Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The Exam and What It Tests
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
— Mahatma Gandhi
The SHRM certification exam tests your capabilities in both aspects of HR practice — competencies and knowledge — that are required for effective job performance. The exam is based upon the core set of competencies and knowledge outlined in the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge&0153; (SHRM BoCK).
A product of rigorous research involving thousands of HR professionals, the BoCK identifies eight key behavioral competencies and 15 HR functional areas that are critical to the success of any HR professional. The BoCK will be your study outline as you prepare for the exam.
Two certification exams
SHRM offers two levels of certification: the SHRM-CP and the SHRMSCP. Which exam you take depends on which certification aligns most closely with your job responsibilities and level of experience, and whether you meet the specific eligibility requirements.
• The SHRM-CP is designed for HR professionals who are engaged primarily in operational roles — implementing policies, serving as the HR point-of-contact for staff and stakeholders, and/or performing day-to-day HR functions. HR professionals with one to five years of experience should take this exam.
• The SHRM-SCP is designed for senior HR professionals who operate primarily in strategic roles — developing policies and strategies, overseeing the execution of HR operations, analyzing performance metrics, and/or contributing to the alignment of HR strategies to organizational goals. HR professionals with six or more years of experience should take this exam.
Are you eligible?
SHRM certification is designed for HR professionals who have achieved a certain level of knowledge, skills, and abilities as specified in the exam's eligibility requirements. The critical factor in determining eligibility is your HR-related work experience in the 15 functional areas of HR knowledge in combination with your highest level of education completed. Before applying to take the certification exam, make sure that you have the combination of education and HR-related work experience to be eligible.
How to apply
As of this writing, SHRM offers both certification exams during two testing windows every year at 450 testing centers, with 5,500 seats daily in more than 160 countries. The first window is from May 1 to July 15 and the second is from December 1 to February 15. Once you have decided which exam to take, you can register on the SHRM web site anytime between the Applications Accepted starting date and the Regular Application Deadline. Late registrations are accepted through the Late Application Deadline for an additional fee.
To register, you will:
1. Create a user account
2. Select which exam to take
3. Complete the application form and sign the SHRM Certification Candidate Agreement
4. Pay the registration fee
5. Once you receive your Authorization-to-Test (ATT) letter, schedule your exam using the various approaches outlined in the letter
CHAPTER 2
Exam Structure and Administration
In failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
— Benjamin Franklin
An important part of preparing yourself for the test is knowing what kinds of questions you'll be asked and how the test will be administered. That's what we cover in this section.
No trick questions!
First and foremost, there are no "trick" questions on the SHRM certification exams. You receive credit for each correct answer, and you are not penalized for choosing the wrong answers so there is no penalty for guessing.
Contrary to what is discussed frequently on social media, it's also very important to understand there are no "SHRM" answers. Test questions are written by, edited by, reviewed by, and the answers selected by SHRM-certified HR professionals. The SHRM staff provides expertise in test development, not HR subject-matter expertise. Thus, SHRM relies on thousands of SHRM-certified subject matter experts to create the actual test content. This is why there is no "SHRM" answer. Put that thought aside immediately and permanently; the SHRM answer does not exist!
Three types of test items
The certification exam consists of 160 questions. There are three types of test items:
• Knowledge items (KIs), which test your knowledge of key concepts and terms in the HR field
• Situational judgment items (SJIs), which test your ability to choose the best course of action in relation to the real-life HR situations presented in the question
• Field-test items, including both KIs and SJIs, which are used to test items being considered for future exams
Knowledge-based items
You'll be asked to answer two categories of knowledge-based items (KIs), HR-specific knowledge items and foundational knowledge items.
HR-specific knowledge items cover key concept topics associated with the 15 HR functional areas defined in the BoCK. Foundational knowledge items cover the key topics considered foundational to the eight behavioral competencies.
Each knowledge-based item has only one irrefutably right answer. You receive credit for correct answers; you are not penalized for incorrect responses or for guessing.
Situational judgment items
Situational judgment items are different. For situational judgment items (SJIs), you will be asked to read a realistic, work-related scenario and select the best of several possible strategies to resolve or address the issues. The scenarios are written by SHRM-certified HR professionals based on their actual workplace experiences.
Unlike knowledge-based items, situational judgment items have no one "right" answer, only degrees of effectiveness, based on the judgment of a group of subject matter experts. While more than one of the possible strategies might be effective, one will be best, given the situation and as decided by a panel of SHRM-certified HR professionals. You receive credit only for choosing the most effective course of action; again, you will not be penalized for selecting an ineffective response or for guessing.
Field-test questions
There are 30 field-test questions on the exam. Field-test items are randomly mixed with other items and are not counted toward your score.
SHRM uses the field-test items to assess the effectiveness and quality of questions being considered for future exams. Taken as a group, responses to field-test questions help to identify possible content additions to the exam and support growth of the certification program by assessing item quality to determine the field-test item's eligibility to be retained in the item bank and to be placed on a future test form.
How the exam is administered
The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams are administered via computer at highly secure Prometric testing centers worldwide. Once your application has been accepted, you will schedule your exam on the Prometric web site or by calling Prometric directly.
The total testing time is 4 hours and 15 minutes, which includes 15 minutes for opening and closing activities and 4 hours for the exam itself. There will be a countdown timer on the computer screen, so you can keep track of how much time you have left.
See Part 5 for in-depth discussion of the exam experience.
How the exam is scored
SHRM uses a rigorous scoring process for certification exams, which includes third-party independent validation and verification. Passing scores are set using the Modified Angoff method, a best-practice procedure commonly used for setting performance standards for certification and licensing exams.
Your performance will be measured against a pre-determined standard, not against that of other people taking the test. To maintain the integrity of the Certification Program, the SHRM Certification Commission evaluates the scoring standard recommendations and ensures the technical quality of all test scoring practices.
After you have finished the test, the system calculates a provisional pass/did not pass result, posts a statement on your screen, and emails the provisional pass/did not pass result to the email address you used when scheduling your testing appointment. You will receive the official results about 4 weeks after you take the test.
If you have a passing score, you will receive an official congratulatory letter, your credential certificate, and a lapel pin. You will also receive a Candidate Feedback Report, which shows your official score, along with information about your performance on the three behavioral competency clusters and three HR knowledge domains. That information can help you select which professional development activities to pursue in order to advance your career and maintain your certification.
If you don't pass
Don't feel discouraged if you do not pass the certification exam. It is a very challenging exam, and between 30 and 45 percent of exam-takers do not pass on the first try.
Leverage the information on your candidate feedback report — view the experience as a learning opportunity and use your feedback to refocus or re-engineer a study plan that will help you prepare for retaking the test. You can re-take the exam as often as you wish by completing a new application, meeting all the eligibility requirements, and paying the exam fee.
Maintain your certification
Achieving certification sets you on the path to continuous learning and career development. Maintaining certification helps you keep your knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant.
To maintain your certification, you will need to earn 60 Professional Development Credits within each three-year period. Credits are awarded for your study, your experience, and your contributions in three categories: Education, Profession and Your Organization. You can also earn recertification by re-taking the certification exam.
CHAPTER 3
Learning How You Learn Best
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
— Aristotle
CHECK YOURSELF
How do you think you learn best? Mark all that apply.
[] Read the material
[] Hear someone explain the material
[] See the material presented in videos and charts
[] Discuss the material with other people
[] Explain the concepts to someone else
[] Take written notes on the material
[] Test the concepts in a real or realistic situation
[] Use the concepts to analyze situations and solve problems
[] Other:
We're not all the same when it comes to learning (and in so many other ways as well!). We receive and process information differently, and we like to learn in different ways.
Some people learn best by reading, taking notes by hand, and explaining the concepts to someone else. Others grasp new information and concepts more easily when the content is presented in visual form, via charts, graphs, slides or videos.
Understanding your learning preferences, or styles, will help you decide how best to study for success on the exam.
Four primary learning styles
In 1982, management experts Peter Honey and Alan Mumford published a Learning Styles Questionnaire based on psychologist David Kolb's learning style model. Honey and Mumford identified four primary types of learners: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists, and Pragmatists. No one is entirely one type or another, but most people prefer one or two of the four styles.
Honey and Mumford: Four Learning Styles
• Activists (Doers)
• Reflectors (Reviewers or Observers)
• Theorists (Thinkers)
• Pragmatists (Planners)
Activists (Doers)
If you're an activist, you have an open-minded approach to learning and enjoy experimenting, exploring, and discovering. Anxious to practice what you learn and apply it to real-world situations, you might become impatient with lengthy discussions and explanations. Some activists might have a tendency to be disorganized and to procrastinate.
Reflectors (Reviewers or Observers)
Reflectors prefer to learn by watching or listening. If you're a reflector, you like to take your time, collect data, and examine experiences or concepts from a number of different perspectives before coming to conclusions. You might have a tendency to dislike pressure and tight deadlines.
Theorists (Thinkers)
If facts, models, concepts and systems help you engage in the learning process, you might be described as a theorist. You like to think things through, analyze what you are learning, and understand the underlying theory. You might also tend to be more organized than other types of learners.
Pragmatists (Planners)
You might describe yourself as a pragmatist if you enjoy solving problems and sometimes become impatient with too much theory and lengthy discussions. When you learn, you want to know how the concepts apply in the "real" world.
Write out the info by hand (this helped me impress it on the brain better than typing it into a computer).
Three ways to learn
Researchers have also found that our learning styles differ in the ways in which we use our senses to receive and process information. One well-known theory, called "VAK," postulates that most of us learn best when using one or two of our three primary sensory receivers: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.
I studied. And studied. And studied every chance and moment I got. I am not the best reader, so it was difficult for me to read through the material and grasp it. I don't learn that way. I studied every day whenever I could for a solid three months.
Visual learners
If you're a visual learner, you like to have information presented through pictures, charts, diagrams, lists of key learning points, infographics, videos and other visual media. Taking notes and making visual maps helps you remember what you hear or read. Interestingly, some visual learners can visualize pages on which certain information appears.
Auditory learners
You know that you are primarily an auditory learner if you remember more of what you learn when you hear something than when you see it. You might prefer lectures and podcasts to reading. Reading aloud to yourself or talking about what you learn to other can help fix facts and concepts in your mind.
Kinesthetic learners
You can be described as a kinesthetic learner if you find it hard to sit still for long periods. You need to stand up and move around often to keep from losing your concentration. Keeping study period short and focused, taking notes by hand, and building frequent breaks into your study schedule can help you learn.
The VAK: Three Ways to Learn
• Visual
• Auditory
• Kinesthetic
CHAPTER 4
Use Proven Study Strategies
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
— Winston Churchill
CHECK YOURSELF
Think back to some important exams you've taken. Which statements describe what you did to study?
[] Took notes during class or a lecture
[] Read the material
[] Met with a study group
[] Watched a video
[] Attended a test prep class
[] Took a self-study course
[] Other:
It's probably been a while since you've had to study for an important exam. To prepare for the certification exam, you need to get back into "study mode." The strategies in this chapter can make the difference between just studying and studying in a way that will pay off on exam day.
Keep a positive mindset
Imagine that two actors are preparing for the role of a lifetime. The actors are similar in terms of experience and skills. Which of them has the best chance of ending up with an award-winning performance?
Actor #1. He worries that he isn't ready. Maybe, he thinks, he was cast in the role by mistake. Maybe he's just not good enough, and in time, everyone will notice and wish they had cast someone else.
Actor #2. She firmly believes that this role is perfect for her. It will be a lot of work, she thinks, but she can't wait to get started, and she knows she will deliver a stunning performance.
There is a big difference between these two actors. It's their attitude.
Actor #1 approaches the role thinking, "I can't do this." With that attitude, chances are that he won't deliver more than a mediocre performance, if that.
Actor #2 has a very different mindset. Trusting her experience and skills, she thinks, "I can do this, and I can do it very well!" Her positive mindset sets her up for success as she begins the long and difficult process of learning the script and rehearsing for the role.
In terms of attitude, preparing for a certification exam is not unlike learning an acting role: If you don't believe you can pass, you set yourself up for failure. Negative thoughts like, "I can't do this" and "other people are much better than I am" make it hard to study and to remember what you've learned on exam day.
But if you approach test preparation with trust in your experience and skills and the belief that you can do well, chances are that you will. You'll find it easier to put in the work to learn the material, cope with the frustrations that learning often involves, and step out of the wings on exam day prepared to deliver the performance of your life!
Learn actively, not passively
Let's go back to the example of the actors. Actor #2 is approaching the preparation process with a positive mindset. But what if all she does to prepare is read the script and try to memorize the lines silently to herself? It's a good bet that she won't do a very good job. In fact, she's likely to forget many of the lines when she steps on the stage.
That's why actors prepare by reading their lines aloud, thinking about how their characters react to different situations, and rehearsing the scenes over and over again. In other words, the actors learn actively, not passively.
Learning experts know that passive learning, such as reading and re-reading, highlighting, rote memorization, listening to lectures and watching videos isn't enough for learners to be able to retain it. Like the actors, being able to retain the material and then to recall it when you need it requires active learning. That means doing something with the material.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Ace Your SHRM Certification Exam"
by .
Copyright © 2019 SHRM.
Excerpted by permission of Society for Human Resource Management.
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