I just passed the SPHR! I haven’t received my official results yet, but I got my “pass” email. Here are my thoughts on preparing for this exam.
My Background
I’ve been in HR consulting for a little over 8 years, so overarching HR topics aren’t foreign to me. I primarily work on organizational design and workforce planning projects. I also have an accounting and tax background, so some of the Total Rewards and general business concepts were familiar to me.
My weakest area was Leadership and Strategy. For those topics, I think you need to practice thinking like a CEO and learn to recognize exam patterns through practice questions.
Preparation
I took 3 months to prepare because of my work commitments. I studied for a few hours after work and, depending on my other commitments, usually studied for one day during the weekend.
My biggest piece of advice is to start practicing exam questions sooner. If I had to do this again, I would start practicing exam questions much earlier.
Pocket Prep: A great on-the-go resource for retaining concepts and doing quick reviews. However, the questions were not complex enough for this particular exam.
Sandra’s book: If you’re a nerd like me, go for it! She covers the material extensively. However, if you’re pressed for time, I’d skip it. Her end-of-chapter quizzes were also good practice.
Exam Edge: I purchased additional practice exams from Exam Edge, and they were great as well. They’re also reasonably priced, so they’re a good option if you want extra practice without spending too much.
ConquerHR online boot camp: The videos were great for helping me digest the study guide, which I honestly found poorly written and organized. The course does cover the main topics, though, and the study materials could use a little polishing. Her practice exam was challenging enough.
Mometrix: This was a great resource and my favorite study tool! It had the most challenging practice exams I took. I also purchased the online study guide, which I actually preferred reading over Sandra’s book.
Practice Exam Difficulty: Least to Most Challenging
Pocket Prep quizzes
Sandra’s end-of-chapter quizzes
Exam Edge
ConquerHR practice exam
Mometrix
My Final Recommendation
If you’re pressed for time and have a limited budget, buy the Mometrix study guide and use the two practice exams that come with it. I’d also purchase a few Exam Edge practice exams because they offer great value and aren’t too expensive.
Tips and Tricks
I won’t get into the specifics here because that deserves a separate post. However, there’s a great post on this platform with awesome tips on recognizing patterns and navigating exam questions.
Situational questions were among the most common and challenging questions for me. This is not a memorization exam; it’s an application exam.
I didn’t get any math questions on my exam, but I did need to know a few general concepts, such as the different types of deferred compensation.
Good luck to everyone preparing for the SPHR! You’ve got this!