WGU TutoringAbout Us
UF GPA CalculatorUCF GPA CalculatorUC GPA CalculatorASU GPA CalculatorLSAC GPA CalculatorPurdue GPA CalculatorLSU GPA CalculatorRutgers GPA CalculatorOSU GPA CalculatorIU GPA CalculatorUW GPA CalculatorWKU GPA CalculatorTAMU GPA CalculatorUIUC GPA CalculatorUT Austin GPA CalculatorUofSC GPA CalculatorBerkeley GPA CalculatorUNL GPA CalculatorUTK GPA CalculatorUARK GPA CalculatorMizzou GPA CalculatorPenn State GPA CalculatorNYU GPA CalculatorUMich GPA CalculatorFSU GPA CalculatorUCLA GPA CalculatorGeorgia Tech GPA CalculatorUGA GPA CalculatorUNC GPA CalculatorVirginia Tech GPA CalculatorMSU GPA CalculatorUMN GPA CalculatorUofA GPA CalculatorView All Resources →
Praxis29SHRM4CompTIA10HRCI3GED5HiSET4PMP2Nursing1ASVAB1View All Practice Questions →
Contact
HRCI Practice Questions

PHR Practice Questions

Professional in Human Resources (PHR) — Practice with free PHR practice test questions covering all five functional areas - Employee & Labor Relations, Business Management, Talent Planning & Acquisition, Total Rewards, and Learning & Development. Each question includes a detailed explanation so you actually understand the reasoning, not just the right answer.

115
Total Questions
3 hours
Time Limit
Scaled score of 500 out of 700
Passing Score
$395 (+ $100 application fee)
Registration Fee

Free Sample Questions

Here are 5 free sample questions from our full bank of 350+ PHR practice questions. Try them out below — click "Show Answer" to reveal the correct response and explanation.

1

An employee files a complaint alleging that their supervisor has been making unwelcome comments about their appearance on a daily basis. The HR professional should FIRST:

AA) Terminate the supervisor immediately to avoid liability
BB) Conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the complaint
CC) Tell the employee to avoid the supervisor until the situation resolves itself
DD) Move the employee to a different department without investigating
2

A company is expanding into a new market and needs to hire 50 customer service representatives within 90 days. Which workforce planning strategy would be MOST effective?

AA) Rely exclusively on internal promotions to fill all 50 positions
BB) Develop a recruitment plan that combines job board postings, employee referral programs, and staffing agency partnerships
CC) Wait until positions are urgently needed and then post openings
DD) Hire all 50 through a single external recruiter on a contingency basis
3

During the selection process, an interviewer asks a candidate about their plans to have children. This question is problematic primarily because it:

AA) Is not relevant to predicting job performance and could indicate discriminatory intent
BB) Makes the interview take longer than scheduled
CC) Is only prohibited during phone screenings, not in-person interviews
DD) Is acceptable as long as it is asked of all candidates equally
4

An organization wants to improve employee retention. Analysis shows that voluntary turnover is highest among employees in their second year. Which Total Rewards strategy would MOST directly address this?

AA) Increase starting salaries for all new hires by 10%
BB) Implement a structured career development program with milestone reviews at 12 and 18 months
CC) Add a ping-pong table and free snacks to the break room
DD) Eliminate the annual performance review process entirely
5

A manager requests that HR help design a training program for newly promoted team leads who are struggling with delegation and conflict resolution. Which approach to needs assessment is MOST appropriate?

AA) Skip the needs assessment and immediately purchase an off-the-shelf leadership course
BB) Conduct a task analysis of team lead responsibilities combined with a person analysis of current skill gaps
CC) Survey only senior executives about what they think team leads need
DD) Require all team leads to complete a generic management degree program

Get the Full PHR Question Bank — 350+ Practice Questions

You just saw 5 sample questions. We have a complete bank of 350+ PHR practice questions with detailed answers and explanations ready for you. Fill out the form below and we'll send you the full question bank — completely free.

We'll send the full question bank to this email.

We won't spam you. Just a quick follow-up if needed.

All fields are required.

About the PHR

Format & Structure

Total Questions
115
Time Limit
3 hours
Format
Computer-based multiple choice

Scoring & Cost

Passing Score
Scaled score of 500 out of 700
Registration Fee
$395 (+ $100 application fee)

Related Practice Questions

SPHR Practice Questions

Start Practicing

SHRM-CP Practice Questions

Start Practicing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PHR certification?

The PHR (Professional in Human Resources) is a certification offered by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). It validates your mastery of technical and operational aspects of HR management, including employment law, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, and employee relations. It's widely recognized as a foundational HR credential - sort of the gold standard for HR professionals who are a few years into their careers and want to prove they know their stuff.

How many questions are on the PHR?

The PHR contains 115 questions total, but here's the catch - only 90 of those are scored. The remaining 25 are pretest questions that HRCI uses for research and future development. You won't know which questions are scored and which aren't, so you need to treat every single one like it counts. You get 3 hours to complete the whole thing, which works out to roughly 1.5 minutes per question.

What score do I need to pass the PHR?

You need a scaled score of 500 out of 700 to pass. The scoring uses a scaled methodology, meaning it's not a straight percentage - HRCI adjusts for question difficulty across different versions. Roughly speaking, you probably need to answer around 60-65% of the scored questions correctly, but the exact threshold can vary. Don't aim for the bare minimum though. Give yourself a comfortable margin.

What is the PHR pass rate?

HRCI doesn't officially publish current pass rates, but historically the PHR pass rate has hovered around 50-60%. That might sound intimidating, and honestly it should motivate you to prepare seriously. Many people underestimate the breadth of knowledge required. The candidates who pass tend to be the ones who studied consistently over 2-3 months using multiple resources rather than cramming in the last week.

How long should I study for the PHR?

Most successful candidates report studying 8-12 weeks, dedicating about 10-15 hours per week. That's roughly 80-180 hours of total study time depending on your background. If you've been working in HR for several years, you might lean toward the lower end. If you're newer to the field or haven't dealt with all five functional areas in your day-to-day work, budget more time. Start with a practice test to identify weak areas, then focus your study plan accordingly.

What are the eligibility requirements for the PHR?

HRCI requires a combination of education and professional HR experience. You need at least one year of professional HR experience with a master's degree, two years with a bachelor's degree, or four years with a high school diploma. The experience must be professional-level HR work - not just any job in an HR department. Administrative or clerical roles typically don't count. Your experience also needs to be current, meaning you should have been working in HR within the past few years.

How much does the PHR cost?

The PHR application fee is $100, and the testing fee is $395, bringing your total to $495. If you need to reschedule, there's typically a fee for that too. And if you don't pass on your first attempt, you'll need to pay the testing fee again for each retake. Many employers will reimburse you for certification costs, so definitely ask your company about professional development budgets before paying out of pocket.

How often do I need to recertify my PHR?

The PHR certification is valid for 3 years. To maintain it, you need to earn 60 recertification credits during that cycle or retake the certification assessment. Credits can come from continuing education, instruction, research, publications, leadership activities, or on-the-job experience. Most HR professionals find that attending conferences, completing webinars, and participating in professional development activities throughout the year makes hitting 60 credits pretty manageable.

Get 350+ PHR Practice Questions

Don't settle for just 5 sample questions. Request the full question bank and start preparing with confidence.

Get Started