The HRCI Item WritingReview Process

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The HRCI Item Writing/Review Process

• Linda K. Anguish, SPHR, GPHR
• HR Content Manager, HRCI

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Where do the questions on HRCI Certification
Exams come from?

• Who decides what is covered on the exam?
• Who writes the test questions?
• What sort of review processes are in place?

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It all starts

• with the Body of Knowledge
• (test specifications)
• Defines what HR professionals need to know
• Derived from a formal Practice Analysis
  conducted every 5-7 years
• What HR professionals are doing, how often they
  do it, how important it is

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Defining the Body of Knowledge

• Separate practice analysis for each exam
• PHR/SPHR
• GPHR
• California specialty certification
• Most recent PHR/SPHR Practice Analysis conducted
  in 2005
• 6,000 PHRs and SPHRs surveyed
• Became effective with May, 2007 exams

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The resulting Body of Knowledge is published
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SIX FUNCTIONAL AREAS PHR/SPHR

• 01 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
• 02 WORKFORCE PLANNING AND
• EMPLOYMENT
• 03 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
• 04 TOTAL REWARDS (formerly, Compensation
  Benefits)
• 05 EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS
• 06 RISK MANAGEMENT (formerly,
• Occupational Health, Safety Security)

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Item Classification Scheme

• Functional Areas
• 01 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
• Developing, contributing to, and supporting the
  organizations mission, vision, values, strategic
  goals, and objectives formulating policies
  guiding and leading the change process and
  evaluating HRs contributions to organizational
  effectiveness. .
• (Summary Statement of entire domain)

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Responsibility Statements

• 01 Interpret information related to the
  organizations operations from internal sources,
  including financial/accounting, business
  development, marketing, sales, operations, and
  information technology, in order to contribute to
  the development of the organizations strategic
  plan.
• (Specific responsibilities that fall under this
  domain 18 for Strategic Management)

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Knowledge Statements

• 01 The organizations mission, vision, values,
  business goals, objectives, plans, and processes.
  
• 03 Strategic planning process and implementation.
  
• (Specific knowledge needed to perform
  responsibility 7 in Strategic Management, 23 in
  Core Knowledge)

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HRCI Item Writing Submission

• Must link to Body of Knowledge via these rubrics
• Functional Area (2 digits)
• Responsibility area Knowledge Rubric (4 digits)
• Stem Correct Answer (BEST Choice) Three
  Distractors
• Clear citation of source (within past 5-7 years)

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So the previous example we looked at

• would be coded 01 (Functional Area for
  Strategic Management), 01(Responsibility
  Statement for the first responsibility), and 01
  or 03,
• (Knowledge Statement - based on the specific
  knowledge required by the item)
• It is also helpful to link your recertification
  activities to a specific Responsibility or
  Knowledge area when submitting them for credit
  hours (especially Strategic Mgt)

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When the Body of Knowledge Changes

• Many items that currently exist in the Item Bank
  remain, although they may need to have their
  rubrics revised
• Some items must be removed, if they no longer
  remain in the Body of Knowledge
• New items must be written for any areas that were
  not previously included in the Body of Knowledge.
• In the PHR/SPHR example, most of the items in our
  Item Bank found a home in the updated test
  specifications

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Number of Exam Questions

• 225 questions on PHR/SPHR
• 200 scored for certification
• 25 being pre-tested for future exams
• Weighting of exam determined by Practice Analysis

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Distribution of 225 Questions

• Function PHR SPHR
• Strategic Management 12 29 (26)
• Workforce Planning and Employment 26 17
  (16)
• HR Development 17 (15) 17 (13)
• Total Rewards 16 (20) 12 (16)
• Employee/Labor Relations 22 (21) 18 (24)
• Risk Management 7 (6) 7 (5)
• (Numbers in parentheses are previous weights
  changes in weightings based on Practice Analysis
  Survey)
• A few responsibilities are designated PHR only
  or
• SPHR only they will only appear on that exam.

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Additional Certification Exams

• In 2004 the Global Professional in Human
  Resources (GPHR) exam was introduced for those
  with cross-border and international HR
  responsibilities. It is a young but growing
  program with 800-plus individuals who have
  successfully passed.
• In 2007, the PHR-CA and SPHR-CA exam was
  introduced, as a supplemental certification for
  those with HR responsibilities in CA.

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Additional Certification Exams

• These exams each have a separate Body of
  Knowledge obtained through Practice Analyses, but
  they follow the same format as the PHR/SPHR
• More information can be found on the HRCI Web
  site
• www.hrci.org

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Examination Pass Rates History

• DATE PHR SPHR GPHR
• 12/05-01/06 64 56 69
• 05/06-06/06 64 58 70
• 12/06-01/07 63 55 56
• 05/07-06/07 61 58 53
• California April June 2007 71
• Updated every window period at
  http//www.hrci.org/Certification/STAT/

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Statistical Picture

• More than 89,000 certified
• 55 are SHRM members
• 210,000-plus total SHRM members
• 56 of certificants are PHR- certified
• 44 of certificants SPHR-certified
• 826 GPHRs (first offered in 2004)
• 25,500 registered test takers in 2006

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Now that we know what to write about, who writes
the items?

• HRCI hosts two 18 member PHR and SPHR item
  writing panels, an eastern regional panel and a
  western regional panel. There are also single
  GPHR and California item writing panels.
• Panel members are trained in item development and
  coached in writing consistent and high quality
  items for the exams, as well as in performing
  peer review of items.
• PHR and SPHR item writing panels meet twice per
  year for two days each and panel members are
  expected to write 25 questions (items) between
  meetings. The GPHR and California panels meet
  once annually.

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Item Writing Panels

• Candidates must be certified at the senior level
  for their exam, sign a confidentiality agreement
  and agree not to teach certification preparation
  courses for the duration of their term and for
  two years following.
• Panel members are selected to achieve a balance
  of expertise reflective of the test
  specifications as well as gender, cultural,
  racial and geographic diversity. The majority of
  panelists are HR practioners, but some are HR
  educators or consultants.

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Item Generation

• The backbone of any certification is the quality
  of its item (or question) bank. HRCI is indebted
  to the volunteer item writers -- HR professionals
  -- who are trained to write these items,
  particularly as we work to increase the depth of
  PHR/SPHR item banks to accommodate computer-based
  testing and build up the GPHR and California
  specialty exam item banks.

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What types of review processes are in place?

• Item Review panels review items written by
  members of the item writing panels for accuracy,
  consistency, format and overall appropriateness
  for the PHR/SPHR, GPHR and California specialty
  examinations.
• Each panel member attends a minimum of two panel
  meetings per year for two days each to review
  items, coach and mentor new writers.

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Item Review Panels

• Candidates must be certified at the senior level,
  have previous successful experience as an item
  writer, have excellent interpersonal skills, sign
  a confidentiality agreement, and agree not to
  teach a certification preparation course for the
  duration of their term and for two years
  following.
• Panel members are selected to achieve a balance
  of expertise reflective of the test
  specifications as well as gender, cultural,
  racial and geographic diversity.

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Pre-Testing Items

• Once the item-review panel approves an item, it
  is eligible to be pre-tested to ensure it meets
  the statistical criteria to establish its
  reliability and link to the established test
  specifications.
• PHR and SPHR exam candidates answer 225
  questions when they take their exams, only 200 of
  which are scored. GPHR candidates answer 165
  questions, only 150 of which are scored, and
  California specialty candidates answer 125, of
  which only 100 are scored.
• This is because 25 items on every PHR and SPHR
  exam and California specialty exam form, and 15
  items on every GPHR exam form are pre-test or
  pilot items and not counted toward a candidate's
  final score.

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Pre-Testing Items

• Pre-testing items is critical for continuous
  additions to the item banks and ensures continued
  growth. A testament to the hard work done by the
  volunteers on the item-writing and item
  review-panels approximately 70 percent of the
  items that make it through those panels are found
  to be statistically valid in the pre-test phase
  and are entered into the item bank as a new test
  question. Those that aren't, however, go back to
  the item review panel or are thrown out
  altogether.

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Exam Forms Review Panel (Third-Level Review)

• Exam review panels (one for each exam type)
  review and approves all exam forms before the
  examinations are administered.
• These panels meet twice a year for two days each.
  Candidates must be certified at the senior level,
  have previous successful experience as a writer
  or item reviewer, sign a confidentiality
  agreement and agree not to engage in test
  preparation activities, and be well versed in
  several functional areas of the field.
• The GPHR exam forms review panel is comprised of
  experts with multinational HR expertise, and the
  California review panel has California-specific
  expertise.

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Exam Forms Review Panels

• To ensure that exam forms reflect the published
  HR body of knowledge (or test specifications) and
  conform to the established criteria in terms of
  the percent that each functional area is
  represented, and that all information remains
  current (due to regulatory changes), all exam
  forms are reviewed before each test
  administration by an exam review panel.
• Multiple exam forms are administered during each
  testing window due to CBT.

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Process Review
1. Body of Knowledge
2. Item Writing
3. Item Review
4. Item Pre-Testing
5. Exam Forms Review
6. Certification Exam
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How to Volunteer? Apply Online!

• Certification Verification to Potential Employers
  
• Employer Notification Request
• Register for Exam
• Request Handbook
• Apply to be a Volunteer
• Update Profile and Contact Information
• Change Password
• Logout EDIT  

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Interested in volunteering?

• If you would like to contribute to the
  development of the HR profession by becoming an
  Item Writer, but have additional questions,
  please contact
• Linda Anguish, SPHR, GPHR
• HR Content Manager
• languish_at_hrci.org

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Need more information?

• Check the HRCI Web site
• www.hrci.org
• under the Certification tab
• How Exams are Developed
• You will also find the Certification Handbook,
  Recertification Handbook, and lots of other
  information available to you online.

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For other questions

• on certification or recertification, send an
  email to
• info_at_hrci.org
• OR
• call between 830 AM 500 PM EST
• [phone]

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Any Questions? Thank you!