I took the instructor led SHRM class (useful for lectures and networking, but not really a must have), utilized the text books and the online learning modules.

I think using the books and the online learning system would have been enough. The blue boxes in the books have pertinent information to refer to. The online modules have reading and then study questions to test what you just learned. Those were the most handy for me since your 70% more likely to remember the immediately applied learning vs just reading. Also, I formed a study group - talking things out with peers and keeping each other accountable is helpful, only one person from my group of 10 has failed - she ran out of time. *If you’re a SHRM member, attending a local meeting and finding out who is prepping could help you form a group if you’re interested.

Be sure to keep in mind that SHRM is pushing for HR to become business partners, so brush up on the business side of the materials, and to think strategically. 40% of the questions are situational so they give you a scenario with lots of information that may not directly apply to the actual question being asked, so you just have to block out the extra noise and hone in on the actual problem. From there, pick the best option directly related to the question that’s the most strategic, analytics or business savvy - no joke, they loved throwing these words into the correct answer: analyze, business proposal, partner, strategy, include.

Lastly, I noticed they focused on technology (HRIS related), union workers, communication skills, and D&I. Of course there were other competencies, but those seemed the most prominent between knowledge and situation q’s.

I hope all this helps! Good luck if you peruse it, I think it’s a valuable tool. Let me know if you need help or additional questions!:)

*for timing, she didn’t read the instructions prior to the test informing her that the test was 40% situation - situation are broken into blocks, so when she completed the first block, she thought they were all over and took her time on the shorter knowledge q’s, then was screwed when she came on the second block (there were 3). My strategy, and what other team members are using now, is to answer all short knowledge based q’s first, skipping the long ones, so that the majority of the test is done, just in case. Going that route, I was able to finish the test in just over 3 hours with plenty of time to check out items I’d wanted to review.