Hello everyone!

Just wanted to pop on here to say thank you to everyone who provided some structure to the test, as there really is not a lot out there about it!

I wanted to share my process, as I felt like I was always comparing myself to others and feeling behind in my studies. I got the SHRM learning system back in January and began reading the first book at that point. I was super excited to start studying and that quickly dissipated…I’ll be honest — I read SO slow. Like its unreal. So I read 2 of the books within the first 3 months of being registered, and the other 2 in the latter 3 months. I took the assessment test provided by SHRM at the beginning, and used their gap/score chart to narrow in on the areas I needed extra time in. With that being said, the areas that I excelled in, I merely read the blue info boxes and briefly passed through to view bolded terms and concepts. The areas I didn’t do well in, I read the sections thoroughly while typing out notes in a google document.

I think the most important thing is being diligent in doing the practice tests after reading a section. I would normally be disappointed with my score (60–70%) and get frustrated…but just wait! As time went on and I learned how SHRM wants me to answer the question, I started improving tremendously. Getting 80%+ on each one. The situational judgment questions are most important. Pay attention to how they are worded and the general concepts. I made a sheet that outlines key “SHRM” points like: always align HR as a strategic partner; always gain leadership buy-in first; involve stakeholders in decisions as much as possible, etc. Knowing those helps you in the test when you’re stuck. I took the post-test twice and felt that was sufficient for me personally in understanding the test. Also, make sure to utilize both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP aspects of the online training system! The more practice questions the better!

They give you a laminated sheet & dry erase markers for notes (weird to me, but nonetheless!) and I brought foam ear plugs to help with cutting out noise. Take the 24 hours before the test to relax your brain. Trust me- you need it. I had the worst headache by hour 3- it is mentally exhausting! Bring water and a snack and take a break once all questions are done (or earlier if needed!) I went through all 160, flagged ones I was unsure of, got up to take a 10 minute break, and came back with 45 minutes left. Just remember that the exam is 160 questions, but 30 are field placement questions that don’t count towards your score. I counted how many I had flagged and it was 32, so I figured statistically speaking, I’d easily pass if at least 10 of those are field questions.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have questions. I know I had a ton!