{"id":4207,"date":"2025-04-10T09:18:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T09:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/hrci\/?p=4207"},"modified":"2025-04-10T13:29:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:29:37","slug":"how-i-passed-phr-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prepsaret.com\/hrci\/how-i-passed-phr-exam","title":{"rendered":"HOW I PASSED PHR EXAM!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I finally passed the PHR exam\u2014and it still feels a little surreal to say that out loud. It\u2019s been a long time coming, and I want to share exactly how I did it, especially for those juggling work and life while trying to prepare for this beast of a test.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly, I had my doubts about whether I could do it, but I was committed to giving it my all. And now, here I am, officially PHR certified and proud of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why I Decided to Get PHR Certified?<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Even though I\u2019ve been working in HR for nearly four years and I have gained a lot of on-the-job experience, I felt that getting the PHR certification<\/a> would give me the confidence and credibility I needed to take my career to the next level. I felt like there were areas where my knowledge was mostly \u201clearn-as-you-go.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to back up my experience with a solid credential, something that not only validated what I already knew, but also filled the gaps. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could handle the challenge, especially given that HR can sometimes feel like a very vast field with so much to learn. PHR felt like the right step\u2014challenging enough to be meaningful, but also achievable with focused effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

How I Studied for the PHR Exam<\/b><\/h2>\n

As a current HR Coordinator at a mid-sized company, my days are filled with tasks like managing employee relations, recruitment, and handling various HR processes. It\u2019s a rewarding role, but it\u2019s also a demanding one.\u00a0 That meant nights and weekends were my only windows for study, and I had to make them count.<\/span><\/p>\n

I scheduled my PHR exam in January, giving myself exactly two months to prepare. My plan was to study in the evenings after work, which didn\u2019t leave me much time. But I had to make it work. I started by researching what resources I would need, and after reading a lot of forum posts and talking to colleagues, I came up with a study plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since I only had two months, I knew I had to be strategic. I broke the study time into two phases: one month for understanding the material and the second month for intensive practice and reviewing weaknesses. These are the study materials I used<\/span>:<\/b><\/p>\n

HR Certification Institute (HRCI) Body of Knowledge (BoK)<\/b><\/h3>\n

I referred to the HRCI Body of Knowledge. This gave me a deep understanding of the PHR exam\u2019s core topics, and I made sure to spend at least a week on each of the five functional areas. The reading was dense, but I found it useful for context and understanding how to apply the theoretical knowledge I had gained from work experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The downside? The BoK was a bit dry. I found myself skimming some sections and often felt that the material was repetitive. But it was still essential for gaining an in-depth understanding of the exam topics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prepsaret PHR Practice Exams<\/b><\/h3>\n

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This was by far the most helpful resource for me. They provided a large bank of free PHR practice questions<\/a> with detailed explanations for each answer, including why some choices were incorrect.<\/span><\/p>\n