PHR CERTIFICATION EXAM — COMPLETE
PRACTICE GUIDE
300 Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales |
2026/2027 Edition
Welcome to this comprehensive PHR (Professional in Human Resources)
Certification Exam preparation guide. This resource contains 300 practice
questions with verified answers and detailed rationales, covering all functional areas
tested on the HRCI PHR exam for the 2026/2027 testing cycle.
📚 EXAM OVERVIEW
Feature Details
Certifying Body HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
Exam Time 2 hours (plus 30 minutes administration time)
Exam Length 90 scored questions + 25 pretest questions
Computer-Based Pearson VUE testing center or OnVUE remote proctoring
Certification Validity 3 years
,Feature Details
Recertification 60 HR recertification credits over 3 years
Application Fee $100.00
Exam Fee $395.00
📊 Eligibility Requirements
Education Professional-Level HR Experience
Master's degree or higher At least 1 year
Bachelor's degree At least 2 years
No degree At least 4 years
📊 Exam Content Outline (Effective March 1, 2024)
The PHR exam is based on HRCI's 2024 Exam Content Outline (ECO), which
defines seven functional areas:
Functional Area Weight Question Numbers
Business Management 20% 1–60
Talent Planning and Acquisition 16% 61–108
Learning and Development 10% 109–138
Total Rewards 15% 139–183
Employee Engagement 15% 184–228
,Functional Area Weight Question Numbers
Employee and Labor Relations 14% 229–270
HR Information Management 10% 271–300
🏢 SECTION 1: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (20%)
Questions 1–60
❓ Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the Equal Pay Act of
1963?
• A) To mandate that all employees receive the same salary regardless of job
function
• B) To prohibit wage discrimination on the basis of sex for equal work in jobs
that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility
• C) To establish a minimum wage for all workers in the private sector
• D) To regulate the amount of overtime pay provided to executive staff members
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women be given equal pay for
equal work in the same establishment. The jobs do not need to be identical, but they
, must be substantially equal in terms of skill, effort, and responsibility, regardless of job
title.
❓ Question 2
An HR professional is analyzing turnover data and notices that the organization's
voluntary turnover rate has increased from 12% to 18% over the past year. Which
of the following is the MOST appropriate first step in addressing this trend?
• A) Immediately implement a retention bonus program for all employees
• B) Conduct stay interviews with a representative sample of current
employees
• C) Increase the frequency of performance appraisals
• D) Benchmark the turnover rate against industry competitors
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The most appropriate first step is to conduct stay interviews with a
representative sample of current employees to understand the underlying reasons for
the increased turnover. Stay interviews provide qualitative data that can identify root
causes such as compensation concerns, lack of career development, poor management,
or work-life balance issues. Immediately implementing a retention bonus without
understanding the root cause is a reactive, costly solution that may not address the
actual issues.
❓ Question 3
PRACTICE GUIDE
300 Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales |
2026/2027 Edition
Welcome to this comprehensive PHR (Professional in Human Resources)
Certification Exam preparation guide. This resource contains 300 practice
questions with verified answers and detailed rationales, covering all functional areas
tested on the HRCI PHR exam for the 2026/2027 testing cycle.
📚 EXAM OVERVIEW
Feature Details
Certifying Body HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
Exam Time 2 hours (plus 30 minutes administration time)
Exam Length 90 scored questions + 25 pretest questions
Computer-Based Pearson VUE testing center or OnVUE remote proctoring
Certification Validity 3 years
,Feature Details
Recertification 60 HR recertification credits over 3 years
Application Fee $100.00
Exam Fee $395.00
📊 Eligibility Requirements
Education Professional-Level HR Experience
Master's degree or higher At least 1 year
Bachelor's degree At least 2 years
No degree At least 4 years
📊 Exam Content Outline (Effective March 1, 2024)
The PHR exam is based on HRCI's 2024 Exam Content Outline (ECO), which
defines seven functional areas:
Functional Area Weight Question Numbers
Business Management 20% 1–60
Talent Planning and Acquisition 16% 61–108
Learning and Development 10% 109–138
Total Rewards 15% 139–183
Employee Engagement 15% 184–228
,Functional Area Weight Question Numbers
Employee and Labor Relations 14% 229–270
HR Information Management 10% 271–300
🏢 SECTION 1: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (20%)
Questions 1–60
❓ Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the Equal Pay Act of
1963?
• A) To mandate that all employees receive the same salary regardless of job
function
• B) To prohibit wage discrimination on the basis of sex for equal work in jobs
that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility
• C) To establish a minimum wage for all workers in the private sector
• D) To regulate the amount of overtime pay provided to executive staff members
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women be given equal pay for
equal work in the same establishment. The jobs do not need to be identical, but they
, must be substantially equal in terms of skill, effort, and responsibility, regardless of job
title.
❓ Question 2
An HR professional is analyzing turnover data and notices that the organization's
voluntary turnover rate has increased from 12% to 18% over the past year. Which
of the following is the MOST appropriate first step in addressing this trend?
• A) Immediately implement a retention bonus program for all employees
• B) Conduct stay interviews with a representative sample of current
employees
• C) Increase the frequency of performance appraisals
• D) Benchmark the turnover rate against industry competitors
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The most appropriate first step is to conduct stay interviews with a
representative sample of current employees to understand the underlying reasons for
the increased turnover. Stay interviews provide qualitative data that can identify root
causes such as compensation concerns, lack of career development, poor management,
or work-life balance issues. Immediately implementing a retention bonus without
understanding the root cause is a reactive, costly solution that may not address the
actual issues.
❓ Question 3
