You’ve Been Doing HR for Years — So Why Haven’t You Taken the SPHR® Yet?
- Victoria Purser
- May 7
- 3 min read
By Victoria Purser, Founder, ConquerHR® | Co-founder HRLearns™
Let’s get straight to it.
You’ve led teams. You’ve built policies from scratch. You’ve sat at the table for workforce strategy, executive coaching, and compliance negotiations. You’re not new to this. You’re the one other people call when they need clarity on what HR should actually do.
But you still don’t have those four letters after your name: SPHR.
Why?
Let me guess…
“I don’t have time to study right now.”
“I know the content — I just haven’t scheduled it yet.”
"I'm a terrible test-taker."
"I've taken an instructor led class or self-studied but still don't feel prepared."
“It’s not a priority at the moment. My job already speaks for itself.”
I hear this every single day from mid- to senior-level HR pros who are doing the work but haven’t validated it strategically.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on — and what you need to do next if you’re serious about elevating your career.
The SPHR Isn’t About What You Know — It’s About How You Lead
Here’s the mistake I see over and over again:
Experienced HR professionals think the SPHR is just a harder version of the PHR.
It’s not.
The SPHR isn’t testing whether you know definitions. It’s testing whether you can lead under pressure — whether you can integrate HR with business strategy, advise C-suite decisions, and make judgment calls based on incomplete data, risk, and analytics.
In other words:
The SPHR doesn’t test HR trivia. It tests HR leadership.
And unless you’ve trained to think in that exam environment, your experience alone won’t carry you over the finish line.
The Real Reason You Haven’t Taken It Yet? (It’s Not Time)
Time is a surface excuse. The truth is harder — and more important.
Most people put off the SPHR because:
They’re quietly afraid they’ve forgotten how to study
They’re unsure what will actually show up on the test
They don’t want to fail… and have everyone know it
And I get that. When you’ve built a credible career, putting your reputation on the line with a public certification feels risky.
But here’s the reality: Not doing it is riskier.
You’re competing in a world where HR executives are expected to be certified — especially if you’re aiming for senior director or VP titles, or working cross-border with multinational teams.
So let’s reframe it.
You’re Not Starting from Scratch — You’re Sharpening Your Edge
That’s why I built the 7-Day SPHR Exam Prep Starter Guide.
Here’s what it does:
✅ Helps you benchmark your readiness in each SPHR exam domain
✅ Sharpens your scenario-based reasoning using leadership logic
✅ Creates a fast, 7-day action plan that mirrors the HRCI exam framework
And, if you’ve ever thought:
“I just need someone to tell me exactly what to study and how to think for this exam…”
That’s exactly what I do at ConquerHR Boot Camp.
🗓️ Live online — Saturday, May 17, 2025🕚 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM ET🎓 Led by me, personally
✅ Your goal as our mission — pass that exam — claim that credential.
We cover every key exam domain with strategic breakdowns, real-case scenarios, test logic training, and my proprietary SPACE™ and CLEAR™ methods that are the keys to answering questions correctly on exam day.
94+% of the HR pros who take this Boot Camp pass. Don’t wing it.
No fluff. No overwhelm. Just the tools you need to be prepared — and walk into the exam with confidence and the HR knowledge and test-taking skills it takes to conquer that exam and earn that SPHR credential.
Then register for Boot Camp. Now let’s make it official.
—Victoria