aPHR Practice Test with Accurate
Solutions
1. The first step in the process of selecting new employees is:
a) conducting background check
b) sending employees to an assessment center
c) conducting a job analysis
d) assembling a panel to interview applicants - ANS-The correct answer is C. A
thorough job analysis is at the core of successful hiring practices. Before applicants can
be considered, employers must first know what skills, knowledge, and abilities are
necessary to perform the job well.
2. Which of the following interview questions is impermissible?
a) Why did you leave your last job?
b) How many children do you have?
c) What do you think is your greatest weakness?
d) How do you think your previous supervisor would describe you? - ANS-The correct
answer is B. It is best practice to avoid asking interview questions that can be perceived
as discriminatory or biased. Questions about marital status and children may violate
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act if they are used to deny or limit employment
opportunities.
3. In the past, the sales and marketing department required 1 manager for every 10
employees. HR uses this information to plan for future workforce needs. Which method
is HR using?
a) ratio analysis
b) dual career ladder
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is A. A ratio analysis is a means for
determining whether an organization has enough employees to meet the requirements
of the company. In this example, HR is using the ratio of 1:10 to determine future
workforce needs.
4. Which of the following best describes what an HR manager does when replacement
charting?
a) categorize employees into groups based on their futures at the organization
b) plan for the promotion of employees with no interest in supervisory positions
,c) recruit employees to fill positions internally
d) recruit applicants to fill positions externally - ANS-The correct answer is A. A
replacement chart categorizes employees who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities
to take on greater responsibilities in the organization. Employees may also be identified
as candidates to be "developed for future promotion."
5. Which of the following forecasting techniques involves experts independently
developing and refining forecasts?
a) ratio analysis
b) trend analysis
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is D. The Delphi technique is a way to
forecast future job needs that combines the input and expertise of many professionals
who never physically meet but come to a consensus over time through questionnaires
and anonymously-provided responses
6. Which of the following interview questions is best described as behavioral?
a) Imagine you were overseeing the work of an employee who is struggling to meet his
deadlines. How would you go about addressing that issue?
b) Could you describe a case in the past where you've had to present difficult
information to a general audience?
c) How long did you work at your previous job?
d) Why did you leave your previous position? - ANS-The correct answer is B. During
behavioral interviews, candidates are asked to explain how they responded to problems
or events in the past.
7. Which approach to job design focuses attention on a worker's comfort, whether it be
with the equipment they use or the work environment's noise level?
a) mechanistic
b) biological
c) motivational
d) perceptual-motor - ANS-The correct answer is B. The pros of the biological approach
include the attention paid to a worker's comfort, whether it be with the equipment they
use, the work environment's noise level and temperature, and the amount of a
workweek that is spent on the job.
8. When more stimulating and rewarding work is added to a job during redesign, this is
called:
a) job simplification
b) job enlargement
c) job enrichment
,d) job creation - ANS-The correct answer is C. Job enrichment is an attempt to add
more stimulating and rewarding work into a particular job.
9. Which of the following describes what happens during a job analysis?
a) Job tasks and requirements are reviewed.
b) Benchmarking is conducted to establish external equity.
c) Broadbanding is done to ensure internal equity.
d) Red circle employee salaries are frozen. - ANS-The correct answer is A. A job
analysis includes two components: job description and job specification.
10. Which of the following should not be included in a recruitment advertisement for a
job opening?
a) exclusionary criteria that are not related to the job
b) an indication that the employer encourages applications from candidates who are
members of underrepresented groups
c) information about how employees will be compensated
d) minimum qualifications for the position - ANS-The correct answer is A. Employers
must not include any exclusionary criteria in a job description or a recruitment
advertisement that is not necessary for the position. Otherwise, employers may be guilty
of discriminating against qualified applicants.
11. Which job forecasting technique involves participants attending a structured meeting
with the goal of coming to an agreement about a solution to a problem?
a) ratio analysis
b) trend analysis
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is C. The nominal group technique
involves participants attending a structured meeting with the goal of coming to an
agreement about a solution to a problem. Consensus is reached after a series of
discussions and presentations, which are guided by a facilitator.
12. What is an HRIS?
a) a technological system used to store and organize information
b) a metric used to measure HR efficiency
c) a review board that evaluates employee complaints
d) a legal concept that holds an employer responsible for due diligence when
conducting background checks - ANS-The correct answer is A. Human resource
information systems (HRIS) are one especially powerful way to improve efficiency.
HRIS use technology to streamline many of the otherwise time-consuming
responsibilities of human resource departments, including timekeeping, payroll, work
schedules, recurring, workforce planning, benefit eligibility, recruitment, and much more.
, 13. Which of the following do studies show employees tend to respond best to?
a) financial rewards
b) special events
c) positive recognition
d) none of the above - ANS-The correct answer is C. Studies show employees tend to
respond best to positive recognition.
14. Which of the following is NOT true of an I-9?
a) It must be signed by the employee.
b) It must be signed by the employer.
c) It serves as documentation that an employee can work in the U.S.
d) It testifies that an employee has provided documentation that he or she can work in
the U.S. - ANS-The correct answer is C. An I-9 attests that the employee has the proper
documentation to provide his or her identity and employment status. However, the I-9 is
not itself identification.
15. Which of the following metrics indicates how well a company is doing at retaining
employees?
a) cost per hire
b) HR value added
c) total compensation expense per employee
d) turnover rate - ANS-The correct answer is D. The turnover rate is the number of
workers leaving a department at a particular pay grade and performance level divided
by the average number of workers employed at that grade and performance level.
16. Which of the following best describes what an HR manager does when succession
planning?
a) categorize employees into groups based on their futures at the organization
b) plan for the promotion of employees with no interest in supervisory positions
c) plan for the promotion of employees with supervisory potential
d) recruit applicants to fill positions externally - ANS-The correct answer is C. A
succession plan identifies promising employees who have the potential to occupy
managerial or executive roles in an organization.
17. Which of the following job announcements would be most appropriate for external
recruiting?
a) job bidding
b) job posting
c) succession planning
d) posting the position on a community site - ANS-The correct answer is D. External
recruiting involves making the position and associated job description available to
Solutions
1. The first step in the process of selecting new employees is:
a) conducting background check
b) sending employees to an assessment center
c) conducting a job analysis
d) assembling a panel to interview applicants - ANS-The correct answer is C. A
thorough job analysis is at the core of successful hiring practices. Before applicants can
be considered, employers must first know what skills, knowledge, and abilities are
necessary to perform the job well.
2. Which of the following interview questions is impermissible?
a) Why did you leave your last job?
b) How many children do you have?
c) What do you think is your greatest weakness?
d) How do you think your previous supervisor would describe you? - ANS-The correct
answer is B. It is best practice to avoid asking interview questions that can be perceived
as discriminatory or biased. Questions about marital status and children may violate
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act if they are used to deny or limit employment
opportunities.
3. In the past, the sales and marketing department required 1 manager for every 10
employees. HR uses this information to plan for future workforce needs. Which method
is HR using?
a) ratio analysis
b) dual career ladder
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is A. A ratio analysis is a means for
determining whether an organization has enough employees to meet the requirements
of the company. In this example, HR is using the ratio of 1:10 to determine future
workforce needs.
4. Which of the following best describes what an HR manager does when replacement
charting?
a) categorize employees into groups based on their futures at the organization
b) plan for the promotion of employees with no interest in supervisory positions
,c) recruit employees to fill positions internally
d) recruit applicants to fill positions externally - ANS-The correct answer is A. A
replacement chart categorizes employees who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities
to take on greater responsibilities in the organization. Employees may also be identified
as candidates to be "developed for future promotion."
5. Which of the following forecasting techniques involves experts independently
developing and refining forecasts?
a) ratio analysis
b) trend analysis
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is D. The Delphi technique is a way to
forecast future job needs that combines the input and expertise of many professionals
who never physically meet but come to a consensus over time through questionnaires
and anonymously-provided responses
6. Which of the following interview questions is best described as behavioral?
a) Imagine you were overseeing the work of an employee who is struggling to meet his
deadlines. How would you go about addressing that issue?
b) Could you describe a case in the past where you've had to present difficult
information to a general audience?
c) How long did you work at your previous job?
d) Why did you leave your previous position? - ANS-The correct answer is B. During
behavioral interviews, candidates are asked to explain how they responded to problems
or events in the past.
7. Which approach to job design focuses attention on a worker's comfort, whether it be
with the equipment they use or the work environment's noise level?
a) mechanistic
b) biological
c) motivational
d) perceptual-motor - ANS-The correct answer is B. The pros of the biological approach
include the attention paid to a worker's comfort, whether it be with the equipment they
use, the work environment's noise level and temperature, and the amount of a
workweek that is spent on the job.
8. When more stimulating and rewarding work is added to a job during redesign, this is
called:
a) job simplification
b) job enlargement
c) job enrichment
,d) job creation - ANS-The correct answer is C. Job enrichment is an attempt to add
more stimulating and rewarding work into a particular job.
9. Which of the following describes what happens during a job analysis?
a) Job tasks and requirements are reviewed.
b) Benchmarking is conducted to establish external equity.
c) Broadbanding is done to ensure internal equity.
d) Red circle employee salaries are frozen. - ANS-The correct answer is A. A job
analysis includes two components: job description and job specification.
10. Which of the following should not be included in a recruitment advertisement for a
job opening?
a) exclusionary criteria that are not related to the job
b) an indication that the employer encourages applications from candidates who are
members of underrepresented groups
c) information about how employees will be compensated
d) minimum qualifications for the position - ANS-The correct answer is A. Employers
must not include any exclusionary criteria in a job description or a recruitment
advertisement that is not necessary for the position. Otherwise, employers may be guilty
of discriminating against qualified applicants.
11. Which job forecasting technique involves participants attending a structured meeting
with the goal of coming to an agreement about a solution to a problem?
a) ratio analysis
b) trend analysis
c) nominal group technique
d) Delphi technique - ANS-The correct answer is C. The nominal group technique
involves participants attending a structured meeting with the goal of coming to an
agreement about a solution to a problem. Consensus is reached after a series of
discussions and presentations, which are guided by a facilitator.
12. What is an HRIS?
a) a technological system used to store and organize information
b) a metric used to measure HR efficiency
c) a review board that evaluates employee complaints
d) a legal concept that holds an employer responsible for due diligence when
conducting background checks - ANS-The correct answer is A. Human resource
information systems (HRIS) are one especially powerful way to improve efficiency.
HRIS use technology to streamline many of the otherwise time-consuming
responsibilities of human resource departments, including timekeeping, payroll, work
schedules, recurring, workforce planning, benefit eligibility, recruitment, and much more.
, 13. Which of the following do studies show employees tend to respond best to?
a) financial rewards
b) special events
c) positive recognition
d) none of the above - ANS-The correct answer is C. Studies show employees tend to
respond best to positive recognition.
14. Which of the following is NOT true of an I-9?
a) It must be signed by the employee.
b) It must be signed by the employer.
c) It serves as documentation that an employee can work in the U.S.
d) It testifies that an employee has provided documentation that he or she can work in
the U.S. - ANS-The correct answer is C. An I-9 attests that the employee has the proper
documentation to provide his or her identity and employment status. However, the I-9 is
not itself identification.
15. Which of the following metrics indicates how well a company is doing at retaining
employees?
a) cost per hire
b) HR value added
c) total compensation expense per employee
d) turnover rate - ANS-The correct answer is D. The turnover rate is the number of
workers leaving a department at a particular pay grade and performance level divided
by the average number of workers employed at that grade and performance level.
16. Which of the following best describes what an HR manager does when succession
planning?
a) categorize employees into groups based on their futures at the organization
b) plan for the promotion of employees with no interest in supervisory positions
c) plan for the promotion of employees with supervisory potential
d) recruit applicants to fill positions externally - ANS-The correct answer is C. A
succession plan identifies promising employees who have the potential to occupy
managerial or executive roles in an organization.
17. Which of the following job announcements would be most appropriate for external
recruiting?
a) job bidding
b) job posting
c) succession planning
d) posting the position on a community site - ANS-The correct answer is D. External
recruiting involves making the position and associated job description available to
