aPHR Associate Professional in Human Resources MCQ 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The FLSA classifies employees as exempt from overtime requirements if they meet tests related to salary level, salary basis, and:
- Years of service
- Job duties (Correct answer)
- Industry classification
- Unionization status
Correct answer: Job duties
The FLSA three-part exemption test requires meeting the salary level ($684/week), salary basis, and duties tests — all three must be satisfied for exemption.
Question 2: A company's practice of posting all open positions internally before recruiting externally is an example of which staffing strategy?
- Succession planning
- Job posting policy
- Promote-from-within strategy (Correct answer)
- Workforce planning
Correct answer: Promote-from-within strategy
A promote-from-within strategy prioritizes internal candidates for open roles, boosting morale and retention while leveraging existing organizational knowledge.
Question 3: Under Title VII, which defense allows an employer to discriminate based on religion, sex, or national origin when it is essential to normal business operations?
- Business necessity
- Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) (Correct answer)
- Disparate impact defense
- Mixed-motive defense
Correct answer: Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)
BFOQ is a narrow defense allowing employers to use otherwise-prohibited characteristics when essential to performing the job, such as hiring actors of a specific gender for certain roles.
Question 4: Which training method involves employees learning by performing tasks under the guidance of an experienced colleague in the actual work environment?
- Simulation training
- E-learning
- On-the-job training (OJT) (Correct answer)
- Classroom instruction
Correct answer: On-the-job training (OJT)
On-the-job training places employees in real work situations to learn by doing, guided by a mentor or experienced coworker, making learning immediately applicable.
Question 5: An organization's total compensation package that includes wages, benefits, work-life programs, and recognition is referred to as:
- Compensation philosophy
- Total rewards (Correct answer)
- Pay equity strategy
- Employee value proposition
Correct answer: Total rewards
Total rewards encompasses all financial and non-financial elements an employer offers, including base pay, incentives, benefits, development opportunities, and work environment.
Question 6: When an employer terminates an employee and the employee claims it was retaliation for filing an EEOC complaint, the burden of proof framework used is:
- Per se liability standard
- McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework (Correct answer)
- Respondeat superior doctrine
- Strict liability test
Correct answer: McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework
The McDonnell Douglas framework is used in discrimination and retaliation cases, requiring the employee to establish a prima facie case before the burden shifts to the employer.
Question 7: Which HR function is responsible for ensuring that job titles, pay grades, and compensation structures remain internally equitable and externally competitive?
- Recruitment and staffing
- Compensation and benefits (Correct answer)
- Employee relations
- Training and development
Correct answer: Compensation and benefits
Compensation and benefits HR professionals conduct job evaluations, market pricing, and pay equity analyses to maintain fair and competitive pay structures.
aPHR Associate Professional in Human Resources MCQ 3
The FLSA classifies employees as exempt from overtime requirements if they meet tests related to salary level, salary basis, and: