SPHR Cheat Sheet 2026

The 27 highest-yield SPHR facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following describes a performance evaluation rating method? → Checklist
2. Which of the following forms of employer-union employee negotiation tactics is regarded to be illegal? → Sit-down strike
3. A CEO demands people analytics data following the recent adoption of a new human capital management platform. The HR manager should start with which action. → Ask business partners to identify key metrics that link business strategy to outcomes.
4. What characteristics define the transactional leadership model? → Rewarding high performance with tangible rewards
5. Which type of learning curve is most likely to be followed by an employee's performance on an assembly line? → Negatively accelerating
6. A senior HR manager discovers that leniency bias is widespread across the organization's performance ratings. The BEST corrective action is to: → Provide calibration training for managers and implement peer review of ratings
7. Which of the following BEST describes the primary role of a senior HR leader in the organizational strategic planning process? → To contribute expertise on human capital, aligning people strategy with business strategy.
8. Which metric BEST measures the effectiveness of a performance management system in differentiating high and low performers? → Distribution of performance ratings across rating categories
9. An organization shifts from annual performance reviews to continuous performance conversations. The PRIMARY benefit of this change is: → Providing timely feedback that enables faster performance correction
10. Which legal principle is most directly violated when a performance appraisal system produces disparate impact on a protected class? → Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
11. When calibrating performance ratings across departments, the PRIMARY goal is to: → Promote consistency and fairness in how ratings are applied across the organization
12. Which other factor should be the main one taken into account when deciding whether to outsource a company function? → Effect on employee morale
13. Which of the following represents a risk transference strategy in HR risk management? → Purchasing Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).
14. In a Management by Objectives (MBO) system, goals are most effective when they are set: → Collaboratively between manager and employee
15. A performance improvement plan (PIP) is BEST described as: → A structured plan to help an underperforming employee meet job expectations
16. When using a 360-degree feedback system, which group of raters is MOST important for assessing a senior HR leader's strategic influence? → Peers, direct reports, and senior leadership
17. Which of the following best describes how employees' understanding of how their job behavior affects their pay? → Line of sight
18. When designing a performance appraisal system, which of the following MOST ensures its legal defensibility? → Ensuring evaluations are based on job-related criteria derived from a job analysis
19. Which phase does the evidence-based decision-making (EBDM) process NOT include? → Consider the opinions of applicable subject matter experts (SMEs)
20. Which of the following is the English translation of the Latin term respondeat superior? → Let the master answer
21. In developing a comprehensive business continuity plan (BCP), what is HR's most critical strategic contribution? → Identifying essential functions and cross-training personnel for critical roles.
22. What was the WARN Act intended to accomplish? → Establish rights for employees who have been laid off
23. The balanced scorecard performance framework aligns employee goals along which four primary perspectives? → Financial, Customer, Internal Processes, Learning and Growth
24. Which type of performance appraisal error occurs when a rater allows one outstanding trait to positively influence ratings across all other dimensions? → Halo effect
25. How do organizations develop their vacation pay policies? → Vacation pay policies are established by each company
26. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) are most valued because they: → Tie performance ratings to specific observable behaviors
27. Which factors should be taken into account most carefully while creating leave plans? → Objectives and legal requirements