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HRCI- SPHR PRACTICE EXAM
2026|ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS
An employee has been terminated for "just cause." Which of the following
reasons is most likely?
A. The employee refused to forge his boss's signature on a document.
B. The employee violated the employer's anti-harassment rules.
C. The employee was late because he went to vote in the presidential election.
D. The employee was a whistleblower who filed a report of corruption that turned
out to be inaccurate. - correct-answer - B. "Just cause" is a concept that describes
an employer's justification for taking employment action. It cannot be used as a
reason for termination if the employee refused to break the law or exercised a
statutory right.
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Augustine filed a grievance with HR because he believed that a supervisor gave
Amy—Augustine's co-worker—a higher raise than Augustine received because the
supervisor is trying to date Amy. This is an example of which of the following?
A. Sexual harassment
B. Distributive justice
C. Discriminatory treatment
D. Both A and B - correct-answer - B. An employee's perception of fair treatment
is influenced by many factors. In this scenario, Augustine believes that the
outcome (pay increases) was unfair.
In compulsory arbitration, which of the following conditions is nearly always
included?
A. The employee exchanges the right to sue the employer.
B. An arbitrator is selected from the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
C. There is a written arbitration agreement reviewed by legal counsel.
D. All of the above - correct-answer - D. Employers may choose to adopt
arbitration practices for many reasons. One is the rising cost of legal fees
associated with fighting employment-related disputes. Another is to ensure
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employees receive due process. Regardless of the reasons, arbitration best
practices include a waiver of employee right to sue after an agreement has been
settled; the use of a professional, neutral arbitrator; and a signed, written
agreement that has been approved by counsel.
Which of the following should not be included in an employee's regular personnel
file because of privacy concerns?
A. Application for employment
B. Historical records older than three years
C. Medical benefits claims data
D. Performance reviews - correct-answer - C. Companies must take steps to
address employee privacy concerns in all HR practices. This includes properly
storing records that have information related to an employee's medical condition
or history.
Of the following recognition programs, which is not entitlement-oriented?
A. Service awards
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B. Employee of the month
C. Sales awards
D. Longevity bonus - correct-answer - C. Employee recognition practices are
similar to pay practices in that they can be entitlement-oriented or performance-
based. Recognition for sales efforts (quotas, new customers, account retention) is
based on employee performance.
Multicultural work teams, training, and mentoring systems may all be part of
what type of human resource program?
A. Diversity program
B. Climate program
C. Anti-harassment program
D. Equal Employment Opportunity program - correct-answer - A. Diversity
programs have many components that, when combined, make them an effective
tool used to promote a positive organizational culture. These components can
include committees, work teams, training, mentoring, and the evaluation of
results for reporting and refinement.
HRCI- SPHR PRACTICE EXAM
2026|ACTUAL QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS
An employee has been terminated for "just cause." Which of the following
reasons is most likely?
A. The employee refused to forge his boss's signature on a document.
B. The employee violated the employer's anti-harassment rules.
C. The employee was late because he went to vote in the presidential election.
D. The employee was a whistleblower who filed a report of corruption that turned
out to be inaccurate. - correct-answer - B. "Just cause" is a concept that describes
an employer's justification for taking employment action. It cannot be used as a
reason for termination if the employee refused to break the law or exercised a
statutory right.
,2|Page
Augustine filed a grievance with HR because he believed that a supervisor gave
Amy—Augustine's co-worker—a higher raise than Augustine received because the
supervisor is trying to date Amy. This is an example of which of the following?
A. Sexual harassment
B. Distributive justice
C. Discriminatory treatment
D. Both A and B - correct-answer - B. An employee's perception of fair treatment
is influenced by many factors. In this scenario, Augustine believes that the
outcome (pay increases) was unfair.
In compulsory arbitration, which of the following conditions is nearly always
included?
A. The employee exchanges the right to sue the employer.
B. An arbitrator is selected from the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
C. There is a written arbitration agreement reviewed by legal counsel.
D. All of the above - correct-answer - D. Employers may choose to adopt
arbitration practices for many reasons. One is the rising cost of legal fees
associated with fighting employment-related disputes. Another is to ensure
,3|Page
employees receive due process. Regardless of the reasons, arbitration best
practices include a waiver of employee right to sue after an agreement has been
settled; the use of a professional, neutral arbitrator; and a signed, written
agreement that has been approved by counsel.
Which of the following should not be included in an employee's regular personnel
file because of privacy concerns?
A. Application for employment
B. Historical records older than three years
C. Medical benefits claims data
D. Performance reviews - correct-answer - C. Companies must take steps to
address employee privacy concerns in all HR practices. This includes properly
storing records that have information related to an employee's medical condition
or history.
Of the following recognition programs, which is not entitlement-oriented?
A. Service awards
, 4|Page
B. Employee of the month
C. Sales awards
D. Longevity bonus - correct-answer - C. Employee recognition practices are
similar to pay practices in that they can be entitlement-oriented or performance-
based. Recognition for sales efforts (quotas, new customers, account retention) is
based on employee performance.
Multicultural work teams, training, and mentoring systems may all be part of
what type of human resource program?
A. Diversity program
B. Climate program
C. Anti-harassment program
D. Equal Employment Opportunity program - correct-answer - A. Diversity
programs have many components that, when combined, make them an effective
tool used to promote a positive organizational culture. These components can
include committees, work teams, training, mentoring, and the evaluation of
results for reporting and refinement.
