SHRM Certification Best Test Practices, Part 5: Preparing for Test Day

In this fifth article in the series, SHRM certification experts share tried-and-true methods for preparing for test day—whether you take the test in a test center or at home. This installment is all about getting ready to test and the actions to take in the days and weeks leading up to test day so you are completely ready to do your best.

Earning and keeping your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP is readily achievable with this easy-to-follow advice—get ready to earn SHRM certification by moving this personal development goal from your to-do list to your “today list.” These helpful tips will prepare you to do your best on test day.

Sit for Your Exam

You have been preparing and are now here at the doorstep, ready to take the exam. You signed up to pursue SHRM certification, you scheduled your exam, and you are studying. What is your next step to prepare? The thought of having to sit for a major multiple-choice test can be daunting, especially if you haven’t done so in a long time. How can you increase your success on test day?

Approach the weeks leading up to test day as the culmination of a four-month study plan. Consciously decide to focus your mind on the end goal. Ensure that you are well prepared and have mastered the subjects tested on the exam.

For a comprehensive list of preparation and test-taking tips, consult the official SHRM study guide, Ace Your SHRM Certification Exam (available for purchase through the SHRMStore or included as an e-book with the SHRM Learning System).

About three weeks before test day, make your family, friends, and colleagues aware of your goal and get them involved in helping you reach it. Say no in advance to participation in additional extracurricular activities. Remove any barriers that might distract you from your focus. Center your thinking, and visualize success.

Approximately two weeks before test day, make sure you have everything you need for a smooth arrival and check-in process.

Arrange an Anxiety-Free Arrival

If you will be sitting for your exam in person at a Prometric test center, do a trial run ahead of time to determine how long it will take you to get there from your starting point. Try to take your trial run on the same day of the week and at the same time that your exam will be administered. If you are driving, map out the best route, and when you arrive, locate parking. If you’re using public transit, look up modes of transportation and schedules for your test day.

More preparation is required if you are taking your exam through live remote proctoring. Reread all of the pertinent rules on the exam fees and options page by scrolling down to the Remote Testing section. Read all the FAQs to set up your immediate environment at home or at the office to make sure there will be no issues on test day. Be sure to read the information about how to conduct a readiness check to properly set up your computer for compatibility with Prometric’s testing platform. Read the ProProctor User Guide to ensure that the platform will launch on the same computer you will be using when you sit for the exam, and conduct a system readiness check on it. For the strongest internet signal on test day, arrange to be able to physically connect your computer to your router with an Ethernet cable rather than relying on Wi-Fi; unstable home or office internet is the No. 1 cause of technical issues on test day.

If you’re testing at home, make sure you won’t be disturbed once you are in the room in which you will be taking the exam. If you’ll be testing remotely someplace else, do a trial run getting there, just as if you were going to a Prometric test center.

Confirm the Check-In Rules

The same rules for identification and security screening apply to both in-person and remote examinees. Review the check-in details for each testing option. Consult the SHRM Certification Handbook section on Testing Identification Requirements and Rules. Review additional specifics listed on the appointment confirmation email you received from Prometric when you scheduled your exam.

You will be required to have an original, valid, unexpired, government-issued ID with a current photo and signature. If your ID has expired, renew it before test day or use a different ID from the list of acceptable alternatives in the handbook. The name on your ID must match the name on your certification records, including your exam application and appointment confirmation. If the names do not match, contact SHRMcertification@shrm.org to adjust your records accordingly.

Familiarize yourself with the various protocols regarding personal belongings, writing electronic notes, taking breaks, and more. (For example, there are no scheduled breaks during the exam. You may go to the restroom if you need to, but you will not be given make-up time when you return.)

Taking the Test

If possible, take time off from your usual activities the day before the test. Make it study-free, too—another welcome change from what you’ve been doing for the past several months. Last-minute cramming before you sit for your exam is not advisable. Get a good night’s sleep.

On test day, enter your testing environment with a can-do attitude and a winning mindset. Follow the rules for your location. Look forward to celebrating when it’s all over!

All of the content on the SHRM certification exams is based on the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge (SHRM BASK). Each exam is designed to test your knowledge, judgment, and experience at the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP level.

Your exam is divided into two equal sections, each containing 67 questions. There are three kinds of questions: knowledge items, foundational knowledge items, and situational judgment items. You will have 110 minutes (one hour and 50 minutes) to complete each half. In total, the exam contains 134 questions and lasts 220 minutes (three hours and 40 minutes).

Timing Is Your Friend

Don’t worry if the check-in process takes longer than you expect. The clock does not start ticking until you actually begin the exam. Once you start, just answer the questions and keep going.

Be conscious of the time, but don’t overly focus on it. The vast majority of examinees—about 90%—finish the test without rushing and with time remaining. Make the clock your friend, not your adversary.

That said, you must complete the first half of the exam before moving on to the second half, because you will not be able to go back. (For example, if you tag items for review while working on the first section, attend to them before you exit section one.)

SHRM is committed to your success, so let’s focus on you passing the exam. After you earn your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification, SHRM looks forward to supporting your professional development as your career partner for many years. For questions and information, email SHRMcertification@shrm.org or call 1-800-283-7476 and select Option 3 (or 1-703-548-3440, Option 3).

Nancy Woolever, SHRM-SCP, is SHRM’s vice president of academic, certification, and student communities.