HR Certification  ›  SPHR
SPHR Exam Prep

SPHR prep for the person HR answers to.

The SPHR tests strategy, judgment, and the business of HR, and it famously humbles people with decades of experience. David Siler's system, built by a former HRCI question writer, trains you to answer the way the exam grades. His students pass at 90%+.

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The SPHR, at a glance

The stuff you actually want to know before you commit.
Eligibility
Senior experience required: 4 years in a professional HR role with a Master's, 5 with a Bachelor's, or 7 without.
Format
115 questions (90 scored) in about 2.5 hours, weighted heavily toward strategy and leadership scenarios.
Scheduling
HRCI tests year round. Apply, get approved, and schedule at a Pearson VUE center or via remote proctoring.
Cost & recert
Exam fee around $495 plus a $100 application fee. Recertify with 60 credits every 3 years, including 15 in business.
Exam details set by HRCI and refreshed here each cycle. Last reviewed for the current exam content outline.

Built for how the SPHR thinks

The SPHR barely asks what the rule is. It asks what you would do, at the level where your decision moves budgets and careers. Leadership and strategy dominate the exam weighting, which is exactly where Module 7 goes deepest: strategy, finance for HR, metrics, and M&A, with dedicated drill quizzes for the business content that trips up career HR people.

120 lessons, 100+ hours, 50+ sample tests, and a full-length SPHR final exam so test day is a rerun, not a premiere.

Leadership & StrategyModule 7, the SPHR's dominant area: strategy, finance, metrics, M&A
Employee Relations & EngagementModule 6 at the policy-setting level
Total RewardsModule 4: designing comp philosophy, not just administering it
Talent PlanningModule 5: workforce planning and succession at scale
Business drillsAccounting terms, M&A, and mixed scenario question sets

Preview the course free

Create a free account, confirm your email, and get your first lessons plus a real SPHR practice test: instant score, topic breakdown, and an honest look at where you are strong and where you are bluffing. Know before you spend anything.

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Taught by David Siler

40 years in HR, 30 years prepping candidates, former HRCI question writer, and holder of every major credential from both bodies. He retakes the exams himself to keep them current.

SPHRSHRM-SCPGPHRSPHRiPHRi90%+ student pass rate

Weighing your options?

Is the PHR the better fit?

If your day is more implementation than policy, the PHR may be your exam, and a strong one. Here is how HRCI draws the line.

Why not both SHRM and HRCI?

One course preps you for all four exams. Plenty of students walk away with two credentials for one enrollment.

$219 $895
Full SPHR prep, plus every other exam's materials included. 12 months of access.
Enroll now

SPHR questions, answered straight

How hard is the SPHR exam?

Hard enough that seasoned HR leaders fail it regularly. Experience helps and betrays you in equal measure, because the exam grades HRCI's answer, not your company's practice. This course exists to close exactly that gap, and students who complete it pass at 90%+.

Should I take the SPHR or the SHRM-SCP?

Same career stage, two certifying bodies, and many senior leaders eventually hold both. Since one enrollment preps you for both exams, the honest answer is: sit for one, and if the second matters to your market, take it while the material is fresh.

How long should I study?

Plan on 10 to 12 weeks at about an hour a day, with extra time on the business and finance content if that is not your daily work.

What does recertification look like?

60 recertification credits every 3 years, including 15 business credits. Our free CE library covers SHRM and HRCI credits, so keeping the credential current does not have to cost anything.