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HRCI SPHR® Certification Preparation Overview
Questions with Answers (100% Correct Answers
ADA Answer: Americans with Disabilities Act: a U.S. law that
prevents an organization or person from discriminating against an
employee because of physical or mental disabilities.
bell curve Answer: a graph showing a normal distribution of data; it is
shaped like a bell, with a large rounded peak in the middle which
decreases at each end.
best practices Answer: techniques or activities that give the best
results; the methods, processes, or activities that have proven to
produce outstanding results for organizations.
biodata Answer: information about a person; a shortened term for
'biographical data': information about a person's education,
background, and work history.
breakdown (analysis) Answer: listing things according to categories;
analyzing and classifying, such as an analysis of revenue sources or a
report on attrition numbers.
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breakdown (failure) Answer: a failure; a collapse, such as a
communication or equipment failure.
business continuity plan Answer: the creation of a strategy to protect
an organization from certain risks; a plan which identifies threats and
risks facing a company in order to protect its employees and assets.
cause-and-effect diagram Answer: a tool used to examine quality
factors; a visual tool to organize factors that contribute to certain
outcomes; also called a 'fishbone' diagram.
central tendency Answer: average value of a data set; a measure of the
middle of a statistical distribution of data.
civil law Answer: regulations set by countries or legislative groups
about the rights of people (different from common laws, which are set
by judges).
clause Answer: section or small part of a document; a part of a
document, agreement, proposal, or contract that gives more detail.
cloud computing Answer: a type of computing that uses groups of
servers and resources, made available on the Internet; using a network
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of remote servers hosted on the Internet to access, manage, and process
data.
common law Answer: case law based on court decisions; laws
established by court decisions and legal precedence (different from
civil laws, which are regulations set by nations or legislative groups).
compliance Answer: obedience, conforming; following established
laws, guidelines, or rules.
comply Answer: follow rules or agreements; to obey requests, laws, or
guidelines.
demographics Answer: data, information about people; statistics about
groups of people that give information such as age, gender, income,
and ethnic background.
disability Answer: impairment, handicap; a physical or mental
condition that limits, but does not prevent, the performance of certain
tasks.
document retention Answer: maintaining important employee records;
managing employee data and records as required by the organization
or rule or law.
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, 4
dot chart Answer: a chart that shows relationships between variables;
a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis with dots at each data
point.
scatter plot Answer: Also called a 'scatter plot' or 'scatter diagram.'
due process Answer: the way a government enforces laws to protect its
citizens (for example, guaranteeing a person a fair trial)
employee self-service Answer: a trend in human resources
management that allows employees to handle many job-related tasks
(such as updates to their personnel data) using technology
employment at will Answer: an employment agreement in which an
employee can quit, or can be fired, at any time and for any reason
environmental responsibility Answer: the management of products
and processes that show concern for health, safety, and the
environment
equal employment opportunity Answer: a U.S. law that guarantees
equal treatment and respect for all employees
ergonomic Answer: designed to be comfortable and avoid injuries (for
example, an ergonomic chair or keyboard)
© 2025 All rights reserved
HRCI SPHR® Certification Preparation Overview
Questions with Answers (100% Correct Answers
ADA Answer: Americans with Disabilities Act: a U.S. law that
prevents an organization or person from discriminating against an
employee because of physical or mental disabilities.
bell curve Answer: a graph showing a normal distribution of data; it is
shaped like a bell, with a large rounded peak in the middle which
decreases at each end.
best practices Answer: techniques or activities that give the best
results; the methods, processes, or activities that have proven to
produce outstanding results for organizations.
biodata Answer: information about a person; a shortened term for
'biographical data': information about a person's education,
background, and work history.
breakdown (analysis) Answer: listing things according to categories;
analyzing and classifying, such as an analysis of revenue sources or a
report on attrition numbers.
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
breakdown (failure) Answer: a failure; a collapse, such as a
communication or equipment failure.
business continuity plan Answer: the creation of a strategy to protect
an organization from certain risks; a plan which identifies threats and
risks facing a company in order to protect its employees and assets.
cause-and-effect diagram Answer: a tool used to examine quality
factors; a visual tool to organize factors that contribute to certain
outcomes; also called a 'fishbone' diagram.
central tendency Answer: average value of a data set; a measure of the
middle of a statistical distribution of data.
civil law Answer: regulations set by countries or legislative groups
about the rights of people (different from common laws, which are set
by judges).
clause Answer: section or small part of a document; a part of a
document, agreement, proposal, or contract that gives more detail.
cloud computing Answer: a type of computing that uses groups of
servers and resources, made available on the Internet; using a network
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
of remote servers hosted on the Internet to access, manage, and process
data.
common law Answer: case law based on court decisions; laws
established by court decisions and legal precedence (different from
civil laws, which are regulations set by nations or legislative groups).
compliance Answer: obedience, conforming; following established
laws, guidelines, or rules.
comply Answer: follow rules or agreements; to obey requests, laws, or
guidelines.
demographics Answer: data, information about people; statistics about
groups of people that give information such as age, gender, income,
and ethnic background.
disability Answer: impairment, handicap; a physical or mental
condition that limits, but does not prevent, the performance of certain
tasks.
document retention Answer: maintaining important employee records;
managing employee data and records as required by the organization
or rule or law.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
dot chart Answer: a chart that shows relationships between variables;
a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis with dots at each data
point.
scatter plot Answer: Also called a 'scatter plot' or 'scatter diagram.'
due process Answer: the way a government enforces laws to protect its
citizens (for example, guaranteeing a person a fair trial)
employee self-service Answer: a trend in human resources
management that allows employees to handle many job-related tasks
(such as updates to their personnel data) using technology
employment at will Answer: an employment agreement in which an
employee can quit, or can be fired, at any time and for any reason
environmental responsibility Answer: the management of products
and processes that show concern for health, safety, and the
environment
equal employment opportunity Answer: a U.S. law that guarantees
equal treatment and respect for all employees
ergonomic Answer: designed to be comfortable and avoid injuries (for
example, an ergonomic chair or keyboard)
© 2025 All rights reserved
