Why This Course Works

The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP have a real failure rate, and the people who fail are not unserious. They're working HR professionals who know their jobs. What they usually lack is structure, and practice with the specific kind of reasoning the exam rewards.

Here's how this course is built to address that.

Choosing how to prepare

Self-study works for some people. If you've already tried it and didn't, the variable to change isn't how hard you study. It's the structure you study within.

What actually makes the difference

Co-teaching

Most prep courses rely on a single instructor, but our program uses a deliberate co-teaching model that pairs SJSU HR faculty with senior industry practitioners. This approach ensures you receive instruction from experts who understand the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge from two distinct, essential angles: the academic structure and the professional reality.

The SHRM exam is designed to test both your technical knowledge and your professional judgment. Our faculty provide the deep academic understanding of how the exam is organized and where candidates typically lose points, while our industry practitioners share the real-world judgment required for scenario-based questions. By bridging these two perspectives, we prepare you for both halves of the exam.

Instructor-led study sessions

Optional sessions between class meetings where you work through quiz questions with an instructor. This is where most of the real learning happens: not in getting a question wrong, but in understanding why the answer you chose was defensible and still not the best one.

The practice exam

The final Saturday includes a full-length practice exam under exam conditions. You'll get individual feedback on where you stand and what to focus on in the weeks before your test date. You will not walk into the exam guessing at your own readiness.

Ten Saturdays, in-person

We ran this course online. Our pass rates dropped materially, so we stopped. We would rather offer a less convenient course that works than a more convenient one that doesn't. The format is the reason our outcomes are what they are.

It was an amazing experience, I would recommend any professional serious about their career in HR to invest in themselves and take the course. It will change the way you think about your career.

Aida (Jimenez) Tannous
VP - HR and Staff Development, Premier One Credit Union, Spring 2019, SHRM-SCP

I think the SHRM prep course was very helpful in preparing for the exam, but more importantly, it has positively reshaped my thinking in the way I approach my tasks/projects at work. I enjoyed the stories that were shared, the interactive nature of class and how supportive the instructors and students were. 

Monica (Soares) Lima
Vice President, People Services, Operations at Collaborative Solutions, Spring 2017

Thank you very much for your valuable time, education, and support. I personally find that it is comforting to know that the SJSU Team of HR Professionals is always available to provide a path toward SHRM certification success.

Anonymous