This is a blog post about how I passed my certification examination through self-study. Since I am an HR professional, I attempted the examination conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The content in the link at the end of the page leads you to the Linkedin article that I published, and it talks in detail about SHRM certification examination.

However, the tips remain the same for any examination that you are planning to appear for.

Don’t go through life, grow through life.

– Eric Butterworth

Some Tips For Certification Examination Preparation

1. Identifying the motivating factor: From time to time I challenge myself into doing something new. When I started blogging, when I wrote one story a day for a month (Raining Stories), when I took up running, etc the idea of completing the challenge motivated me to do it. For me, the motivation comes from the determination to prove to myself that I can do it. I started a journey and totally committed myself to see the finish line. Identifying that motivating factor is important when we sign up for any examination.
   Some people do it for advancement in career, some for a better paycheck, and some for all of the above.
2. Focused Time Commitment: Working backward from the date of examination, I calculated the daily time commitment required for me to put in 160 hours of study. I needed a 2 weeks buffer for taking tests, revision, etc. The calculation showed 4 hours of daily study and I committed myself to it.
3. A Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and Realistic Time table: My exam was scheduled for February 9. I wanted to cover the entire learning material by January, 31, so I could revise the books, read up extra materials and take the mock tests, practice tests, etc. after that. So I set up a timetable based on the calculated time commitment and all the other parameters just mentioned.
4. Identifying Learning Methodology: Identifying your best learning methodology is important. Identifying what works for you early, and incorporating it into your learning will save time. It could be watching videos, paraphrasing the content, retrieval practice, etc. If simply reading a book doesn’t work for you, there is no point wasting time doing it. That time can be wisely spent on researching for videos or podcasts that you can use to learn.
5. Practice Questions: I attempted to answer as many questions as possible. In addition to the Learning Management System of SHRM, I had access to a couple of SHRM question banks. This really helped me stay calm when I went in for the examination.

To Conclude..

Each activity we take up is a project, which when well managed will deliver the desired result. With hard work, commitment, and a structured plan in place, we can crack every exam that we challenge ourselves to take up.

If you are gearing up for any examination, I wish you all the best!

The link to the article published on Linkedin – How I passed my SHRM Certification Examination Through Self Study.

If you are attempting the SHRM certification examination and have any questions regarding it, I will be happy to help or at least try to guide you to the right resource.

Image by Mahua Sarkar from Pixabay

Please follow and like us: