PHR/SPHR: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide [Paperback]

Anne Bogardus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470050683 | ISBN-13: 978-0470050682 | Publication Date: January 30, 2007 | Edition: 2

Completely revised and enhanced for the new 2007 exams, this book enables you to validate your experience and skills as an HR professional with the industry-standard PHR (Professional in Human Resources) or SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). This comprehensive new edition of the top-selling PHR/SPHR Study Guide provides you expert preparation and review for these challenging exams as well as comprehensive coverage on labor relations, workforce planning, compensation, OSHA regulations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Completely Revised and Enhanced for the New 2007 Exams

Validate your experience and skills as an HR professional with the industry-standard PHR (Professional in Human Resources) or SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). This comprehensive new edition of the top-selling PHR/SPHR Study Guide provides you expert preparation and review for these challenging exams.

Practical and comprehensive coverage on labor relations, workforce planning, compensation, OSHA regulations, and more

Full coverage of all test specifications in a systematic approach, so you can be confident you're getting the instruction you need for the exams

Real-world scenarios that put what you've learned in the context of actual job roles

Challenging review questions in each chapter to prepare you for exam day

Exam Essentials, a key feature that identifies critical areas you must master before taking the exam

A handy tear card that maps every test specification to the corresponding chapter in the book, so you can track your exam prep

NOTE: This study guide and/or materials are not sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated in any way with the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). PHR, SPHR, GPHR, and HRCI are trademarks or registered marks of HRCI. SHRM is a registered mark of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Featured on the CD

SYBEX TEST ENGINE:
Test your knowledge with advanced testing software. Includes all chapter review questions and four bonus exams—two for PHR and two for SPHR.

ELECTRONIC FLASHCARDS:
Reinforce your understanding with flashcards that can run on your PC, Pocket PC, or Palm handheld.

Also on CD, you'll find the entire book in searchable and printable PDF. Study anywhere, any time, and approach the exam with confidence.

About the Author

Anne M. Bogardus, SPHR, began her human resources career in compensation at a public multinational corporation, Castle & Cooke, owner of the Dole food brand, and later at First Nationwide Bank. Currently she is founder and principal of S.T.A.R. HR in northern California, which specializes in building human resource functions that serve strategic business needs. Her practice includes small- to medium-sized businesses in a wide range of industries including biotechnology, mortgage lending, high technology, public relations, retail, nonprofit, and construction. Ms. Bogardus is also the author of an introductory book for non-HR business professionals, Human Resource Jumpstart , also published by Sybex.

Technical Editor Cynthia Edwards, SPHR, is a human resources generalist with more than 20 years of experience in the high-tech, finance, and healthcare industries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 2 edition (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470050683
• ISBN-13: 978-0470050682
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #582,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worked like a charm, July 1, 2007

By 

Golfing in Sunny CA - See all my reviews

This review is from: PHR/SPHR: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide (Paperback)

I just passed the PHR a few days ago, and I owe it all to this study guide. My HR experience is somewhat limited in scope, and this book filled in all the gaps. I plan to keep this book and continue to use it as a reference guide for things that come up in the workplace.

I read and studied from this book for about 2 weeks. The great thing is that this edition of the book has a CD with a full pdf version of the entire book, as well as electronic flashcards. When it was not convenient to read the book, I could read it on the computer or my PDA. Each section has practice tests and review sections, and the author knows her stuff - all of the material and special highlights are very relevant to the exam.

If you're limited on time, I don't recommend skimming. Rather, I suggest a focus on reading the one or two sections where you need the most work.

I recently read that the pass rate for the PHR is something like 2/3 or 66%. I think that if everyone used this guide, that number would go up dramatically.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good study guide, June 6, 2008

By 

S. Reyes (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PHR/SPHR: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide (Paperback)

I passed the exam 1st time with this book as my only study guide.

I bought this book several months before taking the PHR. I took the placement exam in the book right away. This gave me a good idea what areas I was weak in. I work in CA and support company's in several states. I think this gave me an advantage because of the strict compliance and regulations in CA. I started studying about 2-3 weeks before the exam. I would spend a few hours each night reading the book, highlighting and answering the review questions at the end of each chapter. I finished reading the whole book a day before taking the exam and spent the last day taking the placement exam again and reviewing my weak areas in more detail.

The exam was long and hard. The whole time I was taking it, I thought I was failing miserably. The questions are hard and there are always two answers that are reasonably right but only one that is more right. I don't know my scores yet but I found out I passed at the end of the test!

I would highly recommend this book as a study guide if you are an experienced HR professional. I have a BS in Business and a concentration in HR. I obtained my degree 4 years ago. I have worked in several industries over the last 4 years and worked my way up the HR ladder. I'm involved in all aspects of HR for a non-union company.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Provides a base, but not sufficient on its own., January 27, 2008

By 

J (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PHR/SPHR: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide (Paperback)

I used this book and I passed the SPHR. But, I feel like it was dumb luck that I passed. The book provided a good foundational base of information, but had I to do it over again, I would have supplemented it with something else. The format of the example questions here were pretty close to what I saw on the exam, but I feel like at least 30% of the content on the exam was not covered here. I also suspect that this book is a better guide for the PHR.

If you buy the book, I recommend getting the legal and the union stuff down cold. Also, be able to reproduce HR processes step by step (e.g., needs assessment, recruiting plan, etc.). If nothing else, memorize the first few steps involved, a lot of questions asked about the first steps. Also, test yourself on the practice questions at the end of each chapter. They're helpful for identifying gaps in knowledge. The example questions on the computer disk are also helpful.