Exam Disappointment, Renewed Focus, Later Success



​Earlier this year on the SHRM Blog, I described how, as a SHRM-CP credential-holder leading a SHRM certification study group, I joined my students in preparing to take the SHRM-SCP exam. It took me two tries to earn that senior credential. While my blog post provided test-taking tips and advice, now I'd like to offer a more personal perspective on the experience.

Preparing for My SHRM-CP vs. My SHRM-SCP

I took the SHRM-CP exam in 2017. When I began preparing for it, I did not have a local study group available to me, nor did I get a recommendation from others to seek one. Instead I relied on the study skills I had learned in college. I also used the SHRM Learning System, which provided me with the structure and tools that ultimately led to my passing that first exam on my first attempt.

In late 2019, I became a certification study group facilitator for my local SHRM chapter. Ever since, my recommendation is that all SHRM exam candidates join a study group as part of their preparations.

Earning my SHRM-SCP credential was always a long-term goal for me as I started mapping out my career. The SHRM Learning System prepares you for both the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams. Now that I was helping guide others through the materials, I decided it was time for me to give the higher-level exam a shot.

The SHRM-SCP is certainly more daunting than the SHRM-CP. The pass rates are lower, year after year. Some of the scenarios presented in the situational judgment questions I read through were a stretch for me to fully grasp, based on my prior experience. However, spending more time with the materials and learning alongside individuals more senior to me made a positive impact on my confidence.

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After all, the first step that anyone takes toward becoming SHRM-certified is to commit to either level of exam. Having the confidence to make that commitment is, I find, the hardest thing for most people to achieve when they are considering certification.

Studying Alongside My Students

Everyone has their own learning style. Knowing that up front—about myself and others—helped me immensely, as both a study group facilitator and as a SHRM-SCP candidate.

Of course, I prepared for the exam on my own, but studying alongside the group benefitted me most. This was especially clear when we worked through quiz questions together during class. Sometimes I was dead wrong about something, and that led to my realization that it was OK for others to be wrong now and then, too.

Our growth, as we learned from each other and shared our collective thought processes, created camaraderie among us. There were always questions that stumped or confused us, but there was little competitiveness or conflict. Our understanding that the exam was made up of many questions helped us through those occasional challenges.

Relying on My Support System

I share the following advice with every study group and with anyone considering certification: You must have a support system in place.

The first reason is that the time required to prepare for the exam will require your other commitments to be put on hold. For me, that meant more than skipping a round of golf or a nephew's soccer game—it also meant setting aside my lunch hour each day so that I could dedicate it to reading the study materials.

The second reason is that at the end of the exam, after you submit your final answer to the final question, you will receive a result. That result may be uplifting—you passed!—or it may be devastating—you failed. You will want others to support you through either outcome.

I can appreciate the candidate who remains silent about preparing for and taking the test; there is a lack of outside pressure in that situation. But I also know firsthand how it feels to have a support system. When you fall down, your supporters can pick you back up; when you succeed, they can celebrate your accomplishments.

After the disappointing result on my first SHRM-SCP exam, I received encouragement from my manager and others on my team at work. Family and friends helped distract me so that I could see all the great things I had to be thankful for in my life.

We will all face such moments. Finding the silver lining can have a significant impact on the situation.

Success on the Second Attempt

I decided to retake the SHRM-SCP exam. During that particular testing window, however, I was unable to lead or join another study group. Instead, I relied on my ability to build on the foundation of what I had learned earlier. I was not going to let the time I spent preparing for my first attempt at the senior credential go to waste.

I leveraged the score report from my SHRM-SCP exam to shift my focus to those areas that needed work. The SHRM Learning System played a new role in prioritizing my study goals, which helped me stay focused. I also joined a few Facebook groups of fellow SHRM members preparing for their exams. All of these strategies helped me eventually succeed.

Now that I have reached the next level of certification with my SHRM-SCP credential, I can see the differences it has made.

Early on in my career as I prepared for my SHRM-CP, I gained a much broader knowledge of various HR competencies and expertise, which I wasn't taught as an undergrad. Studying the SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (SHRM BoCK) and other materials and then obtaining my certification allowed me almost immediately to provide solutions in my day-to-day work.

By the time I committed to taking the SHRM-SCP exam, I had built on the components of the SHRM BoCK. I was able to adjust the way I approached projects. The scenarios in the situational judgment items on this more daunting exam also gave me opportunities to think through challenges I would not otherwise naturally face in my current role.

Andrew Marcotte, SHRM-SCP, of Janesville, Wis., is senior HR business partner at Blain's Farm and Fleet. He is president of the Blackhawk Human Resource Association and serves on SHRM's Young Professional Advisory Council.