PHR (Professional in Human Resources) Practice Questions — All Questions
20 questions
A primary role of HR in an organization is to:
- a.Manage IT systems
- b.Align people practices with business strategy and ensure compliance✓
- c.Set product prices
- d.Only process payroll
HR partners with the business on strategy, people, and compliance.
An HR policy handbook mainly serves to:
- a.Communicate consistent expectations and rules to employees✓
- b.Eliminate the need for laws
- c.Set the marketing budget
- d.Replace all managers
Handbooks set consistent expectations and help ensure fair, compliant treatment.
Which U.S. law broadly prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin?
- a.FMLA
- b.FLSA
- c.Title VII of the Civil Rights Act✓
- d.OSHA
Title VII prohibits discrimination based on those protected characteristics.
HR metrics such as turnover rate are used to:
- a.Measure and improve people outcomes✓
- b.Avoid compliance
- c.Set stock prices
- d.Replace strategy
HR metrics inform decisions and track workforce health.
A job description is used to:
- a.Calculate depreciation
- b.Define a role's duties and requirements to guide hiring and evaluation✓
- c.Replace interviews
- d.Set the company's tax rate
Job descriptions define duties and qualifications, guiding recruiting and performance.
Selection criteria should be:
- a.Different for each candidate
- b.Job-related and applied consistently to all candidates✓
- c.Kept secret from hiring managers
- d.Based on personal friendship
Valid selection is job-related and applied consistently to avoid discrimination.
Adverse (disparate) impact occurs when a neutral practice:
- a.Improves diversity
- b.Disproportionately screens out a protected group✓
- c.Helps all groups equally
- d.Is clearly intentional bias only
Disparate impact is an unintentional but disproportionate effect on a protected group.
A structured interview improves hiring by:
- a.Asking all candidates the same job-related questions✓
- b.Focusing on unrelated traits
- c.Allowing random questions
- d.Removing all criteria
Structured interviews use consistent, job-related questions, improving fairness and validity.
Effective onboarding aims to:
- a.Reduce engagement
- b.Integrate new hires and help them become productive✓
- c.Delay productivity
- d.Replace training entirely
Onboarding helps new employees integrate and reach productivity sooner.
A training needs assessment is conducted to:
- a.Set salaries
- b.Terminate employees
- c.Avoid all training
- d.Identify gaps between current and required skills✓
Needs assessments identify skill gaps to target training.
Kirkpatrick's model evaluates training at levels including reaction, learning, behavior, and:
- a.Salary
- b.Results✓
- c.Turnover only
- d.Recruiting
Kirkpatrick's four levels are reaction, learning, behavior, and results.
Succession planning helps an organization:
- a.Cut all training
- b.Prepare internal talent for key future roles✓
- c.Ignore development
- d.Avoid promotions
Succession planning builds a pipeline for critical roles.
In the U.S., which law establishes minimum wage and overtime pay standards?
- a.Title VII
- b.OSHA
- c.The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)✓
- d.ADA
The FLSA governs minimum wage, overtime, and related standards.
Total rewards typically include:
- a.Only bonuses
- b.Only base salary
- c.Only health insurance
- d.Both compensation and benefits (and often recognition and development)✓
Total rewards encompass pay, benefits, and other value provided to employees.
A pay structure with grades and ranges helps ensure:
- a.Only executive pay
- b.Internal equity and consistent pay decisions✓
- c.No structure
- d.Random pay
Pay grades/ranges support internal equity and consistent decisions.
Nonexempt employees under the FLSA are generally:
- a.Entitled to overtime pay for hours over 40 in a workweek✓
- b.Exempt from all rules
- c.Salaried only
- d.Never paid
Nonexempt employees are generally entitled to overtime for hours over 40 per week.
'Employment at will' generally means:
- a.Only employers have rights
- b.Either party may end employment at any time, subject to legal exceptions✓
- c.Contracts are always required
- d.Employees can never be terminated
At-will employment lets either party end the relationship, subject to laws and contracts.
When an employee reports harassment, the employer should:
- a.Immediately fire the complainant
- b.Retaliate against the complainant
- c.Investigate promptly and take appropriate action✓
- d.Ignore it
Employers should investigate promptly, act appropriately, and avoid retaliation.
Retaliation against an employee for filing a good-faith complaint is:
- a.Generally unlawful✓
- b.Required
- c.Recommended
- d.A performance tool
Retaliation for protected activity is generally prohibited by law.
Employee engagement surveys are used to:
- a.Set product prices
- b.Avoid all feedback
- c.Measure and improve employee experience and commitment✓
- d.Replace payroll
Engagement surveys gauge and help improve the employee experience.