Free SHRM Practice Test 2026 Official Study Guide [PDF]

1) According to Knowles' assumptions about adult learning, which statement best represents an adult learner's need to know?

2) Which development method is most likely being used when a corporate manager regularly participates in online discussion boards with a group of professional peers?

3) Henry works as a Senior HR Specialist for an automobile parts manufacturer. Management plans to close an Alabama plant, resulting in the loss of 650 jobs. According to the practice test, how much advance notice must the company provide before the plant closes?

4) Which requirement is associated with the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)?

5) Which HR functional area is responsible for planning and managing employees entering and leaving an organization to meet changing business needs?

6) Mark is an HR professional who has been assigned responsibility for developing his company's Affirmative Action Plan. What does an "assignment of responsibility" mean in this context?

7) Which strategy identifies and plans how human resources will help an organization achieve its strategic objectives?

8) Validity is an important consideration in employee interviews and selection. Which of the following is NOT a recognized type of validity?

9) As a Senior HR Professional, you may work with the board of directors on important business matters. How are members of a corporation's board of directors generally selected?

10) An HR professional is reviewing employee positions to determine exempt and nonexempt status. Which employee should never be classified as exempt from overtime requirements?

11) Which statement best describes reliability in a structured employment interview?

12) The U.S. Department of Labor provides guidelines related to unemployment benefits. Who is primarily responsible for administering unemployment benefits?

13) Which landmark employment case involved high school diploma and aptitude test requirements that were found to have a disproportionate impact on racial minority employees under Title VII?

14) Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, what is the maximum amount of compensatory and punitive damages that may be awarded to a victim of employment discrimination, according to the practice test?

15) Which statement best defines a protected class?

16) HR professionals generally perform three major roles that contribute to organizational success. Which statement best identifies these responsibilities?

17) Which of the following is an example of a correlation coefficient?

18) Which type of business organization has one owner who makes business decisions, keeps the profits, and assumes unlimited personal liability?

19) John, a Senior HR Professional, is updating his company's code of conduct. Which statement best defines a code of conduct?

20) A company advertises for a female attendant to work in women's bathrooms and locker rooms. Which statement best explains this requirement under Title VII?

21) Which Balanced Scorecard perspective focuses primarily on customer attention and satisfaction?

22) Which forecasting method brings participants together to share and evaluate ideas, then ranks those ideas based on group feedback?

23) Nancy wants to use a copyrighted photograph as the cover of a company training manual. According to the practice test, how long does copyright protection for the photograph generally last?

24) The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act includes exceptions to the plant-closing notification requirement. Which of the following is a recognized exception?

25) From a risk management perspective, which statement best describes the purpose of an HR audit?

26) Gray and Holly are using a SWOT analysis while helping develop their organization's strategic plan. What does SWOT analysis evaluate?

27) Which performance appraisal method identifies important job responsibilities, links them to specific behaviors, and uses those behaviors to evaluate performance?

28) A manager routinely suggests that a female project team member should take meeting minutes because she is a woman. What type of discrimination does this illustrate?

29) What is the primary purpose of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

30) Philip B. Crosby was a pioneer in quality management. Which statement reflects one of Crosby's quality management absolutes?

31) Which type of Affirmative Action Plan analysis creates an organizational profile showing information about incumbents, including race, sex, and compensation?

32) A church is hiring a new minister and requires the person selected to be a member of the church's religion. Under Title VII, this requirement is an example of which concept?

33) Which federal law requires covered employers to provide eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons?

34) Which type of training evaluation determines whether training produced a positive financial or organizational impact?

35) Three federal agencies share responsibility for administering and enforcing ERISA. Which agency is NOT involved in ERISA enforcement?

36) You want to use a form created by the federal government in a training class. You plan to display, reproduce, and distribute the form. Is this generally permissible?

37) What does an HR audit seek to accomplish for an organization?

38) Mike is evaluating whether workers should be classified as employees or independent contractors using IRS control factors. Which control factor focuses on how the organization pays the worker?

39) The ADDIE framework is commonly used to develop training programs. Which of the following is identified as the odd item among the training design activities in the practice test?

40) HR professionals should understand different types of laws and how they are created. Which of the following would NOT be considered administrative law?

41) Which law protects individuals with physical or mental disabilities from discrimination?

42) An organization examines where it is now, where it wants to go, how it will get there, and how it will know when it has arrived. What business process does this describe?

43) As an HR professional, you should understand project management processes. Which statement best describes the project management life cycle?

44) What term describes an organization's efforts to help displaced employees find new jobs and adjust to the employment market after downsizing?

45) Which training practice best demonstrates clarity in a presentation?

46) You are an HR professional for a U.S. company with 120 employees. According to the practice test, what is the deadline for filing the company's EEO-1 report?

47) What term describes reviewing an entire organization to simplify or eliminate unnecessary processes and improve customer satisfaction through increased efficiency?

48) Rex and Jan participate in a project team exercise in which members complete both individual and group tasks to create a game. What type of organizational development activity does this represent?

49) A collective bargaining agreement commonly establishes a four-step grievance procedure. At which stage would a local union leader typically meet with the plant manager regarding an employee grievance?

50) Which court case established that an employment test with a discriminatory impact may still be lawful when the test is valid and job-related?