I recently passed the PHR certification with bare minimum preparation. I'm talking like maybe 5-10 hours of studying maximum. I took the exam in a testing center, and when I was given my results, I genuinely could not believe that the paper said I passed.
For context, I'm only 2.5 years into my career in an administrative HR Operations focused role. So while I do have "experience," I did not imagine my experience and knowledge would be enough to wing and pass the PHR exam.
I am very happy I passed, but in a weird way, I'm also disappointed. I had signed up for the exam back in May when there was a promotion going on, and I kept procrastinating studying. It got to the point where I basically told myself I was going to use my exam as a (very expensive) practice test and study based off the questions that were on the test. Now I don't need to bother about studying, but I feel like I missed out on all the things I would've learned if I had. But I have very little motivation to study and review information for an exam I already passed.
The only real preparation I did was listen to the "PHR Study Guide 2023-2024" on Spotify by Shawn Blake. I listened to all of the chapters, but I would not say that'd normally be enough to prepare you for the exam. I felt like I was guessing on \~70% of the questions. To be fair though, almost all of the multiple choice questions had 2 answers that were obviously wrong, which I think made my odds better when I did guess.
I am very curious what the threshold needed to pass is. I know there isn't a raw score or percentage needed, but I feel like it just has to be somewhere pretty low, maybe even like 60-70%. Taking this exam really solidified to me that while having the credential is nice, it really does not mean much in terms of your skill or competency. I've already been struggling with imposter syndrome though, and this didn't help...
Anyways, as far as recommendations and advice that I have for anyone taking the test, definitely focus on key labor laws. Laws like FMLA, ADA, FLSA, ADEA, Civil Rights Act, etc. Again, I was very ill-prepared on knowing these myself, but there were a good amount of fact-based, memorization type of questions that you can't really BS your way through if you don't know the answer. I'm just very lucky I knew just enough to get through. Knowing the technical knowledge related to benefits and unions is also incredibly useful. Like defined benefit vs. defined contribution, for example.
I would recommend listening to the Spotify PHR guide that I mentioned. It is very high-level, but I listened to the Business Management chapter on my drive to the testing center as a refresher since I don't have a business background, and there were 2 questions on the exam that I knew the answer to because I had listened to the chapter right before taking the exam.
Ultimately, I have no freaking idea how I passed but no one out there needs to invest in the expensive official study materials out there (unless your employer pays for it). I paid out of pocket because my employer does not give any benefit/reimbursement for certs, so I'm thankful my experience didn't end up just being a very expensive practice test.
Happy to help answer any questions anyone has about the format or nature of the questions.