PrepSolution

Become PHR Certified

Adaptive prep mapped to the HRCI 2024 ECO — heavy on Employee & Labor Relations and the federal-law fluency PHR scoring rewards.

One-time payment · No subscription

Pass with confidence — hand-drawn illustration
Aligned to HRCI 2024 ECO
1,700+
Questions
3
Mock Exams
600+
Flashcards
PHR
Expert reviewed
The PHR Complete System

One exam, four ways we teach it

Four formats, one HRCI 2024 outline. Pick the one that fits the workday you just had — they reinforce each other on purpose.

The Adaptive QBank: a PHR federal-law question with the correct answer confirmed in green, a missed pick flagged in red, and a link to the coded explanation

The Adaptive QBank

Practice that adapts to you

Scenario questions that read like your inbox — the bank quietly sends more of whatever you keep missing.

1,700+ exam-style questions · 1 in 2 answers get a diagram · 3 timed mock exams

See every feature

PHR Explained

Animated video course

Twenty-six animated lessons across eight modules — every rule a decision-tree or timeline, not a definition.

26 animated lessons · 8 modules · 3.2 hours of video

See the course
PHR Explained on a tablet: the exam drawn as six functional-area tiles — employee relations, compliance, total rewards, engagement, business management, and learning & development

HRCI Essentials

The visual study guide, digital

Every HRCI framework drawn, not described — the laws, the numbers, and each credential’s scope clearly marked.

460+ pages · 280+ diagram plates · 3 credentials, one guide

Look inside the book
HRCI Essentials visual field guide across aPHR, PHR, and SPHR, the cover surrounded by real illustrated pages
The Rapid Recall Deck: an HR flashcard over Again, Good, and Easy review buttons, beside the flashcard analytics donut and due decks

The Rapid Recall Deck

HR flashcards

The thresholds, agencies, and case-law rules that have to be automatic on exam day.

600+ HR cards · 7 functional areas

Flip a card

Everything above ships together in The PHR Complete System — one payment, from $89.99.

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Video course

PHR Explained

Twenty-six animated lessons across eight modules — every high-yield PHR pattern turned into a scene you watch and hear. Each rule is a decision-tree or timeline, not a definition to memorize.

26animated lessons8modules3.2hours of video

Drawn in the same visual hand as HRCI Essentials — the law spine you watch is the same one you annotate in the book.

PHR Explained on a tablet: the exam drawn as six functional-area tiles — employee relations, compliance, total rewards, engagement, business management, and learning & development
  • What's inside
  • Exam traps, named
  • Illustrated scenes
  • See the law work
  • Watch anywhere
  • The numbers that matter
  • One connected journey

Tap any page to read it full size

HRCI Essentials visual field guide, taught in pictures: the book cover surrounded by real illustrated pages on the credential ladder, compa-ratio math, and the four-fifths rule
The book

HRCI Essentials

One visual guide across aPHR, PHR, and SPHR — plain-language theory, every framework drawn instead of described, and each credential’s scope clearly marked on the page.

460+pages280+diagram plates3credentials, one guide

Included with every Complete Pass System plan — read it on any device, no extra cost.

See the book series
  • What's inside
  • Three credentials
  • Frameworks, drawn out
  • Rules made simple
  • Exam callouts
  • Memory hooks

Tap any page to read it full size

PHR®, SPHR®, and aPHR® are registered trademarks of the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). This independent study resource is not endorsed by or affiliated with HRCI.

The Adaptive QBank

Practice that studies you back

Every session feeds the engine — it learns what you miss and rebuilds your next session around it.

Answer questions and the bank quietly rebalances — your weakest functional areas get more reps, automatically, after every single session.

How adaptive practice works
The practice picker with Adaptive Practice recommended, above strengths and needs-work panels with per-functional-area accuracy bars

Daily quizzes, assigned practice sets, and a streak that keeps you honest between workdays.

Assignments with due dates beside the streak card: a five-day flame streak and a week row of study days

Three full 115-question timed mocks with a question palette, flagging, and inline comparison tables — the same rhythm as test day.

A timed PHR mock exam with countdown clock, question palette, and flag-for-review controls

One readiness score, a week-by-week trend, and per-functional-area accuracy — so "am I ready?" stops being a feeling.

The analytics dashboard: accuracy versus cohort trend, an accuracy-by-functional-area radar, and strongest and weakest subjects

Highlight inside any explanation and save it as a note. Every note stays linked to the question it came from.

The built-in notebook: a saved note on federal coverage thresholds, highlighted text, and a link back to its question
Detailed rationales

Wrong answers turn into cheat sheets

Miss a question and the explanation comes back as a color-coded table — the law, the threshold, and the trap side by side. Far easier to remember than a paragraph.

coded teaching diagrams
950+
comparison tables
800+
mocks with inline tables
3
  • Side-by-side comparisons
    Coded comparison table from a PHR explanation: PUMP Act lactation space requirements — what the FLSA requires versus what it does not, with the non-bathroom rule called out
  • Process flows, in order
    Coded process flow from a PHR explanation: the four-step benefits program implementation sequence, from program design to plan document to system configuration to rollout
  • Thresholds, at a glance
    Coded reference table from a PHR explanation: key HR numerical thresholds — 15 employees for Title VII and ADA coverage, 30 hours for ACA full-time status, 40 hours before FLSA overtime, 50 employees for ALE status

Counted from the live bank: 54 percent of QBank questions carry a coded teaching diagram, with 838 comparison tables across the package — including the inline tables inside the three mock exams.

Flashcards

600+ flashcards, zero filler

The thresholds, agencies, and one-line differentiators that have to be automatic on exam day — tagged by functional area.

  • Labor Relations

    Title VII Employer Threshold

    15+ employees for 20+ weeks in the current or prior year. Adjacent cutoffs: 20 for ADEA, 50 for FMLA.

  • Labor Relations

    NLRB ULP Charge Filing Window

    6 months from the alleged unfair labor practice. Compare: 180 days EEOC default, 300 in deferral states.

  • Labor Relations

    ADR Methods

    Open door, peer review, mediation, arbitration — informal internal talks escalating to binding third-party decisions.

  • Engagement

    Stay Interview

    A proactive talk asking top performers why they stay — retention feedback gathered before anyone decides to resign.

  • Engagement

    Flight Risk Matrix

    Plots probability of departure against impact of loss. Aim stay interviews at the high-risk, high-impact quadrant.

  • Engagement

    360-Degree Feedback

    Anonymous input from manager, peers, subordinates, and customers. Best used for development — not pay or promotion.

  • Talent Acquisition

    Economic Realities Test

    The DOL’s employee-versus-contractor test under the FLSA: economically dependent on the employer, or in business for themselves?

  • Talent Acquisition

    IRCA

    No hiring unauthorized workers. I-9 Section 1 by day one; the employer completes Section 2 within 3 business days.

  • Talent Acquisition

    ADA Conditional Job Offers

    No medical exams or disability questions until after a conditional offer, for employers with 15 or more employees.

  • Total Rewards

    HIPAA Special Enrollment Period

    30 days to enroll after marriage, birth, adoption, or loss of coverage — 60 days for Medicaid or CHIP events.

  • Total Rewards

    FLSA Workweek

    A fixed, recurring 168 hours — seven 24-hour periods. Define it strictly on compressed schedules to avoid surprise overtime.

  • Total Rewards

    PBGC

    Federal agency insuring private defined-benefit pensions — pays participant benefits up to a legal cap if an employer goes bankrupt.

  • Business Management

    Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

    Public companies need internal financial controls and an officer ethics code — and financial-fraud whistleblowers are protected from retaliation.

  • Business Management

    Compliance vs. Ethics

    Compliance meets legal requirements; ethics follows core values even where no law applies. Allowable versus right.

  • L&D

    70-20-10 Model

    70 percent experiential learning on the job, 20 percent social coaching, 10 percent formal instruction.

  • HR Information

    EEO-1 Private Employer Threshold

    100+ employees for private employers; federal contractors report at 50. Annual demographic report to the EEOC.

Sixteen cards from the live deck, lightly compressed to fit the card face. Every card in the product carries the full detail.

In their words

What candidates tell us

Passed PHR on my first attempt. The 1,700 questions with rationales taught me the WHY behind every law, not just the answer. The Employee & Labor Relations practice alone was worth the price.
Marcus T.PHR
Federal law was my nightmare going in. The drawn-out decision trees made FMLA and FLSA finally click — I could see the rule work instead of rereading it for the tenth time.
Keisha B.PHR · HR Coordinator
Honestly, half of what I learned came from the wrong answers. Every option gets explained, so even a bad guess turned into something I remembered on exam day.
Tom G.PHR · First attempt

Choose your plan

One-time payment, no subscription. The Pass Guarantee rides on every Complete Pass System plan.

Most popular

How long do you need?

$25.00/month of access

$149.99 total · one-time payment · no subscription

Total value $616+

Pass Guarantee included

Everything inside

  • Everything in 3 month plan
  • Extra 3 months of buffer time
  • The Weak Spot Detector tracks gaps
  • Priority Email Support
  • Best fit for most candidates

Starter

Last minute

1 month of access

$39.99one-time
  • The Adaptive QBank, 1,700+ questions
  • Rapid Recall flashcards, 200+ cards
  • Study Notes on 7 functional areas
  • The Exam Mirror, 1 timed mock exam
  • Best for a focused, last-minute review
Pass guaranteeSecure checkoutInstant access
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Employer paying? Copy the approval email

Starter and Complete, line by line

Feature comparison between the Starter plan and the Complete Pass System
What you getStarterComplete
Access duration1 month3, 6, or 12 months
Adaptive QBankIncludedIncluded
Study NotesIncludedIncluded
HRCI Law MapNot includedIncluded
Timed mock exams13
Flashcards200+600+
PHR Explained video courseNot includedIncluded
Study calendarNot includedIncluded
Performance analyticsIncludedIncluded
Priority email supportNot includedIncluded
Pass guaranteeNot includedIncluded

The HRCI Learning System charges $895. We include more practice and guarantee you’ll pass.

What our PHR prep covers

Every question aligned to the HRCI 2024 ECO blueprint — so you study exactly what the exam tests.

7

Content Areas

Employee & Labor Relations

20%

Federal labor law, investigations, discipline, NLRA

Employee Engagement

17%

Retention, performance management, recognition

Total Rewards

15%

FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, ACA, benefits administration

Business Management

14%

HR strategy, ethics, metrics, risk

Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition

14%

Federal hiring law, sourcing, selection, USERRA, IRCA

Learning & Development

10%

Needs analysis, ADDIE, evaluation, copyright

HR Information Management

10%

HRIS, data governance, privacy, recordkeeping

What the PHR is worth

HRCI publishes no salary research of its own, so these are the US government’s figures for the roles the PHR serves — operational HR today, management as the career compounds.

$75,940median annual pay, US human resources specialistsBLS OES, May 2025
$149,280median annual pay, US human resources managersBLS OES, May 2025
+5%projected growth for HR manager roles, 2024–2034 — faster than the average occupationBLS Occupational Outlook

Published figures from the cited sources — individual pay varies by market, role, and experience.

Try it free first

Not ready to buy? Study PHR free today.

3 printable PDFs · live practice quiz · 50 study-note topics · week-by-week study planone free unlock, no credit card.

See the free material
Free with every plan

Plan the weeks, watch the walkthroughs

The 12-week calendar

A week-by-week schedule mapped to the HRCI 2024 ECO blueprint — what to study, when to review, and when you are ready to sit.

View the study plan

PHR Question Practice, on us

Walk through real PHR-style questions step-by-step. See why each wrong option is a trap and exactly how the correct answer reads on test day.

Watch on YouTube

More walkthroughs on @PrepSolution

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about PHR prep.

About PHR prep

The HRCI-affiliated Learning System runs about $895 and centers on instructional reading. PrepSolution’s Complete Pass System is built around 1,700+ adaptive questions, 3 mock exams, 600+ flashcards, the HRCI Law Map, study calendars, and a pass guarantee for $249.99. We focus on practice volume, applied federal-law judgment, and the rationale-first explanations PHR candidates need to actually pass.

All content is aligned to the HRCI 2024 PHR Exam Content Outline — 7 functional areas: Business Management (14%), Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition (14%), Learning & Development (10%), Total Rewards (15%), Employee Engagement (17%), Employee & Labor Relations (20%), and HR Information Management (10%). If your study materials still reference the pre-2024 outline with 5 functional areas, they are outdated.

HRCI requires a minimum of 1 year of professional HR experience with a master’s degree, 2 years with a bachelor’s, or 4 years with a high school diploma. Eligibility is verified by HRCI when you apply — our prep platform supports candidates across all three pathways.

HRCI candidates typically need 80–120 hours over 10–14 weeks. Our 12-week calendar structures this into 60–90 minute daily sessions weighted toward Employee & Labor Relations (20%) and Employee Engagement (17%). The 8-week accelerated path is roughly 12–15 hours per week.

PHR (HRCI) leans heavier on U.S. federal employment law and the operational HR generalist role — strong fit for compliance-focused roles. SHRM-CP leans on behavioral competencies and Situational Judgment Items. Many HR pros take both over time. If your employer or job posting names one specifically, default to that. If neither is named and you handle day-to-day federal compliance, the PHR is usually the cleaner first credential.

PrepSolution for the PHR

The PHR Complete Pass System is built as a complete prep path: 1,700+ practice questions aligned to the HRCI 2024 ECO blueprint, each with a written rationale, plus 3 full-length mock exams. Every question is written and reviewed by credentialed professionals who hold the PHR, and Complete Pass System plans carry the pass guarantee: finish the study plan and mocks, and if you don’t pass, your access is extended free.

PHR prep starts at $39.99 one-time and runs up to $249.99 for the longest Complete Pass System plan. Every plan is a single payment for a fixed access length — no subscription and no auto-renewal — and current prices are always shown on this page’s pricing section.

Candidates usually weigh PrepSolution against HRCI Learning System, Pocket Prep, Mometrix. PrepSolution’s approach: every question is written by credentialed PHR holders, every answer includes a full rationale, plans are one-time payments rather than subscriptions, and the Complete Pass System includes the pass guarantee. When comparing, check question counts, which formats are included at each price, and access length.

About PrepSolution

You’ll receive an email with your login credentials within 5 minutes of purchase. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder or contact support@prepsolution.com.

No. Every plan is a one-time payment. You pay once and get access for the full length of the plan you choose — 3, 6, or 12 months. There are no recurring charges, no auto-renewals, and no hidden fees.

If you complete the study plan, take all three mock exams, and don’t pass, we extend your plan free for the same length you bought — a 3-month plan gets 3 more months, a 6-month plan gets 6, a 12-month plan gets 12. This guarantee is included exclusively with the Complete Pass System.

Yes. If you purchase and decide it’s not the right fit within 24 hours, contact support@prepsolution.com and we’ll process a full refund. No questions asked.

No. PrepSolution is an independent exam preparation company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by SHRM, PMI, AACN, or any certification body. Our content is developed based on publicly available exam blueprints and content outlines.

Many candidates come to PrepSolution after a failed first attempt. The most common reason for failure is approaching judgment-based questions with workplace instinct rather than a systematic framework. Start with a diagnostic mock exam to identify your weakest domains, then follow the targeted study plan.

Many employers cover professional development costs including exam prep materials. After purchase, you’ll receive a receipt that can be submitted for reimbursement. Contact support@prepsolution.com if you need a customized invoice.

PHR study materials

PHR Complete Pass System

QBank · Video course · Book · Flashcards · Pass guaranteed

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