The Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification exam is offered by the Human Resources Certification Institute for human resources professionals who have gained a greater degree of accountability within the office. The ideal candidate for this certification is one who is involved with human resources in a more conceptual framework. These professionals might design new HR policy, consider existing policy in light of current theories, or rewrite existing policy to reflect the organization’s current needs and future goals. Most candidates for this exam have reached a position of increased responsibility and authority and are, in many cases, the individuals who are ultimately liable for decisions, issues and problems.

Candidates for the Human Resources SPHR certification exam are usually those who have been working in the field for a minimum of five or six years. Over this period of time, these candidates have been given more complex projects and multiple overlapping tasks. They have also demonstrated wide ranging knowledge across the spectrum of human resource disciplines, and understand the ways company operations and human resource decisions affect one another. As well, these candidates also have the ability to use a well developed sense of judgment to make good decisions.
There are six functional areas that compose the SPHR examination. The areas, from highest to lowest in terms of how they contribute to the test’s final score, are Strategic Management, which contributes 30% of the total test’s score; Employee and Labor Relations, which offers 14%; Human Resources Development, which adds 19%; Workforce Planning and Employment, which also contributes 17%; Compensation and Benefits, at 13% contribution; and Risk Management, which is responsible for the final 7% to the total test score.

The Senior Professional in Human Resources certification exam requires candidates to choose the best answers to 175 multiple choice questions within a three hour time- frame. There are several options to achieving eligibility requirements.

HR professionals who have some college experience, but have not earned a Bachelor’s degree are permitted to sit for the exam as long as they can prove a minimum of seven years of full time human resources experience. Human resources employees who have earned a Bachelor’s degree as well as having five years or more of full time work experience are also eligible. Finally, human resources professionals with a Master’s or Doctoral degree in the field in addition to at least four years of full time human resources work experience are eligible as well.

In order to register for an exam, a candidate must complete all paperwork and submit it with the required fees. It is best to do so after you are certain about your availability; should a confirmed test date prove to be impossible you will be offered alternative test dates but if none of these dates are acceptable you will receive a refund of only 50% of the fee. In addition, any alternative test date must occur within the original test period, and cancellations or requests for rescheduling must be made no later than three days before the scheduled date. Failure to reschedule as described will result in a rescheduling fee of $85.

The certification examination fee is $495 and the application fee is $100 and is not refundable under any circumstances. Members of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) are given a discount as long as they include their membership ID with the application.

Senior Professional In Human Resources Certification Exam Content

The Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification exam is organized into six functional areas: Risk Management, Total Rewards, Human Resource Development, Workforce Planning and Employment, Employee and Labor Relations, and Strategic Management.

Risk Management is 7% of the SPHR certification exam. This functional area is concerned with the candidate’s ability to create a safe work environment as well as to minimize the danger of liability by putting into practice policies and programs that are designed to limit risk. The successful candidate will be knowledgeable about federal and local laws, how to train employees in regard to maintaining workspace safety and creating a plan for worst case disaster scenarios. This area also addresses privacy issues such as identity theft and HIPAA compliance. In addition, candidates should be prepared for questions that look at violence in the workplace, drug and alcohol abuse, evacuation procedures and policies regarding returning to work after a lengthy absence.

The area of Compensation and Benefits accounts for 13% of the final SPHR total score. This section asks questions pertaining to employee benefits, recognition and compensation. These multiple choice questions will be directed toward how programs are developed and implemented to structure pay, establish incentives, and otherwise support the organization’s achievement of objectives and goals. Questions regarding payroll functions that are concerned with deductions, terminations, and new hires, as well as those that look at how employee needs are evaluated are found in this portion of the test. Compensation and Benefits questions also address a candidate’s knowledge of how executive compensation programs and benefits packages are established and evaluated, as well as how foreign national benefits programs are handled.

The Human Resource Development area of the SPHR test is worth 19% of the total score. These multiple choice questions look at the candidate’s knowledge of training and development programs, employee evaluation, and employee satisfaction to ensure future individual and organizational needs are met. Questions might consider compliance with laws and regulations regarding HR development programs; how to determine priorities for a needs assessment; assess training programs through the application of metrics; and creating, establishing and assessing talent management programs for employees considered to possess exceptional potential. The successful candidate will also demonstrate understanding of skills and techniques required for performance management and appraisal, theories concerned with leadership development, and executive coaching. This area of the SPHR certification exam also looks at issues of culture, societal norms, regional practices, international law and other global concerns.

Workforce Planning and Employment is the functional area of the exam that looks at recruiting new hires, orientation, employee retention, and exiting programs, and accounts for 17% of the total score. Here the candidate will find questions regarding the skills the organization’s employees possess as well as those that are absent, and determining where and how to attract candidates with those skills. Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of sources for new hires, including online resume banks and job boards, using references given by current employees and job fairs, as well as the skills necessary for administrative activities following successful recruitment such as completing I-9 verification forms and employment agreements. Questions might regard how interviewees are selected, including tracking, interviews, assessments, drug testing and background review. The ability to understand the finer points of federal and local laws that have a bearing upon the workforce is also important in this section.

The area of Employee and Labor Relations contributes 14% to the total SPHR test score. Questions in this portion of the exam look at employee- employer relationships to determine the most efficient and effective ways to support the needs and legal rights of both in such a way that the organization’s objectives and goals are fostered. Important in this area is an understanding of federal, state and local laws that govern labor relations; using surveys and focus groups to evaluate the business environment; and implementing programs that acknowledge employee contributions via special events, awards and bonuses. Assessing the effectiveness of dispute resolution policies, as well as addressing complaints lodged with government agencies by employees are also areas of concern.

The final functional area is Strategic Management; at 30% of the test’s total score, this is the most significant area for candidates to study. This area is concerned with decisions at the managerial level that contribute to the company’s goals, objectives and mission. Questions in this area will address how to use information gathered internally to determine best practices to support the organization’s strategic plan, as well as how information gathered externally, such as that regarding developments in technology, legal regulations, and the current business climate, can be used strategically will also be explored.