PREPARING FOR THE SPHR EXAM WITH HRCI

This is a senior level HR certification through HRCI. In order to qualify you must have the following education and/or experience combination:

- Have at least four years of experience in a professional-level HR position and a Master’s degree or higher, OR

- Have at least five years of experience in a professional-level HR position and a Bachelor’s degree, OR

- Have at least seven years of experience in a professional-level HR position.

Learn more about what HRCI considers professional-level experience here.

TOPIC BREAKDOWN FOR THE SPHR

Overview of HRCI Exams - Including aPHR, PHR, and SPHR

SPHR EXAM PASS RATES

SPHR Pass Rate as of 2022

OUR HR CERTIFICATION PREP COURSE OFFERINGS

Click on each course to be directed to a new page with more about Workology's HR Certification prep program(s).

shining a light on HRCI and SHRM certification

What's on the exam(s)?

The SPHR exam by HRCI covers the functional areas of leadership and strategy, talent planning and acquisition, learning and development, employee relations and development, and total rewards for leaders are working in senior and more experienced HR position. With HRCI, the scope of the exam is shared in what they call a Body of Skills and Knowledge for the SPHR. Access the SPHR BoK here. To gain more insights on what is covered on the exam, you can view our free Insider Secrets webinar series.

Workology offers a free HRCI certification prep webinar that discusses many of the exam foundations in more detail. Click the link to sign up below.

Testing Windows and Fees for SPHR Exam

Exam Fees	HRCI Price
Application Fee (aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, PHRi™ SPHR®, SPHRi™, and GPHR®) (non-refundable)	$100 USD
SPHR®, SPHRi™, and GPHR®	$495 USD
Second Chance Insurance (SCI) allows a candidate to pre-purchase the opportunity to retake the same exam type a second time if the candidate is unsuccessful the first attempt.	$250 USD (pre-paid and non-refundable)
Cancellation or exam change fee	$150 (nonrefundable)

Interested? Visit HRCI and create an account with HRCI. Once complete, you'll be redirected to the SPHR exam application.

When Can I Take the SPHR Exam?

Once you complete the SPHR exam application and are approved, you must schedule your exam within 180 days. Exams can be taken remotely via proctor or in-person at a testing center.

How Do I Study for the SPHR Exam?

With the PHR, you can first assess your strengths and weaknesses by taking a self-assessment. This will help you understand what areas should be your primary focus. We recommend at least 12 weeks of studying 3-7 hours a week. In our signature HR review program, we offer a 12-week study schedule along with a comprehensive self-assessment designed to help you organize and focus your study efforts o the areas where you might be weakest.

Studying for the SPHR Certification Exam

Here are five things to consider that can help with your HRCI exam study and preparation.

#1 - Accountability and scheduling.

Having a plan (as opposed to a single deadline) can help keep you on schedule, especially when your time to study is limited to nights, weekends or your lunch hour. Programs like Workology's study prep break your studying down into manageable bites with multiple deadlines, setting up a series of accomplishment milestones as opposed to a singular finish date. This helps to ensure you have absorbed each section of exam prep as an item you can check off of a list, and holds you accountable for the deadline for each section.

#2 - Make time for studying.

Your job, especially if you’re already working in human resources at any level, tends to consume a large percentage of your time. If you’re looking into SHRM Certification, it means you’re also looking for ways to be more efficient with your time and better at your job. Like any type of training, in order to accomplish the goal, sometimes you have to prioritize tasks differently so you have time to study. Setting aside blocks of time and treating them as appointments you must keep can help move you forward in the learning process.

#3 - Studying regularly and consistently over time.

Consistency is key to retaining the information you learn. Following a regular study schedule and having a roadmap to follow, can help you retain the information you studied in the first week as well as you do that last. A learning roadmap, which is part of Workology's certification prep programs, gives you a solid foundation and each block of new information builds on what you previously learned, with real-world examples and solutions to situational questions. We offer this in every part of our SHRM certification prep programs.

#4 - A community of support is critical.

Having a method of communicating with like-minded people who are at a similar stage in their human resources career and can commiserate or share information about their study process can help keep you motivated. You’re not out there on your own and you’re not the only person who is struggling to keep up with a study workload along with a full-time job and family. An online community of people who are also studying for their SHRM Certification can be the support you need to keep up with your study schedule and a cheering section when it comes time to take your exam.

#5 - Adapting to your specific learning style.

There are seven types of learning styles, and you may fall under more than one. It’s important to know how you learn best in order to absorb information in the most efficient way. For example, visual learners have had great results with flashcards and aural learners study more effectively by listening to audio courses.

TYPES OF LEARNING STYLES

Visual Learning Using Pictures and Spacial Understanding

Aural Learning Means You Prefer Sound and Music

Physical Learners Prefer Using Their Body and Hands to Touch

Social Learners Prefer to Learn in Groups or with People

Verbal Learners Learn with Words Using Writing & Speech

Solitary Learners Prefer to Work Alone or Use Self-Study

Logical Leaners Rely on Logic, Reasons and Systems

Sample Test for SPHR Exam Test Questions

With HRCI exams, including the aPHR, PHR, and SPHR, all test questions are multiple choice and offer a single correct answer with four different options. The exams are weighted, meaning that each question is scored differently. The SPHR exam consists of 115 scored questions in addition to 25 pre-test questions that are not included in your final result. For HRCI certification exams, a score of at least 500 is required to pass, and the possible score range is between 100 to 700.