20 free SHRM-SCP practice questions

Correct answer: B · Advise the CEO on the policy and risks, then commission an independent investigation

Reports that an executive pressured staff to book sales early raise both misconduct and financial-reporting concerns, and the policy requires an investigation. The 2026 SHRM BASK names driving an ethical organizational environment as a key part of the Leadership cluster, which includes Ethical Practice; at the senior level, that means advising the CEO candidly and making sure the process works even when the subject is powerful. Because the executive is senior and reports to the CEO, an independent investigator, such as outside counsel, protects objectivity, and governance policies often require informing the board or audit committee. A quiet talk ignores the policy and leaves the company exposed if the conduct continues. Demanding signed statements first discourages reporting. Waiting for the quarter to close lets any misstatement continue.

Look for this next time: When a senior leader is accused of misconduct, follow policy and protect objectivity, often with an independent investigator, even under pressure.

Correct answer: C · Require validation and adverse-impact evidence, then pilot it with human review

The 2026 SHRM BASK added AI throughout, including policies on AI use, transparency, fairness, and data privacy, and awareness of bias in AI inputs and outputs. A ranking tool is a selection procedure. Under the U.S. Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (29 CFR 1607.4), each user of a selection procedure should keep records showing its impact by race, sex, and ethnic group, so buying the tool from a vendor does not remove the employer's duty to check it. Requiring validation and adverse-impact evidence, then piloting with human review and ongoing monitoring of selection rates, serves the COO's speed goal without blind risk. Banning all AI ignores tools that can be validated. Transfers and promotions are employment decisions covered by the same laws.

Look for this next time: Treat AI screening as a selection procedure: require validation and adverse-impact evidence, pilot it, and monitor results before scaling.

Correct answer: A · Fund targeted adjustments now and fix the pay practices that produced the gaps

The 2026 SHRM BASK lists pay audits and pay equity reports among the techniques to measure and increase equity under Inclusive Mindset. Once a well-controlled analysis finds unexplained gaps, the strategic and ethical response is to fund targeted adjustments promptly and fix the causes, such as starting-pay or promotion practices, so the gaps do not return. Delaying a known problem adds legal exposure under U.S. laws such as the Equal Pay Act and Title VII and erodes trust if the findings surface. Folding the gaps into merit increases can take years and may never close them. Releasing the raw analysis exposes individual pay data and, because it was prepared with counsel, can waive legal privilege. Adding variables until the gaps vanish risks controlling away the very practices causing them.

Look for this next time: When a sound pay equity analysis finds unexplained gaps, fund corrections promptly and fix the practices that created them.

Correct answer: D · Equity theory, because they compare their outcomes and inputs with others'

Equity theory, one of the motivation theories listed among the Leadership & Navigation key concepts in the 2026 SHRM BASK, says people compare the ratio of their outcomes, such as pay, to their inputs, such as experience and effort, with the same ratio for others. When tenured engineers see newer colleagues with less experience earning more, they perceive inequity, and engagement drops even though their own pay did not change. This is pay compression, and fixing it means reviewing the pay structure, not only starting rates. Herzberg classed pay as a hygiene factor, not a motivator, so that option misstates the theory. Nothing suggests the link between effort and performance changed. Goal-setting theory concerns how specific, challenging goals direct effort.

Look for this next time: Equity theory explains reactions to pay compression: people compare their outcome-to-input ratio with others', not just their own pay.

Correct answer: C · Propose interest-based bargaining built around shared goals such as job security

Interest-based bargaining, one of the negotiation approaches the 2026 SHRM BASK lists under Relationship Management, focuses on each side's underlying interests rather than fixed positions. It suits a relationship damaged by adversarial rounds when both sides share goals such as staffing stability and job security, because joint problem-solving on automation, training, and staffing can produce options that trading positions would not. A low opening offer is a positional tactic that confirms the union's distrust. Running out the clock raises the risk of another strike. In the United States, dealing directly with represented employees over terms of employment, bypassing their union, can be an unfair labor practice under the National Labor Relations Act.

Look for this next time: When both sides share key interests and trust is low, interest-based bargaining can build agreements that positional tactics would not.

Correct answer: A · Tell affected staff in person first, then announce companywide that day with FAQs

Communication planning, a key concept of Communication in the 2026 SHRM BASK, matters most when news is personal and rumors are spreading. Affected employees should hear first, in person, from their leaders with HR present, followed the same day by a companywide announcement, FAQs, and information on transfers, severance, and support such as an employee assistance program. Giving managers consistent talking points keeps messages accurate. A companywide email first means affected employees learn about their jobs from a mass message. Waiting for every detail lets rumors fill the gap; leaders can share what is known and when the rest will follow. Leaving timing to each manager produces inconsistent messages and leaks. In the United States, also check whether federal WARN or state notice rules apply.

Look for this next time: For restructuring news, tell affected employees first and in person, then communicate broadly and consistently the same day.

Correct answer: D · Learn the CFO's priorities and tie the proposal to measurable business results

Relationship Management in the 2026 SHRM BASK includes relationship building and trust-building techniques, and its proficiency indicators include understanding the interests of executives and leaders. Learning what the CFO is accountable for, such as margin, risk, or growth targets, lets you frame leadership development in those terms, with costs, expected outcomes, and the measures you will report, and it builds a working relationship for later decisions. Going over the CFO's head may win one decision but damages trust with a key partner. More program detail answers a question the CFO is not asking. Quietly cutting other services to fund the program sidesteps governance and weakens HR's credibility.

Look for this next time: Win executive support by understanding their priorities and linking HR proposals to measurable business results.

Correct answer: A · Create a sense of urgency about the change

Kotter's 8-step change model, one of the change management models the 2026 SHRM BASK lists under Consultation, begins with creating a sense of urgency: helping leaders see, with evidence such as market shifts, customer data, or competitive threats, why the change matters now. Without it, the later steps stall, which is the risk here because executives see acceptable results. Forming a guiding coalition is the second step and works best once leaders accept the need for change. Generating short-term wins comes later, during implementation, and anchoring new approaches in the culture is the final step. Skipping urgency is a common reason change efforts lose support.

Look for this next time: Kotter's model starts by creating urgency; coalition building, short-term wins, and anchoring in culture come later.

Correct answer: C · Compare each city's talent supply, pay levels, competition, and labor laws

Business Acumen in the 2026 SHRM BASK includes business and competitive awareness and strategic alignment; at the senior level, HR should shape decisions like this one, not just execute them. For a 400-person technology center, the supply of skilled workers, local pay levels, competition from other employers, and local employment laws can outweigh differences in rent, so a comparison of both cities gives executives the full cost and risk picture. Waiting until the site is chosen leaves HR to cope with a decision that may make hiring very hard. Choosing the lowest average salaries ignores whether the needed skills exist there. Employee preferences matter for relocation, but most of the center will be staffed by new hires.

Look for this next time: Senior HR leaders shape location and growth decisions with labor market data on talent supply, pay, competition, and regulation.

Correct answer: B · Investigate the promotion process in those departments and target fixes there

Analytical Aptitude in the 2026 SHRM BASK includes data analysis and evidence-based decision-making, which here means acting on what the segmented data show. The companywide rate hides a concentrated problem: high performers in their second year are leaving at more than twice the overall rate (31% against 14%) in three departments that share a promotion process. Stay interviews, exit data, and a review of promotion timing and criteria there can confirm the cause, and a targeted fix such as clearer promotion paths addresses it at far lower cost than a raise for everyone. A general raise spends heavily without touching the likely driver. Calling 14% normal ignores the loss of high performers. A new companywide survey delays action on a problem the data already locate.

Look for this next time: Segment turnover data to find where and why valued employees leave, then target fixes instead of acting on overall averages.

Correct answer: D · A lead-lag policy

The 2026 SHRM BASK lists lead, lag, match, and lead-lag among compensation philosophies under Total Rewards. Market rates keep rising during the year while the company adjusts pay only once, so pay set to the market rate projected for mid-year runs ahead of the market for the first half of the plan year and behind it for the second, which is a lead-lag policy. A lead policy keeps pay above market for the whole year, which costs more and is used where talent is scarce. A lag policy keeps pay below market, often offset by other rewards. A match policy aims to keep pay level with the market rather than deliberately ahead of it and then behind it.

Look for this next time: A lead-lag policy sets pay at the market rate expected mid-year, leading the market early and trailing it late.

Correct answer: D · A threat, because it is an external factor that could harm the company

SWOT analysis, one of the strategic planning frameworks the 2026 SHRM BASK lists under HR Strategy, separates internal factors, strengths and weaknesses, from external ones, opportunities and threats. A competitor's new facility is outside the company's control, and its recruiting for the same technicians could raise turnover and pay pressure, so it is a threat. An internal shortcoming it exposes, such as below-market pay, would be listed separately as a weakness. Calling it a strength confuses an external event with an internal capability. A larger local labor market might create some opportunity, but the factor as described is a competitive risk. Naming it early lets HR plan responses such as retention measures and a pay review.

Look for this next time: In SWOT, strengths and weaknesses are internal; opportunities and threats are external factors the organization does not control.

Correct answer: B · Evidence of adverse impact: 30% is 75% of the 40% rate, below four-fifths

The four-fifths rule in 29 CFR 1607.4(D) compares each group's selection rate with the rate of the group with the highest rate. The male pass rate is 120 ÷ 300 = 40%, and the female pass rate is 54 ÷ 180 = 30%. The impact ratio is 30% ÷ 40% = 0.75, which is less than 0.80, a result the Uniform Guidelines say federal enforcement agencies will generally regard as evidence of adverse impact. A 10-point gap or a rate above some fixed floor does not settle the question; the ratio does. The number of applicants in each group is not the test, because the rule compares rates, not counts. The guidelines also note that statistical and practical significance matter, so the next step is to review the assessment's job-relatedness and validity and look for less discriminatory alternatives.

Look for this next time: Divide each group's selection rate by the highest group's rate; a ratio below 0.80 generally signals adverse impact.

Correct answer: A · About 70% on-the-job experience, 20% learning from others, 10% formal training

The 70-20-10 model, listed among adult learning theories in the 2026 SHRM BASK, holds that leaders develop mostly through challenging on-the-job experiences such as stretch assignments (about 70%), then through learning from others such as coaching, mentoring, and feedback (about 20%), and least through formal courses (about 10%). For a leadership program, that means building development around real assignments, supported by coaching and a smaller formal curriculum. The other options rearrange the shares and put formal, online, or classroom training at the center, which the model treats as the smallest source of development. The ratios are a rule of thumb rather than a precise formula, but the emphasis on experience is the model's core idea.

Look for this next time: The 70-20-10 model puts experience first: about 70% from on-the-job challenges, 20% from others, and 10% from formal training.

Correct answer: C · Borrow: bring in contractors or consultants for the project

Workforce planning often weighs building skills internally, buying them through permanent hires, borrowing them through contractors, consultants, or partners, and bridging people into new roles; the 2026 SHRM BASK lists these strategies under Workforce Management. The need here is specialized, time-limited, and urgent, so borrowing fits: contractors or consultants bring the skills now and leave when the migration ends, ideally after transferring knowledge to permanent staff. Building takes time the project does not have. Buying adds permanent headcount for skills that will not be needed after 18 months, which creates later costs or layoffs. Moving existing staff into the roles still requires skills they do not have and leaves gaps behind them.

Look for this next time: Borrow talent through contractors or consultants when a skill need is urgent, specialized, and temporary.

Correct answer: B · Strategy, structure, and systems

The McKinsey 7S model, which the 2026 SHRM BASK lists under Organizational Effectiveness & Development and Consultation, describes seven interdependent elements. The hard elements are strategy, structure, and systems, which leaders can define and change fairly directly through plans, organization charts, and processes. The soft elements are shared values, style, staff, and skills, which are harder to see and change but often decide whether an integration succeeds. A merger that redraws structure and systems while ignoring culture, leadership style, and skills often stalls, which is why the model stresses aligning all seven. The other options mix soft elements, such as style, staff, skills, or shared values, into the hard group.

Look for this next time: In the McKinsey 7S model, strategy, structure, and systems are hard elements; shared values, style, staff, and skills are soft.

Correct answer: A · Role-based access that gives each user only the data their role requires

Data and information management, including confidentiality, security, and personal data protection, is a key concept of Technology Management in the 2026 SHRM BASK. Role-based, least-privilege access assigns permissions by job role, so a manager sees their own team's data but not other teams' salaries or any employee's medical information, and every access is tied to an individual account that can be audited. Shared logins destroy accountability, because no one can tell who viewed or changed a record. Full access backed only by a policy exposes sensitive data to people with no need for it. Exporting data to managers spreads copies outside the system's controls, which increases the risk of a breach.

Look for this next time: Protect HR data with role-based, least-privilege access tied to individual accounts, not shared logins or broad access.

Correct answer: B · A lockout

The 2026 SHRM BASK lists strikes, lockouts, and boycotts under Employee & Labor Relations. A lockout is an employer action: it withholds work from employees during a labor dispute to pressure the union to accept the employer's terms. A strike is the reverse, employees collectively withholding their labor. A boycott is a refusal, usually by a union and its supporters, to buy or handle a company's products. A slowdown is a deliberate reduction in work pace by employees who stay on the job. In the United States, whether a lockout is lawful depends on its purpose and timing under federal labor law, so a plan that includes one is built with labor counsel and with contingencies for operations and customers.

Look for this next time: A lockout is an employer withholding work during a labor dispute; a strike is employees withholding their labor.

Correct answer: D · Balance sheet: home-country pay plus allowances for cost differences

The balance sheet approach keeps an assignee's home-country pay as the base and adds allowances, for example for higher housing and living costs, often with tax equalization, so purchasing power matches what the employee would have at home. It is designed for assignees expected to return home after a fixed term, which fits a three-year assignment. Localization moves the employee onto host-country pay and suits permanent transfers or long stays. A lump sum is simpler but shifts cost risk to the employee and can leave them better or worse off. Home pay with no adjustment would cut the engineer's real income in a higher-cost city. The 2026 SHRM BASK lists compensation adjustments among best practices for international assignments.

Look for this next time: The balance sheet approach preserves home-country purchasing power with allowances, suiting assignees who will return home.

Correct answer: C · At least 60 days' written notice to employees, the state, and local officials

The U.S. Department of Labor explains that the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act covers employers with 100 or more employees, generally not counting part-time workers, and requires at least 60 calendar days' advance written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site. Notice also goes to employees' representatives, the state dislocated worker unit, and the local chief elected official. Closing a site and ending 140 jobs at a 900-employee company qualifies. Offering severance does not remove the duty to give notice. Thirty days is too short, and federal WARN notice is not filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Some states have their own laws with longer notice periods or lower thresholds, so check state rules too.

Look for this next time: Federal WARN requires 60 days' written notice of covered closings and layoffs to employees, the state, and local government; check state laws too.