SHRM CERTIFICATION PREP
2025 COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
& LEARNING REVIEW ||
UPDATED VERSION
People: Leadership & Navigation (Questions 1-10)
1. What is the primary role of an HR leader in shaping organizational culture?
A) Ensuring payroll accuracy
B) Drafting compliance reports
C) Aligning HR practices with core values to drive desired behaviors
D) Managing office supplies
2. Which leadership competency involves anticipating future trends and planning accordingly?
A) Operational execution
B) Ethical practice
C) Strategic thinking
D) Employee advocacy
3. The ability to champion organizational change initiatives best describes:
A) HR analytics
B) Change navigation
C) Compensation design
D) Labor relations
4. According to SHRM, an effective HR leader must balance the needs of employees with:
A) Personal career goals
B) Shareholder returns only
C) Organizational objectives
D) Government regulations only
5. Which behavior demonstrates "leadership courage"?
A) Avoiding difficult conversations
,B) Making popular decisions
C) Challenging unethical practices despite pressure
D) Delegating all risky decisions
6. "Navigating" in HR leadership specifically refers to:
A) Using GPS for business travel
B) Guiding the organization through complex environments
C) Following instructions precisely
D) Managing travel budgets
7. A key difference between leadership and management in HR is:
A) Leadership focuses on vision; management focuses on execution
B) Only managers can hire people
C) Leaders don't need HR certification
D) Management pays more
8. Which is a key component of ethical leadership in HR?
A) Maximizing profits at any cost
B) Ensuring all employee complaints are dismissed
C) Modeling transparency and fairness in decision-making
D) Sharing confidential information with managers
9. HR leaders influence organizational direction primarily through:
A) Designing business cards
B) Strategic workforce planning
C) Ordering office furniture
D) Scheduling meetings
10. Global leadership competency requires HR professionals to:
A) Speak multiple languages fluently
B) Understand and adapt to diverse cultural contexts
C) Work only with domestic employees
D) Avoid international assignments
People: Ethical Practice (Questions 11-20)
11. The SHRM Code of Ethical Principles emphasizes all EXCEPT:
A) Professional responsibility
B) Fairness and justice
,C) Respect for people
D) Profit maximization above all
12. An employee reports their manager for padding expense reports. HR's first ethical
obligation is to:
A) Fire the employee for making accusations
B) Conduct a confidential, impartial investigation
C) Inform the manager immediately
D) Ignore it to avoid conflict
13. Which scenario presents an ethical dilemma requiring HR intervention?
A) A manager promoting their less-qualified relative
B) An employee requesting time off for vacation
C) Routine payroll processing
D) Updating the employee handbook
14. "Conflict of interest" in HR ethics refers to:
A) Two employees arguing
B) When personal interests interfere with professional judgment
C) Disagreeing with company policy
D) Working for competing companies simultaneously
15. HR professionals must maintain confidentiality unless:
A) They're having a bad day
B) The information is trivial
C) Required by law or to prevent harm
D) A senior executive asks casually
16. Ethical decision-making frameworks typically do NOT include:
A) Gathering facts
B) Identifying stakeholders
C) Considering alternatives
D) Choosing the cheapest option regardless of impact
17. Whistleblower protections primarily exist to:
A) Encourage reporting of illegal/unethical acts without fear of retaliation
B) Help managers monitor employees
C) Reduce HR paperwork
D) Increase employee turnover
, 18. If you discover your company is violating EEOC regulations, your ethical duty is to:
A) Ignore it to protect the company
B) Report it internally and ensure corrective action
C) Resign immediately without explanation
D) Warn coworkers to avoid the issue
19. "Transparency" in ethical HR practice means:
A) Sharing everyone's salary publicly
B) Communicating decisions and processes openly when appropriate
C) Eliminating all privacy protections
D) Posting all employee records online
20. Accepting an expensive gift from a vendor seeking an HR contract creates:
A) A great networking opportunity
B) An apparent conflict of interest
C) An ethical best practice
D) No concerns if disclosed later
People: Communication (Questions 21-30)
21. The most effective communication for policy changes is:
A) Email only to managers
B) Multiple channels with context and rationale
C) Posted memo in breakroom only
D) Verbal rumors
22. Active listening in HR involves:
A) Waiting for your turn to speak
B) Paraphrasing to confirm understanding
C) Taking detailed notes only
D) Finishing people's sentences
23. When delivering difficult feedback, HR should:
A) Use vague language to soften impact
B) Be direct, specific, and private
C) Send an anonymous note
D) Compliment excessively first
2025 COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
& LEARNING REVIEW ||
UPDATED VERSION
People: Leadership & Navigation (Questions 1-10)
1. What is the primary role of an HR leader in shaping organizational culture?
A) Ensuring payroll accuracy
B) Drafting compliance reports
C) Aligning HR practices with core values to drive desired behaviors
D) Managing office supplies
2. Which leadership competency involves anticipating future trends and planning accordingly?
A) Operational execution
B) Ethical practice
C) Strategic thinking
D) Employee advocacy
3. The ability to champion organizational change initiatives best describes:
A) HR analytics
B) Change navigation
C) Compensation design
D) Labor relations
4. According to SHRM, an effective HR leader must balance the needs of employees with:
A) Personal career goals
B) Shareholder returns only
C) Organizational objectives
D) Government regulations only
5. Which behavior demonstrates "leadership courage"?
A) Avoiding difficult conversations
,B) Making popular decisions
C) Challenging unethical practices despite pressure
D) Delegating all risky decisions
6. "Navigating" in HR leadership specifically refers to:
A) Using GPS for business travel
B) Guiding the organization through complex environments
C) Following instructions precisely
D) Managing travel budgets
7. A key difference between leadership and management in HR is:
A) Leadership focuses on vision; management focuses on execution
B) Only managers can hire people
C) Leaders don't need HR certification
D) Management pays more
8. Which is a key component of ethical leadership in HR?
A) Maximizing profits at any cost
B) Ensuring all employee complaints are dismissed
C) Modeling transparency and fairness in decision-making
D) Sharing confidential information with managers
9. HR leaders influence organizational direction primarily through:
A) Designing business cards
B) Strategic workforce planning
C) Ordering office furniture
D) Scheduling meetings
10. Global leadership competency requires HR professionals to:
A) Speak multiple languages fluently
B) Understand and adapt to diverse cultural contexts
C) Work only with domestic employees
D) Avoid international assignments
People: Ethical Practice (Questions 11-20)
11. The SHRM Code of Ethical Principles emphasizes all EXCEPT:
A) Professional responsibility
B) Fairness and justice
,C) Respect for people
D) Profit maximization above all
12. An employee reports their manager for padding expense reports. HR's first ethical
obligation is to:
A) Fire the employee for making accusations
B) Conduct a confidential, impartial investigation
C) Inform the manager immediately
D) Ignore it to avoid conflict
13. Which scenario presents an ethical dilemma requiring HR intervention?
A) A manager promoting their less-qualified relative
B) An employee requesting time off for vacation
C) Routine payroll processing
D) Updating the employee handbook
14. "Conflict of interest" in HR ethics refers to:
A) Two employees arguing
B) When personal interests interfere with professional judgment
C) Disagreeing with company policy
D) Working for competing companies simultaneously
15. HR professionals must maintain confidentiality unless:
A) They're having a bad day
B) The information is trivial
C) Required by law or to prevent harm
D) A senior executive asks casually
16. Ethical decision-making frameworks typically do NOT include:
A) Gathering facts
B) Identifying stakeholders
C) Considering alternatives
D) Choosing the cheapest option regardless of impact
17. Whistleblower protections primarily exist to:
A) Encourage reporting of illegal/unethical acts without fear of retaliation
B) Help managers monitor employees
C) Reduce HR paperwork
D) Increase employee turnover
, 18. If you discover your company is violating EEOC regulations, your ethical duty is to:
A) Ignore it to protect the company
B) Report it internally and ensure corrective action
C) Resign immediately without explanation
D) Warn coworkers to avoid the issue
19. "Transparency" in ethical HR practice means:
A) Sharing everyone's salary publicly
B) Communicating decisions and processes openly when appropriate
C) Eliminating all privacy protections
D) Posting all employee records online
20. Accepting an expensive gift from a vendor seeking an HR contract creates:
A) A great networking opportunity
B) An apparent conflict of interest
C) An ethical best practice
D) No concerns if disclosed later
People: Communication (Questions 21-30)
21. The most effective communication for policy changes is:
A) Email only to managers
B) Multiple channels with context and rationale
C) Posted memo in breakroom only
D) Verbal rumors
22. Active listening in HR involves:
A) Waiting for your turn to speak
B) Paraphrasing to confirm understanding
C) Taking detailed notes only
D) Finishing people's sentences
23. When delivering difficult feedback, HR should:
A) Use vague language to soften impact
B) Be direct, specific, and private
C) Send an anonymous note
D) Compliment excessively first
