I did it! I passed!

After 3 months of studying I can finally call myself a SHRM Certified Professional in Human Resources.

During my journey I did research trying to get information that would give me insight on study tips. I came across several forums, the HR subreddit being the most popular (found here), where other HR professionals were asking the same questions:

• How did you prepare?
• What study materials did you use?
• Was the SHRM Body of Competency & Knowledge (BoCK) learning system really worth the money?
• Did you study individually or did you use a group?·
• How long did you study for?
• How were the questions structured?

To my surprise, I found very little information from previous test takers explaining their experience and detailing what made them successful.

With that being said, I have decided to give a summary of the strategy I used to pass the SHRM-CP. Hopefully, other professionals can use my experience as a guide to help master the material and pass the test with relative ease.

Preparation Course

The single most important thing that lead to my success was the SHRM-CP/SCP preparation course. The class was held at a local college and cost included the physical SHRM BoCK (4 book set), access to the online Learning System, and lunch. The class isn’t cheap and I suggest asking your employer to pay for, or assist with, the costs because, in my opinion, it will significantly increase your chances of passing.

A major benefit from the class was that it was lead by a certified SHRM instructor who took difficult to understand concepts and translated them into “layman’s” terms. Employment law and case law can be hard to grasp by their SHRM definitions. Take for example Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Case

• Claims of sex discrimination in pay under Title VII were not timely because discrimination charges were not filed with the EEOC within the required 180-day time frame

Act

• Created a rolling time frame for filing wage discrimination claims and expands plaintiff field beyond employee who was discriminated against.

Without having any prior knowledge of this concept the definitions can be difficult to comprehend. Our instructor was able to explain the details in practical, real life, terms making the material much easier to grasp.

Caution: Be prepared for a fast paced class because material is reviewed in broad strokes. Each class covered 2 or 4 functional areas (depending on the size) in the 7 hour time frame.

Information on prep courses, both in-person and virtual, can be found here.

Learning System

Using the online Learning system to its full potential was the second piece of the puzzle. I suggest exploring all of the material the system has to offer. Items include:

• Electronic versions of the BoCK books.
• Quickstart videos
• Flashcards
• Knowledge Tests for each Functional Area
• Situational Judgment Tests
• Competencies in Action
• Comprehensive Tests; Assessment test, post test, bonus test
• Smart Study Tool

First, I downloaded the Smart Study Tool. This is a comprehensive spreadsheet that tracks scores on the knowledge tests and assesses gaps so you can hone your studying in on deficient areas. I used this spreadsheet to its maximum capacity.

Before diving into self-study, I took the assessment test, as well as, the knowledge tests and recorded my results in the Smart Study Tool. Initially, I scored low in certain areas (Diversity and Inclusion) and high in others (Technology Management). Based on the results I was able to pinpoint where I should focus the most attention. After reading and studying the material, I would go back, re-test, and record the new result to track my improvement. Unfortunately, you are unable to record your results on the situational bases questions using the Study Tool, however, if you are crafty with Excel this can always be added.

While taking both the knowledge and situational tests the results of the questions are presented as soon as your answer is submitted. No matter your selection the correct answer would be presented along with a short description of why it was the correct answer.

I re-took the assessment and knowledge tests several times throughout the duration of studying. This acted as an excellent motivator because I was able to see my scores rise. Having positive reinforcement was key to staying motivated, focused, and driven.

In addition to the knowledge and situational tests, I also utilized the flash cards. These are a quick way to study the material on the fly. I would read through them while in between tasks at work, or, while doing chores at home.

A week before the test, I completed the post-test which is the best preview of how the actual test is structured and how the questions are presented. This is timed, has a total of 160 questions in both knowledge and situational formats, and does not present the correct answer after selection. Upon completion, you are able to review your answers.

Additional notes:

• When first logging in you are able to choose from the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP versions of the system. The flash cards, quick starts, and competency in action segments stay the same, however, the knowledge, situational, assessment, and post tests are catered towards your selection.
• In my opinion, the test questions in the learning system are much easier than the questions that are presented in the actual test.
• Once registering for the learning system it can be used for a year and a half before it expires.

Information on the learning system can be found here.

YouTube / Google

Another helpful resource was the internet.

I found a number of decent YouTube videos that were seminars or summaries of the information. Some of these are geared towards the PHR, however, the information is still relevant. A few links are provided below.

PHR/SPHR Content Review

2015 SHRM-CP and SCP, What you need to know

Various HR lectures

Overview of SHRM BoCK Modules

Secondly, after my prep course was completed, Google was an excellent resource to look up additional information since I didn’t have an instructor to explain the material. Anytime I read a definition, theory, or concept that left me confused I would look it up on Google. For example, I used Google to help drive home the topics below:

Balanced Scorecard

Principle Agent Problem

Portal to Portal Act

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

Testing Day Pointers

• Start the day by eating a nice big balanced breakfast.
• Meditate. This may sound cheesy but it helps calm your nerves. I also created a vision in my mind of a big PASS notification on my computer screen, which put me in a winning mindset.
• You must arrive 30 minutes prior to testing time and will be required to present a government issued ID. If you bring in your keys, phone, wallet, etc. they must be locked up. Before being seated you will be checked by security.
• I was placed in a small room with around 10 other people. Be prepared for distractions; coughing, sneezing, people moving around, and especially other people typing. Earphones were provided but were not noise canceling.
• 160 multiple choice questions comprising of 65% knowledge based questions and 35% situational questions. The testing pattern goes: Knowledge > Situational > Knowledge > Situational > Knowledge.
• 4 hours to take the test including breaks. If you need to use the bathroom the timer still counts down.
• Use the “marked” question and “strikeout” function to its fullest capacity. You are able to mark questions and go back to review them later on. This is excellent for questions that you are unsure about. In addition, you are able to strikeout choices that you think are the wrong answer.
• After submitting all test questions you must complete a short survey.
• You will be shown your preliminary results when the test is totally completed and submitted.
• Your actual results will be provided 4–6 weeks after the closing date of the testing window. For me, this will be sometime in September / October.

Bringing it all Together

In conclusion, despite my education and experience I strongly feel that I would not have passed without extensively studying the material. In my opinion, the test was not easy and the questions were much more difficult than the practice questions provided in the books and learning system. Passing is possible and I think that everyone can be successful by properly planning, staying focused and maintaining a winning mindset.