SHRM Study Materials Leave Candidates Unsure They Are Ready

“Hi all, I'm trying to figure out whether I should try it. I'm a middle-aged warehouse/inventory manager trying to up my game and get some certs to back up my 30+ years experience. I breezed through high school and junior college thanks to a semi-eidetic memory, and I never really learned to study because I didn't have to. I tried online university about 10 years ago and fell flat on my face. I did take some random CPIM test questions (and got about 50% right) and already do understan”

“I am freshly graduated with my bachelors degree in Human Resources Management and I just started as an HR Coordinator for a midsize company! I am taking my SHRM-CP exam in December and I was hoping to hear some of your most helpful tips or study advice for the exam. I have heard a lot of opinions on the exam. Some have told me it was incredibly challenging while others have said it was easier than they expected. What was your experience? Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/Grouchy_Pos”

“My apologies if this has already been asked, but I couldn’t find this specific question. Back in April, I passed the aPHR courses offered by Coursera. I had accepted a new job, also in April, and have not studied since or taken my aPHR exam. I have 2.5 years of HR employment experience. That said, would the aPHR study materials and notes adequately prepare me for skipping the aPHR exam and move to taking the PHR exam? submitted by /u/thunderp00n [link] [comments]”

“This has been asked ad nauseam probably, however I’m still curious given the ages of the post. Ive been combing through Freida/Emra and also have been asking other attendings that were in selection committees once. There doesnt seem to be a consensus and i have a multiple part question: Is it worth it if you don’t take Step 1 but take Step 2, given that apparently some bigger(?)/academic programs will filter you out automatically (? Idk the veracity of this claim)? Are you screened out of VSLOs”

“Hi everyone. I'm a current HR Compensation Analyst in higher education and I am looking to hopefully take the Certified Compensation Professional courses in the future, but currently my budget is not so receptive. I want to study for it as cheaply as I can so that when I get to the point of paying for it myself (or if my employer finally has the budget to let me) I can have a knowledge base in addition to my experience. I'm almost 3 years into my role, but it is a new area for me within”

“I’m a Global HRBP with 8 years of experience and I am looking for certs/CE resources to help keep me fresh and stay up to date on changing trends, outside of things that I can find on LinkedIn. I have roughly a $2k budget allotted by my VP for training related to AI implementation for our Department (this is a requirement for spending approval). I report directly to the VP and he is wanting me to eventually help other team member become more comfortable with AI use. I was recently given access t”

“I greatly benefited personally by the various reddit posts about their SHRM-SCP experience so wanted to also document my own thoughts for anyone else that is going through the process. For context, I started my HR career in 2015 in hospitality and since moved through various positions and industries in HR. I have HR experience "in the field" as a HR Generalist, HRBP for a US region, and now HR Strategy for North America. I got my PHR in 2018 and have not studied for any exams of this n”

“After months of studying, I’m proud to say I passed my SHRM-CP exam last week! I wanted to share my experience and offer advice for anyone taking the exam during the next testing window. First, the cheat sheet from this post really helped me frame the SJI questions correctly. I attached images of the cheat sheet for people to use, thank you so much for that post u/Aggravating _Meal7892 !! https://www.reddit.com/r/humanresources/s/EOK2hqlJfc One thing I would add to that cheat sheet: the correct”

“To anyone else that is testing this month, good luck! No one knows I am taking the SHRM-CP test except my husband and sisters. I didn’t tell my work that I’m taking it because I’ve only been there 90 days and it’s kind of one of those things that I should have done before, since I’ve been in HR for 13 years. They know I don’t have it. I am nervous, I’ve used Pocket Prep almost exclusively with lots of researching terms I don’t know. I also finished my AAS in HR a few years ago so the business kn”

“Does anyone have any second hand materials for study such as Inman available? Preparing to take the exam late August or September! submitted by /u/Soph10122 [link] [comments]”

“Hi! I am taking my SHRM-CP Exam in less than a week! I probably have looked through as many reddit posts about this exam as possible and not gonna lie a little nervous based on the mixed reviews I've been seeing! Seems like the exam is worded trickily and lots of people feel like they're failing throughout the whole exam... So far, I've used PocketPrep, Prepsaret, All In One SHRM textbook, and the SHRM app to study. I've also watched a ton of Angela Murry videos on Youtube. I wou”

Passed both

“I'm seeking guidance on what would help me move from HR Specialist to HRBP or ER Roles. I'm currently stuck between getting the SHRM, PHR, or Employee Relations certificate from Cornell. Experience: Overall i have 5 years of hr experience as recruiter, coordinator, generalist and specialist. I have been exposed to TA, LOA, benefits, payroll, and some ER (I have knowledge of the overall investigation process) but I want to start getting into these type of roles more, so which certificate”

“I am taking my PHR exam tomorrow and I’m super nervous. I’ve answered all the questions on PocketPrep and done all 3 mock exams (averaging between 70-80%). I have a score of 96% on PocketPrep. I also read the Sandra Reed book from 2024. I’ve seen so many mixed reviews about people saying the PocketPrep was way harder and others say it’s easier than the actual test and I don’t know who to believe. I can’t really do anything about it at this point but words of wisdom/experience is helpful. s”

“Should I worry about it ? I have experience in service cloud but I haven't prepared for the exam itself really. submitted by /u/TarnishedHoman [link] [comments]”

“If you use healthstream through work there’s a section that has free CE courses and you can search by ones targeted to your role.”

“I have about 5 years of HR experience now, and want to get my SHRM-CP certification to extend my knowledge and boost my resume. I would take it this coming winter. so, my study plan would be going through the SHRM learning system, and doing a 10 question practice quiz on both the SHRM practice app and pocket prep for the next 5ish months. It's hard to know how much to study, does this sound reasonable? Keep in mind cost isn't a factor since my company will pay for this. submitted b”

“UW first pass 75% but a bit inflated as it wasn’t timed. Planning to do incorrect now, but should I do another pass with timed sessions or move to MKSAP? TIA submitted by /u/TyrosineKinases [link] [comments]”

“I just passed the SHRM-SCP and I have heard that it is very different than the SPHR. I want to knock these out back to back and get it over with. How hard is it to make that switch? Is the SPHR more driven by law, math, and other items that were not on the SCP? submitted by /u/Beautiful-Edge337 [link] [comments]”

“I got my preliminary pass today and I’m super stoked. Honestly while I was taking the exam I was very unsure, not because I didn’t know the content but there were so many questions where two answers could’ve been the one. I primarily used Mometrix to study and I would say that helped a ton! The only other study material I used was PocketPrep! I studied for about a month. I did 200 practice questions on PocketPrep and one full length exam (I scored a 93%). Mometrix was harder but much more like t”

“Hello everyone, I'm an IEPT (from Mexico) and I'm looking for textbooks to study from to prepare for the CPTE (in Canada). I would really appreciate it if anyone could share any of these books if you have them available digitally. Thank you so much! Here's the list: - O'Sullivan & Schmitz's Physical Rehabilitation , 8th ed. (2024) — Fulk & Chui - Goodman and Fuller's Pathology: Implications for the Physical Therapist , 5th ed. (2021) - Essentials of Cardiopulmonar”

“I failed the exam in January by 10 points. Took the practice exam a few weeks ago and passed with a 200. I Was really hoping to take the post exam, but I realized that it’s gone off the learning system. I know there is other material out there with other tests, but I really was hoping to use the post exam that used to be there because it comes directly from Shrm. I test in one week. Just really nervous even though I know I’m improving. Any tips or advice? submitted by /u/Obvious_Cand”

“I’m in california just got my hours approved and need to schedule the exam. Any tips and tricks are appreciated. Im planning on getting Jade learning a month before my exam and I ordered a bunch of Mike Holt books. I’m also listening to the Paul Abernathy podcast while at work. Not sure what else I can do. submitted by /u/changowango00 [link] [comments]”

“I have a required number of question sets to complete each week during residency, and I’m trying to figure out the most effective way to learn from them. I’ve never been someone who can just read an explanation, remember it, and move on. In medical school, I relied heavily on Anki, but I’m not sure if that’s realistic or sustainable during residency. I also don’t feel like I learn well by simply reading explanations, even though I know people say the explanations are where most of the learning h”

“I’m looking to connect with anyone who has recently gone through the 9 fundamental courses with Captus to obtain their designation! submitted by /u/One-Situation6866 [link] [comments]”

“Hello everyone, I'm an MBA Student specializing in HRM, and going to be Taking the SHRM CP in 2 days. Don't see the SHRM Learning system worth the money; want to take a cheaper option instead. If anyone has used these resources, please let me know.Trusted Institute vs Pocketbook for SHRM-CP (International) exam, which would be the closest to the SHRM CP Exam. submitted by /u/Diet_Plenty [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I studied a book bundle (Leadership & navigation, people, workplace, organization), practiced endless times on the tests, paid a ridiculous amount on an online course with a qualified instructor for 4 months. But I still failed my exam today even tho I followed procedures as you would in real-life & based on theories and cycles. I’m planning to take the test a second time on the second test window. Any tips, tricks, or resources that helped you to pass it? Help a sis out 🫩”

“Can’t stress this enough: don’t be stubbornly entrenched in your own writing/study habits. Follow the study guide, write under the time constraint, and debrief properly. Learn to write the CPA way on your cases in the most efficient way possible and in the allotted time. I’ve seen SO many people struggle and/or fail because they refuse to prepare the way CPA is screaming at them to prepare. Refusing to write under time constraint, focusing more time reading the textbook than case writing, and tr”

“Hi everyone, I work in HR in California, handling ER matters directly as part of my role. I hold PHR-CA and SHRM-CP certifications. I handle ER matters as part of my role and want to sharpen my skills — particularly around conducting workplace investigations and managing difficult ER conversations. I've been looking at the eCornell Employee Relations and Investigations certificate (5 courses, ~3 months, $3,600) and had a few questions for anyone who's completed it: Did the curriculum tra”

“Hi everyone, I’m currently 12 days away from my SHRM-CP exam. I’ve been using Pocket Prep as my primary study tool and have answered 1,418 questions with a 94% accuracy rate (as shown in image . While I’m happy with this progress, I’m starting to find the questions quite straightforward and manageable. For those who have already passed the SHRM-CP exam, did you find the actual exam to be significantly harder than Pocket Prep, or was the difficulty level comparable? I’m concerned that I might be”

“Hi everyone, I’m currently 12 days away from my SHRM-CP exam. I’ve been using Pocket Prep as my primary study tool and have answered 1,418 questions with a 94% accuracy rate (as shown in image . While I’m happy with this progress, I’m starting to find the questions quite straightforward and manageable. For those who have already passed the SHRM-CP exam, did you find the actual exam to be significantly harder than Pocket Prep, or was the difficulty level comparable? I’m concerned that I might be”

“unpopular take from someone who failed SCP first try and then passed. SCP isn't a harder version of CP. it is a fundamentally different test that happens to share a format with CP. if you study for it like a harder CP you will fail. that is what happened to me in december (failed by 4 points), and on retake this window I passed by 12 after totally changing my read. cards on the table for credibility. director of HR at a 400 person manufacturing company, 9 years in HR total, held my CP for 4”

“has anyone taken the test after june 1st when the book was put into pdf instead of a physical copy? my fiancé is set to take it soon and is worried that he won’t be able to look through the book and has to navigate it online and flip through tabs. submitted by /u/Adventurous-End5494 [link] [comments]”

“Im taking the shrm cp tomorrow and Im a little nervous about where I might fall. Ive been working in HR the past 6 years and decided to take the exam to brush up my resume. On reddit Im seeing mainly horror stories, however Im not sure if these people have experience in HR or not. Ill admit I should’ve been studying months ago, but I started studying two weeks ago. Ive been using my lisso exam prep book but been mostly doing practice questions. Ive been scoring in the 90s on pocketprep and high”

“My background : I have 6yrs experience in HR, and a BA in IO psych. I don't do well with pure memorization or reading then recalling massive amounts of information. I'm looking for suggestions on audio books, Podcasts, YouTube channels, or resources I could feed into a text-to-audio converter. Obviously in looking for cheap options as I'm paying out of pocket. I've already downloaded the pocket prep for SHRM-SCP - is it worth getting the full, paid version? I plan to watch Angela”

“I’m taking my aPHR on Thursday and I’m SCARED! I’ve been in HR for a year and part of my agreement before moving into the role is that I would get certified. I have second chance insurance, but I’m still nervous!!! Any words of advice or wisdom? Was it hard? Any tips/advice welcome! submitted by /u/Traditional_Pack_942 [link] [comments]”

“I'm about a year out from my PHR expiration and I'm debating getting my SPHR or my PHRCA when it's time. Any thoughts on if getting the PHRCA is worthwhile? submitted by /u/mamalo13 [link] [comments]”

“The test was incredibly tough in my opinion. I did well on the practice exams and Pocket Prep, but on the actual exam I only scored 305. I wasn't expecting a high score, but halfway through the exam I honestly didn't think I was going to pass. If I could give one piece of advice, it's this: having experience working in manufacturing for 3 years now definitely helped, but more importantly, focus on understanding the concepts instead of just memorizing them. I'm just so relieved it”

“Yesterday (6/26) I someway, somehow passed the SHRM SCP exam. I’m still in shock because I would say 90% of the time I was unsure of the correct answer, so I chose the “best” answer. I did a lot of searching for people’s experience on Reddit and since there aren’t a lot of recent threads on this I figured I’d give my experience! Background: I have B.S. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and I’m a licensed therapist. I made a career shift ~3 years ago to HR. I work for a sma”

“Does anyone know ways around these expensive learning systems for the exams. I can afford the exams but combining the learning systems goes over budget. Does anyone have the practice exam textbooks or materials or websites I can use? submitted by /u/KiDNardy04 [link] [comments]”

“I’m so overwhelmed about my SPHR exam tomorrow. My Employer Association Study group utilized materials from David Siler, but that was a little different from the Pocket Prep App content. Then I purchased the Apex Academic Resources SPHR Exam Success book/online resources and the sample tests have been NOTHING like the Siler Sample Tests. Any guidance on the content that I can expect to see tomorrow? Last minute cram content suggestions??? submitted by /u/mwgptv [link] [comments”

“I've worked in HR for about 3 years and I took the test on June 13th and received a passing score. I used the SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP Learning System to study and become familiar with the information. I did read/quiz on all but 3 sections. Afterwards, I took the mock exam and received a passing score. The two weeks leading up to the exam, I downloaded PocketPrep and watched Angela on Youtube. The test didn't have many law questions. I'd focus primarily on the SJ questions throughout exam pr”

“for people who took the SHRM cp test and used the learning system to study, were your practice test results similar to what you got on the actual test? specifically wondering about the main practice exam. submitted by /u/PieCertain5950 [link] [comments]”

“I am not doing well on practice tests. I am scoring between 60% and 80% but to pass you need 87%. I don’t even know what I am doing wrong. I have never felt this insecure answering test questions in my life!!! Best last minute ways to study??? Did anyone else feel like this?? I feel like I don’t even know where to begin to start to fix this. I’ve used pocket prep, study.com, a book from Amazon, and I have the textbooks from 2024 that I bought online but I haven’t really looked at them tbh bc the”

“Just trying to see how the new format turned out? Any retakers that thought it was better? submitted by /u/Effective_Session168 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, After putting it off for almost a year, I’ve finally decided to go ahead and take the PHR exam. I’m a little nervous and not sure where to start. I have 2 years of experience as an HR Generalist and an MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management. For those who have taken the exam, how long did you study for? What resources or study methods helped you the most? Any tips for passing? Thanks in advance! I’d love to hear what worked for you. submitted by /u/Intrepi”

“Hello! I have been in an HR Specialist role for about a year and am considering taking the PHR exam next year once I reach two years of professional HR experience. I’m already researching study materials and beginning to prepare. My only concern is whether taking the exam at that point would be too early in my career, or if I would benefit from waiting a few more years before pursuing the certification. I’d appreciate any advice from those who have taken the PHR. submitted by /u/inee”

“Last night, I completed my recertification for my SHRM-CP; I have had it since 2017. I qualified for the SCP back then, but I thought I should take it in order, smh, looking back, that was a silly thought process. Anywho, I’m thinking about studying for the SCP & SPHR exams during this certification period. I wanted to get feedback from others on study resources, preferably one that works for both exams, but I know that's probably minimal since the exam structures are opposite. sub”

“I am currently prepping to take my PHR exam on July 10th. I’m using PocketPrep and Complete Study Guide by Sandra Reed. I’ve done a couple of the mock exams provided by PocketPrep and am wondering how close those questions are to the actual exam? Some of them require you to know very specific things while others a just seemingly common sense. submitted by /u/Sensitive-Sarah1234 [link] [comments]”

“I just rented a book from a library and have been reading it. I’m almost at the end of the book and decided, hey, what the heck. Let me do some flashcards for aPHR. I googled and clicked on the first result… and these flashcards are asking questions that I didn’t read anything about. The book I rented from the library wasn’t any official study guide from hrci or anything. I’m trying to look for free study options so how will I know the next study guide I rent or the next flashcards I tr”

“Hello! Just wanting to connect with someone who has or is going through the process to obtain their CPHR designation with the 9 courses at Captus institute! How did you find the finals for the courses? Which courses did you find the easiest and the hardest?? I have so many questions LOL. I am in my first semester taking three courses. submitted by /u/One-Situation6866 [link] [comments]”

“Hi Guys, I have an internship at my university’s IT department and my hiring manager told me there are HR opportunities, and I graduate next May. Should I go ahead and try to get the aPHR certification before I graduate? Any comments appreciated. submitted by /u/Mrcalcove1998 [link] [comments]”

“You've already done solid preparation, and the fact that you're asking this question shows good instincts. For an entry-level HRBP role, the hiring manager isn't expecting you to walk in as a seasoned business partner, she's testing whether you can think like one. That means understanding how the business makes money, what challenges a healthcare product company typically faces with its people, and how HR decisions connect to business outcomes. You don't need to go deep on pa”

“You need to practice more than study. I never expect a new HRBP to know the answer to every question without research, but I do expect them to be able to think strategically, understand how HR ties into the organization’s mission, and persuade others. The best way to prepare is to do a mock interview, not read a textbook.”

“Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice on whether the SHRM-CP is the right next step for my career. A bit about my background: I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Currently, I work in sales, customer service, and social media for a door company. However, I also have past experience as an HR intern where I was very hands-on with organizing job festivals and recruiting candidates. I'm really eager to pivot fully back into Human Resources and grow my career in this field. I woul”

“Hi everyone, I recently came across information that SHRM-CP offered an early bird discount for students, which reduced the exam fee significantly. However, when I checked the SHRM website recently, I couldn't find any student early bird pricing or related information. Has SHRM discontinued this offer, or is it only available during specific application windows? If anyone has recently registered for the exam or knows how the student pricing works, I'd really appreciate your help”