INTRODUCTION

Allow us to be the first to congratulate you on making the decision to sit for the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) certification exam and to strive to obtain your Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR) certification! Professional certifications are a mark of distinction that sets you apart in the profession and speaks volumes about your commitment to your career. More than 500,000 of your colleagues around the globe have obtained the HRCI certifications, including us.

Human resources is most likely part of our DNA makeup; we’ve lived it and breathed it for many decades. Our purpose is to share with you some strategies and experience that will assist you when you sit for the certification exam. It is our intention that this book will provide the knowledge and concepts you are expected to have mastered as an aPHR candidate. It is our pleasure to share those things with you. You also bring your own professional experience to the process. As you combine your experience with the information included in this book, you will be better able to answer the situational-based and competency-based questions about human resource situations you will find on the exam.

We want you to be successful. It is our belief that the HRCI professional certifications are important because the certifications endorse your knowledge and expertise to employers and clients. Having a professional certification has become increasingly important. It may be a requirement of your next job assignment or the promotion you are pining for within your organization. You may decide that these certifications are necessary qualifications for future HR professionals that you may hire in your future. In any event, we wish you the best professional regards and success in passing your exam and earning the prestigious designation of aPHR.

HRCI Certification vs. SHRM Certification

Over the past few years, there has been a great deal of buzz from both the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the HRCI regarding the two accredited institutes certifying HR professionals. Both certifications have their merits and result in a professional level of recognized achievement in HR. HRCI will continue to confer its industry-recognized certifications for professional levels of achievement in the application of knowledge and competencies expected of HR professionals.

How to Use This Book

This book has been completely updated for the 2022 aPHR exam release. Each chapter describes the new aPHR Body of Knowledge (BOK) as it has been divided into functional topic areas of human resources. Our ordering of the functional areas is as follows:

1.   HR certifications

2.   U.S. laws and regulations

3.   Talent acquisition

4.   Learning and development

5.   Compensation and benefits

6.   Employee relations

7.   Compliance and risk management

8.   Early human resource career-level tasks

Additionally, within each functional area, we have organized the presentation of topics to follow this same logic. As you progress through the material, we hope you will do so with a feeling of accomplishment associated with mastering the information presented and thereby increase your drive and motivation to continue.

The following is a brief overview of the organization of this book and how we feel this organization will benefit you.

Chapter 1: Human Resource Certification

In Chapter 1, we explain everything you need to know about the aPHR exam and also discuss the different types of HR certifications available. Additionally, you’ll find information about the process of registering for the exams, the actual exam experience, and what the style and format of questions are on the exams.

Chapter 2: U.S. Laws and Regulations

Chapter 2 provides a list of all the U.S. laws and regulations you will need to know. We placed this information in a chapter rather than an appendix to emphasize the importance of reviewing these laws and regulations prior to diving into the functional areas. Understanding these laws should make it easier for you to grasp the reasoning behind the material presented in Chapters 3–7. You will find some questions on the certification exams that are directly related to these laws. While it is true that you don’t have to be a lawyer to function as an HR professional, it is critical that you have a grasp on the essential requirements of each federal law so you can guide your internal organization clients toward legal compliance.

Chapter 3: Talent Acquisition

In this chapter, you’ll find information about how to identify recruiting sources, management of applicant databases, methods of recruiting, and alternative staffing practices. It also covers interviewing techniques and post-offer activities (medical exams, background checks, employee onboarding, and so on).

Chapter 4: Learning and Development

In this chapter, you’ll find information about how to deliver and evaluate training programs, what career development programs mean to your organization, and how to manage change in your organization.

Chapter 5: Compensation and Benefits

Compensation and benefits are topics held dear by every employee. This chapter includes how to determine base pay, incentives, differentials, and job evaluation programs. Employee benefits are always receiving attention in the news. In this chapter, you will find information about determining which benefit programs might be best for your organization and how to support them with enrollment and training efforts.

Chapter 6: Employee Relations

Employee relations includes information about methods for gaining employee feedback, establishing and implementing expectations for employee behavior, handling complaints and grievances, and progressive discipline approaches. If you ever wondered about employee engagement and diversity programs, you will find what you need here. This chapter also covers performance evaluation methods for employees.

Chapter 7: Compliance and Risk Management

Many legal compliance issues are associated with health and safety programs. As a new HR professional, you will be involved in some or all of them. Risk management and processing safety reports are components you will discover are critical to the success of HR programs.

Chapter 8: Early HR Career–Level Tasks

In this final chapter, you will find a series of 31 HR tasks that will occupy your time as a new HR professional. While the tasks will not appear on the aPHR exam, they all derive from the knowledge areas in preceding chapters. Additionally, you will find special sections in this chapter, titled “In the Trenches,” that contain valuable insight and advice about several of the HR tasks from an early-career HR perspective.

Exam Tips

Sprinkled throughout the book are “Exam Tips” designed to give you a bit of a head start over those who don’t have the advantage of seeing them; they point out areas to pay attention to that will help you on the exam.

Questions and Answers

At the end of Chapters 2 through 7, you will find a set of review questions and answers to help you test your knowledge and comprehension. Practice, practice, practice—it will pay off on exam day.

Appendixes

We have also included four appendixes to supplement the information you need to know.

Appendix A

Appendix A is a list of acronyms. The HR field is notorious for abbreviations creating the jargon in HR language, and these abbreviations have flowed into the everyday business language of employers, employees, and the public at large. It is likely you will see questions on the exams that include and reference these acronyms, so be sure to familiarize yourself with this list.

Appendix B

In Appendix B, we have listed all the associated legal cases you should know and review prior to sitting for the exams. The cases are organized by functional area and include a brief synopsis of what each case addressed. A URL is provided so that you can review each case in more detail, and we recommend that you spend time reviewing these cases.

Appendix C

Here are additional reading materials you will find helpful if you choose to extend your study.

Appendix D

This appendix includes directions on how to access the 250 practice exam questions that are available online in the TotalTester customizable test engine. You can test yourself in both Practice and Exam modes, and narrow your preparation by domain or chapter.

Glossary

A glossary of terms has been created for your ease of reference. Using the glossary will help you review the key terms covered in this book and for the HR profession in general.

Index

In the very back of the book is an index that will guide you to the appropriate pages where a term is mentioned or discussed.

The Examination

The aPHR exam is not a simple true/false or memory-recall exam. You will be sitting for a 2-hour and 15-minute, 100-question multiple-choice (plus 25 pretest questions) exam that will test your knowledge of the HR profession. The knowledge-based questions will require you to know your facts. These questions test your knowledge of different HR laws. Sometimes you will be asked to identify an example chart or graph, so pay attention to the figures included in the chapters.

Preparing Is the Key

Preparing for any type of certification exam is not about memorizing information. The aPHR exam requires that new HR professionals are capable of understanding the laws and concepts in which HR management is based.

For those with more limited experience or the minimal experience qualifications, we suggest you begin preparation and study 6 months prior to your exam date. For those with significantly more experience and time on the job as an HR professional, 3 months should be your yardstick. If you decide not to study the material outlined in this book, your chances of passing the aPHR exam will likely be low, even if you have been in an HR exempt position for a few months or years. We aren’t saying that it can’t be done, but your chances of passing the exam are much better if you study the information in this book and the accompanying practice exam questions to prepare for the time when you will sit in that room with only a computer screen. Guessing strategies are not foolproof and not a good substitute for solid study habits in preparation for an exam. The best preparation strategy is one that is focused on committed preparation with study time spent in a productive manner.

Final Thoughts

In the past few years, we’ve battled a worldwide pandemic, and HR professionals have been the “glue” holding organizations together. There have been new federal and state laws, executive orders, and EEOC guidance. How these changes affect your organization and HR long-term is yet to be seen. Your responsibility as an HR professional is to monitor what is happening and guide your employer through the changing compliance requirements as laid out by the U.S. president or Congress. There will also be many related policy choices to be made. If you have a labor-management attorney, getting updates from that person would be helpful.

This book has been designed not only to assist you, the HRCI exam candidate, in studying for the aPHR exam, but also to serve as a reliable reference book to be placed on the shelf in your office. There is a lot for a human resource professional to remember. It is our hope that this book becomes a convenient resource that guides you when something pops up for which you need a refresher. At a minimum, we hope it gives you direction in your effort to improve your HR circumstance.

Finally, thank you for selecting this book. We sincerely hope your aPHR exam goes well and wish you the absolute best on exam day!