Free SHRM-CP exam Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the SHRM-CP exam practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1Several departments contribute to an HR rollout deliverable, but no individual owns the final outcome. In a RACI assignment, which role should the HR project lead designate for one named person?

   1. A. Responsible
   2. B. Accountable
   3. C. Consulted
   4. D. Informed

   Answer: B

   Explanation: SHRM states, "The key distinction is this: more than one person can contribute to a deliverable, but only one person should be held accountable for its outcome.". The gap is ownership of the final outcome, so HR should name one Accountable person in the RACI assignment.

   Reference: Why Too Many Shared Responsibilities Lead to Less Accountability | SHRM — Start With Ownership, Not Process, RACI and accountability, lines 405-415

2. 2A new industry technology and a changing labor market may alter the skills a business will need. Before revising its staffing assumptions, HR wants a structured assessment of external forces. Which method should it use?

   1. A. Gap analysis
   2. B. Variance analysis
   3. C. PESTLE analysis
   4. D. Job analysis

   Answer: C

   Explanation: SHRM explains, "An option that can help you pay more attention to the external environment is a PESTLE analysis, in which you scan the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental trends shaping the world in which we operate." PESTLE is the structured external scan needed before HR updates its talent assumptions; the other named analyses address different comparisons or job content.

   Reference: Cultivate Critical Evaluation with a PESTLE Analysis | SHRM — Article, external environment and PESTLE explanation, lines 376-384

3. 3Two managers with equal authority disagree about dividing a limited shared resource. Neither has a policy violation or urgent safety issue, and both can accept a workable partial tradeoff. Which conflict style should HR recommend for this discussion?

   1. A. Avoiding
   2. B. Accommodating
   3. C. Competing
   4. D. Compromising

   Answer: D

   Explanation: SHRM's decision guide pairs "Compromising" with "Equal power/conflict over resources" and says to "Mediate win–lose arrangement". The managers have equal power and a resource dispute, matching that style rather than a low-stakes delay, unilateral concession, or firm policy decision.

   Reference: Manager’s Conflict Handling Decision Guide — Section 4: Select a Conflict Management Style, conflict-style table

4. 4An HR implementation plan has several linked activity sequences. The project lead needs to identify the sequence with the longest total duration. Which project management concept identifies that sequence?

   1. A. Gantt chart
   2. B. Critical path
   3. C. Work breakdown structure
   4. D. Responsibility assignment matrix

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The DOE project management lexicon defines "Critical Path" as "A sequence of discrete tasks/activities in the network that has the longest total duration through the contract or project." This is the sequence the HR project lead seeks.

   Reference: Project Management Lexicon of Terms — Lexicon entry: Critical Path

5. 5An HR operating model places routine, process-driven transactions in one unit so other HR groups spend less time on those tasks. Which function in the model is responsible for that work?

   1. A. Center of Expertise
   2. B. Shared Services
   3. C. Relationship Management
   4. D. Business Partnership

   Answer: B

   Explanation: SHRM assigns "Deliver transactional and process-driven activities" to Shared Services. The unit described in the scenario has that transactional service role.

   Reference: Org Chart Overhaul — Step 4: Design the Operating Model and Leadership Structure, Shared Services

6. 6An employee returns home after a two-year international assignment and needs to reintegrate into the home country's culture and employment. Which mobility process is HR supporting?

   1. A. Onboarding
   2. B. Offshoring
   3. C. Repatriation
   4. D. Expatriation

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The BASK glossary defines repatriation as the "Process by which employees returning from international assignments reintegrate into their home country’s culture, conditions and employment." The employee is returning home after the assignment.

   Reference: SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge 2026 — Appendix A: Glossary, repatriation, printed p. 94

7. 7Two business units rarely share information during a change initiative. HR wants to enlist an employee who already carries knowledge between the units. Which network role should it seek?

   1. A. Central node
   2. B. Project sponsor
   3. C. Knowledge broker
   4. D. Subject expert

   Answer: C

   Explanation: SHRM defines knowledge brokers as "individuals who create bridges between departments or teams". This is the network role HR needs to connect the two units' information flow; a central node, sponsor, or subject expert need not bridge them.

   Reference: Find Your Influencers with Organizational Network Analysis | SHRM — How ONA Works, paragraph on nodes, ties, and knowledge brokers, lines 601-607

8. 8An HR team repeatedly misroutes personnel updates because information is duplicated across manual records. Which business tool should it examine to address the information flow problem?

   1. A. An HR information system that coordinates the records and workflow.
   2. B. A balanced scorecard summarizing organizational performance goals.
   3. C. A market analysis describing the firm's competitive position.
   4. D. A business continuity plan for restoring critical operations.

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The BASK states that HR professionals "Uses HR information systems (HRIS) and business technology to solve problems and address needs." A workflow and record problem calls for evaluating an HRIS.

   Reference: SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge 2026 — Business Acumen, Business Analysis, printed p. 41

9. 9An HR adviser is helping a manager address a recurring dispute. The manager has heard only one employee's account and cannot yet explain the other employee's concern. What should happen before a conflict style is chosen?

   1. A. Ask behavior-based clarifying questions of both parties.
   2. B. Choose a compromise based on the first account received.
   3. C. Ask the supervisor to decide which account seems more credible.
   4. D. Delay all discussion until the parties submit written proposals.

   Answer: A

   Explanation: SHRM's guide asks, "Do I have a clear understanding of both sides’ concerns?" and directs "No (Ask clarifying questions using behavior-based prompts)". The adviser needs both sides' concerns before selecting a style.

   Reference: Manager’s Conflict Handling Decision Guide — Section 3: Diagnose Conflict Type & Root Cause, decision point

10. 10During a recruiting period, an HR team spends $16,000 on external recruiting and $8,000 on internal recruiting. It fills 8 positions from 6 requisitions. What is its cost per hire for that period?

    1. A. $1,000
    2. B. $2,000
    3. C. $3,000
    4. D. $4,000

    Answer: C

    Explanation: SHRM states that "CPH is calculated as the sum of recruiting costs divided by the number of hires." The sum is $24,000, and $24,000 ÷ 8 hires = $3,000. The other results arise from using only internal costs, only external costs, or the 6 requisitions as the denominator.

    Reference: Workforce Analytics: A Critical Evaluation — Endnote 17, cost-per-hire formula, printed p. 10