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HRCI SPHR® Certification Preparation
Overview Questions and Correct Answers
ADA Ans: 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 Ans: 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 Ans: techniques or activities that give the best
results; the methods, processes, or activities that have proven to
produce outstanding results for organizations.
biodata Ans: information about a person; a shortened term for
'biographical data': information about a person's education,
background, and work history.
breakdown (analysis) Ans: listing things according to categories;
analyzing and classifying, such as an analysis of revenue sources
or a report on attrition numbers.
breakdown (failure) Ans: a failure; a collapse, such as a
communication or equipment failure.
business continuity plan Ans: 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.
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, 2 | Page
cause-and-effect diagram Ans: 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 Ans: average value of a data set; a measure of the
middle of a statistical distribution of data.
civil law Ans: regulations set by countries or legislative groups
about the rights of people (different from common laws, which are
set by judges).
clause Ans: section or small part of a document; a part of a
document, agreement, proposal, or contract that gives more detail.
cloud computing Ans: a type of computing that uses groups of
servers and resources, made available on the Internet; using a
network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to access,
manage, and process data.
common law Ans: 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 Ans: obedience, conforming; following established
laws, guidelines, or rules.
comply Ans: follow rules or agreements; to obey requests, laws, or
guidelines.
demographics Ans: data, information about people; statistics
about groups of people that give information such as age, gender,
income, and ethnic background.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
disability Ans: impairment, handicap; a physical or mental
condition that limits, but does not prevent, the performance of
certain tasks.
document retention Ans: maintaining important employee records;
managing employee data and records as required by the
organization or rule or law.
dot chart Ans: a chart that shows relationships between variables;
a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis with dots at each data
point.
scatter plot Ans: Also called a 'scatter plot' or 'scatter diagram.'
due process Ans: the way a government enforces laws to protect
its citizens (for example, guaranteeing a person a fair trial)
employee self-service Ans: 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 Ans: an employment agreement in which an
employee can quit, or can be fired, at any time and for any reason
environmental responsibility Ans: the management of products
and processes that show concern for health, safety, and the
environment
equal employment opportunity Ans: a U.S. law that guarantees
equal treatment and respect for all employees
ergonomic Ans: designed to be comfortable and avoid injuries (for
example, an ergonomic chair or keyboard)
© 2025 All rights reserved
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ERP Ans: computer software that combines information from all
areas of an organization (such as finance, human resources,
operations, and materials), and also manages contact with people
outside the organization (such as customers, suppliers, and
stakeholders)
extraterritorial laws Ans: laws from one country that apply to that
country's citizens when they travel or live in countries where they
might be exempt from some local laws. Similar exceptions can
apply to companies operating abroad
federal regulations Ans: in the U.S., laws that apply in every state
(as opposed to laws unique to every state)
forum shopping Ans: the practice of trying to get a trial held in a
location that is most likely to produce a favorable result. Also
referred to as 'jurisdiction shopping'.
governance Ans: system of rules to regulate behavior
governance Ans: system of rules and processes an organization
creates in order to comply with local and international laws,
accounting rules, ethical norms, and environmental and social
codes of conduct
HIPAA Ans: a U.S. law that protects workers' health benefits and
medical privacy
HIPAA Ans: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) protects American workers in assuring the continuation of
health insurance coverage and protects their medical privacy
histogram Ans: a bar graph showing frequency distribution
© 2025 All rights reserved
HRCI SPHR® Certification Preparation
Overview Questions and Correct Answers
ADA Ans: 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 Ans: 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 Ans: techniques or activities that give the best
results; the methods, processes, or activities that have proven to
produce outstanding results for organizations.
biodata Ans: information about a person; a shortened term for
'biographical data': information about a person's education,
background, and work history.
breakdown (analysis) Ans: listing things according to categories;
analyzing and classifying, such as an analysis of revenue sources
or a report on attrition numbers.
breakdown (failure) Ans: a failure; a collapse, such as a
communication or equipment failure.
business continuity plan Ans: 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.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
cause-and-effect diagram Ans: 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 Ans: average value of a data set; a measure of the
middle of a statistical distribution of data.
civil law Ans: regulations set by countries or legislative groups
about the rights of people (different from common laws, which are
set by judges).
clause Ans: section or small part of a document; a part of a
document, agreement, proposal, or contract that gives more detail.
cloud computing Ans: a type of computing that uses groups of
servers and resources, made available on the Internet; using a
network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to access,
manage, and process data.
common law Ans: 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 Ans: obedience, conforming; following established
laws, guidelines, or rules.
comply Ans: follow rules or agreements; to obey requests, laws, or
guidelines.
demographics Ans: data, information about people; statistics
about groups of people that give information such as age, gender,
income, and ethnic background.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
disability Ans: impairment, handicap; a physical or mental
condition that limits, but does not prevent, the performance of
certain tasks.
document retention Ans: maintaining important employee records;
managing employee data and records as required by the
organization or rule or law.
dot chart Ans: a chart that shows relationships between variables;
a graph with a vertical and horizontal axis with dots at each data
point.
scatter plot Ans: Also called a 'scatter plot' or 'scatter diagram.'
due process Ans: the way a government enforces laws to protect
its citizens (for example, guaranteeing a person a fair trial)
employee self-service Ans: 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 Ans: an employment agreement in which an
employee can quit, or can be fired, at any time and for any reason
environmental responsibility Ans: the management of products
and processes that show concern for health, safety, and the
environment
equal employment opportunity Ans: a U.S. law that guarantees
equal treatment and respect for all employees
ergonomic Ans: designed to be comfortable and avoid injuries (for
example, an ergonomic chair or keyboard)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
ERP Ans: computer software that combines information from all
areas of an organization (such as finance, human resources,
operations, and materials), and also manages contact with people
outside the organization (such as customers, suppliers, and
stakeholders)
extraterritorial laws Ans: laws from one country that apply to that
country's citizens when they travel or live in countries where they
might be exempt from some local laws. Similar exceptions can
apply to companies operating abroad
federal regulations Ans: in the U.S., laws that apply in every state
(as opposed to laws unique to every state)
forum shopping Ans: the practice of trying to get a trial held in a
location that is most likely to produce a favorable result. Also
referred to as 'jurisdiction shopping'.
governance Ans: system of rules to regulate behavior
governance Ans: system of rules and processes an organization
creates in order to comply with local and international laws,
accounting rules, ethical norms, and environmental and social
codes of conduct
HIPAA Ans: a U.S. law that protects workers' health benefits and
medical privacy
HIPAA Ans: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) protects American workers in assuring the continuation of
health insurance coverage and protects their medical privacy
histogram Ans: a bar graph showing frequency distribution
© 2025 All rights reserved
