements

1 year of demonstrated exempt‐level HR experience with a Master’s degree or higher

2 years of demonstrated exempt‐level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree

4 years of demonstrated exempt‐level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree

SPHR Requirements

A minimum of 4 years of experience in a professional-level HR position with a Master's degree or higher

5 years of demonstrated exempt‐level HR experience with a Bachelor’s degree

7 years of demonstrated exempt‐level HR experience with less than a Bachelor’s degree

The PHR and the SPHR cover the same body of knowledge with few exceptions. However, the percentage covered by each exam is slightly different. Look at the body of knowledge to see the percentages. One is not better than the other; it all depends on an individual's experience and knowledge of HR. We suggest you start with the PHR.

The minimum passing score is a scaled score of 500.

Scaled scores are shown to those examinees that have not passed the exam. This compares your individual result with the score you need to pass the exam, and may help you to decide how much additional preparation is required to pass.

Successful candidates are only provided with their passing result. This is because certification exams are designed only to indicate candidates whose exam performance has met the passing standard, and those who have not. They are not intended to rank order candidates.

The PHR and SPHR exams are very rigorous, designed to measure mastery of the body of knowledge. We can control the difficulty of each exam but we cannot control what people bring with them on test day in terms of experience.

The body of knowledge includes percentages for each domain so you'll know what portion of the exam will include questions in each area.

We recommend answering every question on the exam. Even if you are unsure you have a greater chance of answering the question correctly than if you leave the answer blank. You can also mark the question and go back to it later during the exam.

To maintain your certification you must earn at least 60 recertification credits within a 3‐year window

The HRCP course material has been updated for 2015 to reflect the latest laws and regulations.

The HR Certification Institute tests questions to make sure they perform within their statistical parameters before they affect someone's score. You will not be able to tell the difference when you take the exam so you should answer every question and do your best on them all.