Practice Tests Are More Than Just Score Checks
Many SHRM candidates treat practice exams as simple score checks: take the test, see the score, and move on. This approach wastes one of the most valuable study resources available. When used strategically, practice exams serve multiple purposes: they identify knowledge gaps, build test taking skills, develop exam stamina, and improve your ability to apply HR knowledge to realistic scenarios.
A thoughtful practice test strategy can mean the difference between studying harder and studying smarter.
When to Start Taking Practice Tests
Do not take your first practice exam too early in your preparation. Taking a full length practice test before you have covered the material creates a discouraging experience and provides limited actionable feedback. Instead, follow this timeline:
- First month of study: Focus on learning the material. Use short topic quizzes to reinforce learning but avoid full length exams.
- Second month: Take your first full length practice exam as a diagnostic to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Use the results to prioritize your study plan.
- Third month and beyond: Take full length practice exams every one to two weeks, with focused study between tests targeting your weakest areas.
- Final two weeks: Take one last practice exam at least one week before your actual exam. Do not take practice tests in the final three to four days.
Creating Realistic Testing Conditions
Practice exams are most valuable when they simulate real exam conditions. Follow these guidelines:
- Take the full exam in one sitting with only the scheduled break
- Use a timer and enforce the time limit strictly
- Sit at a desk in a quiet room without distractions
- Do not use notes, textbooks, or other reference materials
- Turn off your phone and close unnecessary browser tabs
- Take the break between sections as you would on exam day
If you consistently take practice exams under relaxed conditions (no timer, frequent breaks, reference materials nearby), your scores will not accurately reflect your exam readiness, and you will not develop the stamina and pacing skills you need.
The Post Test Review Process
Review Every Question
After completing a practice exam, review every single question, not just the ones you got wrong. For each question, evaluate:
- Questions you got right with confidence: Confirm that your reasoning was correct, not just your answer. Sometimes you can arrive at the right answer through flawed logic, which will not serve you on the real exam.
- Questions you got right but were unsure about: Understand why the correct answer is correct and why the other options are wrong. Strengthen your knowledge so you can answer with confidence next time.
- Questions you got wrong: Analyze why you selected the wrong answer. Was it a knowledge gap, a misread question, overthinking, or a failure to apply SHRM principles?
Categorize Your Errors
Track the types of mistakes you make across practice exams. Common error categories include:
- Knowledge gaps: You did not know the content needed to answer correctly
- Application errors: You knew the content but could not apply it to the scenario
- Reading errors: You misread the question stem or missed key details
- Elimination failures: You failed to eliminate clearly wrong answers
- Overthinking: You talked yourself out of the correct answer
Identifying your most common error type allows you to develop targeted strategies. If most of your errors are knowledge gaps, study more. If they are application errors, practice more situational judgment questions. If they are reading errors, slow down and read more carefully.
Tracking Your Progress Over Time
Build a Score Tracker
Create a spreadsheet or simple log that tracks your practice exam scores over time. Record:
- Date and source of the practice exam
- Overall score and score by domain
- Number of questions flagged for review
- Time remaining at the end of the exam
- Key observations about your performance
Interpreting Score Trends
A single practice exam score is not particularly meaningful on its own. What matters is the trend. Look for steady improvement over time, with your most recent scores consistently above 70 percent. If your scores plateau, it may indicate that you need to change your study approach or focus on different material.
Be cautious about comparing scores across different practice exam sources. The difficulty and style of questions can vary significantly. Use the same source for tracking trends whenever possible.
Using Practice Tests for Targeted Study
After each practice exam, create a focused study plan based on your results. If you scored poorly in employee and labor relations, spend the next week reviewing that domain before taking another practice exam. This cycle of test, analyze, study, and retest is the most efficient way to improve your readiness.
Choosing Quality Practice Exams
Not all practice exams are created equal. Prioritize practice materials from SHRM itself, as they most accurately reflect the style, difficulty, and content of the actual exam. Third party practice exams can supplement your preparation, but be aware that they may overemphasize certain topics or use different question structures.
Avoid memorizing answers to specific practice questions. If you retake the same practice exam, you may recall the answers from memory rather than working through the questions genuinely. This inflates your score without improving your readiness. Use retakes sparingly and focus on new questions whenever possible.