HR professionals, advocates, emerging professionals, and HR accountables responsible for managing HR who are all pursuing SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP Certification—particularly those of you juggling work, life, and other responsibilities—cannot afford to miss out on SHRM exam preparation offerings. The marketplace is teeming with exam preparation products branded with the SHRM logo. Despite this seemingly overabundance of “SHRM” study materials, only a handful of preparation products are actually developed by SHRM staff, improving exam success rates drastically compared to some of the inaccurate pass rates that you and your friends and colleagues see claimed as a benefit from other non-SHRM preparation sources. Yes, it’s your choice regarding which materials to study, and you may be asking yourself, “What’s the difference? Aren’t all preparation products largely the same?”
In short: No. And SHRM has the data to prove it.
When testers use the right and recommended SHRM exam preparation products, understanding how to study, when to study, and what to study becomes very straightforward. Using SHRM-developed materials has a profound effect on pass rates. Testers who prepared for the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams using a combination of the SHRM BASK (SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge) and SHRM Learning System see higher pass rates than those who do not use SHRM preparation materials (77% versus 54% for SHRM-CP and 62% versus 46% for SHRM-SCP).
SHRM maintains a variety of unique, best-in-class products for your exam preparation journey that align with your schedule and suit your financial needs. Regardless of the product you ultimately select, SHRM prides itself above all else that our products offer a key benefit that no other product on the market can offer—actual, previously administered SHRM-developed exam questions in the study materials!
You will get firsthand practice with exam questions that once appeared on a recent version of the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exam. Why does this matter? Because validating complex SHRM exam questions requires the input of HR professional SMEs, particularly the scenario-based situational judgment items. SHRM exam questions are developed to adhere to a strict set of guidelines that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Additionally, all of SHRM’s preparatory materials strictly align with the test blueprint (see below) and cover the knowledge and competencies tested on the SHRM exams.
Hopefully, we have piqued your interest! Let’s explore SHRM’s offerings in more detail below.
The SHRM BASK (Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge): The Framework for All SHRM Preparation Materials
The SHRM BASK is the perfect place to start studying for either exam level, no matter what other materials are used to prepare. Why? Simply put, the SHRM BASK is the exam blueprint!
- The SHRM BASK is the globally recognized competency framework that defines the 14 HR functional areas (Technical Expertise) and nine behavioral competencies from which the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams are built.
- The SHRM BASK is used as the blueprint for creating test content for the SHRM exams. If you are not preparing using materials built on the SHRM BASK, you could be studying content that you will never see on test day.
- The SHRM BASK differentiates content that will be found on the SHRM-CP versus the SHRM-SCP. The exams test the same content differently.
By the way, the SHRM BASK is FREE to download for everyone!
The SHRM Learning System: SHRM’s Premier Customizable and Interactive Preparation Product
With the SHRM BASK as its framework, there is no more comprehensive preparation resource than the SHRM Learning System.
The SHRM Learning System is the preferred resource for SHRM Certification exam preparation, offering a customizable study plan that is well-suited for a tester who wants tailored options, a variety of structured learning support, and a robust assortment of 2,700+ HR practice questions aligned with the SHRM style guide.
A key component is the pre-assessment, which identifies your areas of strength and areas for improvement to guide your preparation journey. Additionally, a post-assessment awaits you at the end of these materials, complete with a 134-practice test to give you a realistic preview of test day.
The SHRM Learning System offers a variety of modalities to suit your schedule, wallet, and study needs. These options allow you to:
- Study at your pace on your own time with the Self-Study option; or,
- Engage with an instructor in a variety of classroom settings with virtual or in-person options; or,
- Prepare your staff in-house with the team preparation option.
Are you a student? We’ve got you covered with our Education Partner course options!
Study Aids & Add-Ons
The Official SHRM Study Guide and the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP workbooks can boost examinees’ test preparation in several ways:
- Combined, these affordable resources contain 120 knowledge items and situational judgment items previously administered on SHRM Certification exams. These items are unique to these study aids, offering a realistic preview of the operational exam content.
- Insights into SHRM style guidelines, terminology, acronyms, and more for content creation.
- Insights on all aspects to prepare you for test day— whether testing in-person or remotely.
- Practical tips for managing test anxiety, budgeting time while studying, time management strategies during test day, and more that will benefit any examinee who picks up these guides.
- Insights and study tips from thousands of previous testers, including optimal study time.
SHRM is invested in you and your commitment to succeed and grow in the HR profession. For many, that begins with obtaining SHRM Certification. These products are truly designed to support you on your preparation journey by offering realistic exam questions for valuable practice, timed practice tests, a variety of settings for preparation, steps to manage anxiety, a preview of “what to expect” on test day, and so much more! You have made the commitment to invest in your future—now give yourself the best chance to succeed by utilizing these three critical resources that give you the best chance to pass your SHRM Certification exam.
Not a SHRM member yet? Save hundreds on SHRM preparation resources and exam fees by simply becoming a SHRM member, while acquiring all of the amazing benefits to truly elevate yourself, the workplace, and the HR profession.
Part II of this article will appear in the August 2024 issue of the SHRM Certification Update.
Charles Glover, M.S., is the Manager of Exam Development & Accreditation at SHRM.
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