PSHRA exam questions with answers detailed 2025-2026
1. what are the primary competencies assessed in the PSHRA and IPMA-CP certifications?: Strategic
Human Resource Management, Workforce Planning and Employment, Employee and Labor Relations,
Organizational Development and Leadership, Risk Management and Legal Compliance.
2. What are HR Metrics and Analytics used for in public sector HR?: Measuring employee
performance, tracking recruitment success, and identifying workforce trends.
3. What is the primary goal of public sector HR?: the workforce ettectively to ensure the delivery of
public services while adhering to policies, laws, and budget constraints.
4. What is Workforce Planning?: The process of analyzing and forecasting workforce needs to
ensure the right people are in the right roles at the right time.
5. What are the key components of a job description in the public sector?: 1. Job title.
2. Essential duties and responsibilities.
3. Qualifications and competencies required.
4. Reporting relationships.
6. What is the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in public sector HR?:
To enforce federal laws that prohibit workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
7. What is the significance of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in public sector HR?: It establishes
minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards.
8. What is a key challenge of recruitment in the public sector?: Attracting top talent within
budgetary and regulatory constraints.
9. What is the purpose of HR Metrics in the public sector?: To measure the ettectiveness and
eflciency of HR policies and processes, such as turnover rates and time-to-hire.
10. What is the difference between public and private sector HR?: one focuses on serving the public
interest with transparency, compliance, and accountability, while the other focuses on profitability and
competitive advantage.
11. What is the Hatch Act?: law that restricts the political activities of government employees to
ensure a
politically neutral workplace.
,PSHRA exam questions with answers detailed 2025-2026
12. What is "Civil Service Reform"?: Initiatives aimed at improving the eflciency, accountability, and
responsiveness of government employees, often including changes to hiring, pay, or disciplinary systems
13. Define "Collective Bargaining" in the public sector.: A process where unions negotiate with
government employers on behalf of employees regarding wages, hours, benefits, and working
conditions.
14. What is the purpose of "Veterans' Preference" in public sector hiring?: To give eligible veterans
an advantage in hiring for federal jobs as recognition of their service.
15. What is a "RIF" in public sector HR?: occurs when employees are laid ott due to budget cuts,
reorganizations, or changes in workforce needs.
16. What is the purpose of "Public Sector Unionization"?: To provide a collective voice for
employees in negotiations regarding wages, working conditions, and benefits.
17. What is "Position Classification" in public sector HR?: The process of categorizing jobs into
classes or grades based on duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.
18. What are the limitations of at-will employment in the public sector?: Public employees often
have due process rights that protect them from termination without just cause.
19. What is the significance of "Open Meetings" laws in public HR?: They require government
decision-making, including HR matters, to be conducted transparently in public forums.
20. What is the California Public Records Act (CPRA)?: A law that grants the public access to
information held by government agencies, ensuring transparency in HR and other functions.
21. What is the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA)?: A California law that governs collective
bargaining for local government employees, giving them the right to unionize and negotiate working
conditions.
22. What is the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)?: law prohibiting workplace
discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on protected categories like race, gender, disability,
and more.
23. What is the role of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)?: administers
California's public sector collective bargaining statutes and resolves disputes between public agencies
and employees.
, PSHRA exam questions with answers detailed 2025-2026
24. What is the California Wage Theft Prevention Act?: A law requiring employers to provide written
notices to employees about pay rates, paydays, and other employment details, even in the public sector.
25. What is AB 5 and its impact on public sector HR?: A law that codified the ABC test to determine
if a worker is an employee or independent contractor, impacting workforce classification.
26. What is the significance of SB 1162 in public sector HR?: Requires California employers to
disclose pay ranges in job postings and maintain transparency in salary practices.
27. What is the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)?: law providing eligible employees with up to 12
weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family or medical reasons.
28. What does the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) regulate?: It
reformed pension systems for public employees to reduce costs and increase sustain- ability for public
employers.
29. What is the purpose of the Dills Act in California?: To regulate collective bargaining for state
government employees, ensuring fair negotiation processes.
30. What is the California Government Code 12950.1?: It mandates anti-harassment training for
supervisors and employees in public and private organizations with five or more employees.
31. What is the importance of the Ralph C. Dills Act in California HR?: It provides a framework for
collective bargaining rights for California state employees.
32. What is SB 778, and how does it impact public sector HR?: employers to provide sexual
harassment prevention training to all employees every two years.
33. What is the role of the Brown Act in public sector HR?: Ensures public meetings are conducted
openly, which includes HR-related discussions like budget approvals and policy changes.
34. What is the California Labor Code Section 1102.5?: Protects employees, including public sector
workers, from retaliation for reporting illegal or unethical conduct.
35. What is the impact of AB 241 on public sector HR?: Requires employers to provide paid sick
leave to employees, including those in the public sector, under specific conditions.
36. What is SB 142 and its relevance to HR in California?: A law requiring employers to provide
lactation accommodations in the workplace, including the public sector.
1. what are the primary competencies assessed in the PSHRA and IPMA-CP certifications?: Strategic
Human Resource Management, Workforce Planning and Employment, Employee and Labor Relations,
Organizational Development and Leadership, Risk Management and Legal Compliance.
2. What are HR Metrics and Analytics used for in public sector HR?: Measuring employee
performance, tracking recruitment success, and identifying workforce trends.
3. What is the primary goal of public sector HR?: the workforce ettectively to ensure the delivery of
public services while adhering to policies, laws, and budget constraints.
4. What is Workforce Planning?: The process of analyzing and forecasting workforce needs to
ensure the right people are in the right roles at the right time.
5. What are the key components of a job description in the public sector?: 1. Job title.
2. Essential duties and responsibilities.
3. Qualifications and competencies required.
4. Reporting relationships.
6. What is the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in public sector HR?:
To enforce federal laws that prohibit workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
7. What is the significance of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in public sector HR?: It establishes
minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards.
8. What is a key challenge of recruitment in the public sector?: Attracting top talent within
budgetary and regulatory constraints.
9. What is the purpose of HR Metrics in the public sector?: To measure the ettectiveness and
eflciency of HR policies and processes, such as turnover rates and time-to-hire.
10. What is the difference between public and private sector HR?: one focuses on serving the public
interest with transparency, compliance, and accountability, while the other focuses on profitability and
competitive advantage.
11. What is the Hatch Act?: law that restricts the political activities of government employees to
ensure a
politically neutral workplace.
,PSHRA exam questions with answers detailed 2025-2026
12. What is "Civil Service Reform"?: Initiatives aimed at improving the eflciency, accountability, and
responsiveness of government employees, often including changes to hiring, pay, or disciplinary systems
13. Define "Collective Bargaining" in the public sector.: A process where unions negotiate with
government employers on behalf of employees regarding wages, hours, benefits, and working
conditions.
14. What is the purpose of "Veterans' Preference" in public sector hiring?: To give eligible veterans
an advantage in hiring for federal jobs as recognition of their service.
15. What is a "RIF" in public sector HR?: occurs when employees are laid ott due to budget cuts,
reorganizations, or changes in workforce needs.
16. What is the purpose of "Public Sector Unionization"?: To provide a collective voice for
employees in negotiations regarding wages, working conditions, and benefits.
17. What is "Position Classification" in public sector HR?: The process of categorizing jobs into
classes or grades based on duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.
18. What are the limitations of at-will employment in the public sector?: Public employees often
have due process rights that protect them from termination without just cause.
19. What is the significance of "Open Meetings" laws in public HR?: They require government
decision-making, including HR matters, to be conducted transparently in public forums.
20. What is the California Public Records Act (CPRA)?: A law that grants the public access to
information held by government agencies, ensuring transparency in HR and other functions.
21. What is the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA)?: A California law that governs collective
bargaining for local government employees, giving them the right to unionize and negotiate working
conditions.
22. What is the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)?: law prohibiting workplace
discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on protected categories like race, gender, disability,
and more.
23. What is the role of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)?: administers
California's public sector collective bargaining statutes and resolves disputes between public agencies
and employees.
, PSHRA exam questions with answers detailed 2025-2026
24. What is the California Wage Theft Prevention Act?: A law requiring employers to provide written
notices to employees about pay rates, paydays, and other employment details, even in the public sector.
25. What is AB 5 and its impact on public sector HR?: A law that codified the ABC test to determine
if a worker is an employee or independent contractor, impacting workforce classification.
26. What is the significance of SB 1162 in public sector HR?: Requires California employers to
disclose pay ranges in job postings and maintain transparency in salary practices.
27. What is the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)?: law providing eligible employees with up to 12
weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family or medical reasons.
28. What does the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) regulate?: It
reformed pension systems for public employees to reduce costs and increase sustain- ability for public
employers.
29. What is the purpose of the Dills Act in California?: To regulate collective bargaining for state
government employees, ensuring fair negotiation processes.
30. What is the California Government Code 12950.1?: It mandates anti-harassment training for
supervisors and employees in public and private organizations with five or more employees.
31. What is the importance of the Ralph C. Dills Act in California HR?: It provides a framework for
collective bargaining rights for California state employees.
32. What is SB 778, and how does it impact public sector HR?: employers to provide sexual
harassment prevention training to all employees every two years.
33. What is the role of the Brown Act in public sector HR?: Ensures public meetings are conducted
openly, which includes HR-related discussions like budget approvals and policy changes.
34. What is the California Labor Code Section 1102.5?: Protects employees, including public sector
workers, from retaliation for reporting illegal or unethical conduct.
35. What is the impact of AB 241 on public sector HR?: Requires employers to provide paid sick
leave to employees, including those in the public sector, under specific conditions.
36. What is SB 142 and its relevance to HR in California?: A law requiring employers to provide
lactation accommodations in the workplace, including the public sector.
