PSHRA CERTIFICATION EXAM PREP
2026/2027 WITH ACTUAL CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED DETAILED
ANSWERS |CURRENTLY TESTING
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS|ALREADY
GRADED A+|NEWEST |BRAND NEW
VERSION|JUST RELEASED!!
What are 'sunshine' laws?
are open meeting and records laws that reinforce transparency in public operations.
How does salary information access differ between private firms and public organizations?
In private firms, salary information is not publicly available and employees are discouraged from
discussing it, while in public organizations, salary data is considered public information.
Can citizens request salary information for public employees?
Yes, salary data for public employees can be obtained by any citizen upon request.
What is the rationale for merit selection according to Berman et al.?
Merit selection is justified for many public employees.
What do disciplinary procedures in merit systems protect?
They protect employees' due process rights.
How do disciplinary procedures affect managers' capabilities?
They inhibit managers' capability in removing unsatisfactory employees.
What is a major area of contention between HR staff and public managers?
Merit system requirements, usually set by law.
1|Page
,How are the salaries for most public officials set?
Salaries are generally set by statute or ordinance.
How can the salaries of public officials be increased?
Salaries can only be increased through an amendment to the statute or ordinance.
What effect does increasing a public official's salary often have?
It may spark a public outcry to contain costs.
The Pendleton Act
Established the institutional framework for federal human resource management.
Affirmative action
generally defined as actions taken to overcome barriers to equal employment opportunities and
to remedy the effects of past discrimination.
What is GeorgiaGain?
A comprehensive reform of Georgia's civil service system.
When did the biggest change of GeorgiaGain go into effect?
July 1, 1996
What change did GeorgiaGain implement for state employees hired after July 1, 1996?
They became at-will employees without merit system protection.
What methods were eliminated by GeorgiaGain in the hiring process?
Competitive testing and scientific methods to classify jobs.
What responsibility do state agencies have under GeorgiaGain?
Each agency is responsible for creating and administering its own HR system.
2|Page
,What was the name of the civil service reform plan announced by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in
2001?
Service First
What significant change did Service First propose regarding the employment status of 16,000
employees in Florida?
They would be removed from the career-service system and placed in appointed positions,
losing job protections.
How did Service First affect the ability of agency heads to fire workers?
It allowed agency heads to use 'sound discretion' in firing workers, weakening the just cause
standard.
What change did Service First propose regarding the Public Employee Relations Commission?
It proposed eliminating the independence of the Public Employee Relations Commission, which
heard disciplinary appeals.
What did Service First eliminate that affected senior employees during layoffs?
It eliminated bumping rights, which allowed senior employees to take the jobs of less-senior
employees if laid off.
What change did Service First introduce regarding employee bonuses?
It allowed agencies to award bonuses to workers for top performance instead of providing
across-the-board increases.
What is the TEAM Act in Tennessee?
is a law implemented in 2012 intended to create a personnel system similar to those in the
private sector.
What are the two distinct employee service groups created by the TEAM Act?
The two groups are Executive service and Preferred service.
3|Page
, Who is included in the Executive service under the TEAM Act?
is composed mainly of senior-level staff who remain as 'at will' employees.
What is included in the Preferred service under the TEAM Act?
includes what was previously known as the 'career service,' comprised of managers and front
line staff.
What streamlined process was established for the Preferred service under the TEAM Act?
appeals process for wrongful terminations was established.
What did the TEAM Act abolish regarding the hiring system?
The TEAM Act abolished the existing hiring system and replaced it with one that eliminated
ineffective tests.
What type of performance evaluation system was established by the TEAM Act?
A new performance evaluation system based on performance outcomes established for each
position was created.
What procedure was eliminated by the TEAM Act regarding longer-term employees?
eliminated procedures that allowed longer-term employees to bump less-senior staff from
similar positions.
What are some important activities in a centralized HR system?
Examples include recruitment, selection, classification and compensation, benefits, and labor
and employee relations.
Can HR processing activities be performed off-site in a centralized system?
Yes, there may be some HR processing activities performed off-site from the central HR hub.
What is a decentralized system in HR?
4|Page
2026/2027 WITH ACTUAL CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED DETAILED
ANSWERS |CURRENTLY TESTING
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS|ALREADY
GRADED A+|NEWEST |BRAND NEW
VERSION|JUST RELEASED!!
What are 'sunshine' laws?
are open meeting and records laws that reinforce transparency in public operations.
How does salary information access differ between private firms and public organizations?
In private firms, salary information is not publicly available and employees are discouraged from
discussing it, while in public organizations, salary data is considered public information.
Can citizens request salary information for public employees?
Yes, salary data for public employees can be obtained by any citizen upon request.
What is the rationale for merit selection according to Berman et al.?
Merit selection is justified for many public employees.
What do disciplinary procedures in merit systems protect?
They protect employees' due process rights.
How do disciplinary procedures affect managers' capabilities?
They inhibit managers' capability in removing unsatisfactory employees.
What is a major area of contention between HR staff and public managers?
Merit system requirements, usually set by law.
1|Page
,How are the salaries for most public officials set?
Salaries are generally set by statute or ordinance.
How can the salaries of public officials be increased?
Salaries can only be increased through an amendment to the statute or ordinance.
What effect does increasing a public official's salary often have?
It may spark a public outcry to contain costs.
The Pendleton Act
Established the institutional framework for federal human resource management.
Affirmative action
generally defined as actions taken to overcome barriers to equal employment opportunities and
to remedy the effects of past discrimination.
What is GeorgiaGain?
A comprehensive reform of Georgia's civil service system.
When did the biggest change of GeorgiaGain go into effect?
July 1, 1996
What change did GeorgiaGain implement for state employees hired after July 1, 1996?
They became at-will employees without merit system protection.
What methods were eliminated by GeorgiaGain in the hiring process?
Competitive testing and scientific methods to classify jobs.
What responsibility do state agencies have under GeorgiaGain?
Each agency is responsible for creating and administering its own HR system.
2|Page
,What was the name of the civil service reform plan announced by Florida Governor Jeb Bush in
2001?
Service First
What significant change did Service First propose regarding the employment status of 16,000
employees in Florida?
They would be removed from the career-service system and placed in appointed positions,
losing job protections.
How did Service First affect the ability of agency heads to fire workers?
It allowed agency heads to use 'sound discretion' in firing workers, weakening the just cause
standard.
What change did Service First propose regarding the Public Employee Relations Commission?
It proposed eliminating the independence of the Public Employee Relations Commission, which
heard disciplinary appeals.
What did Service First eliminate that affected senior employees during layoffs?
It eliminated bumping rights, which allowed senior employees to take the jobs of less-senior
employees if laid off.
What change did Service First introduce regarding employee bonuses?
It allowed agencies to award bonuses to workers for top performance instead of providing
across-the-board increases.
What is the TEAM Act in Tennessee?
is a law implemented in 2012 intended to create a personnel system similar to those in the
private sector.
What are the two distinct employee service groups created by the TEAM Act?
The two groups are Executive service and Preferred service.
3|Page
, Who is included in the Executive service under the TEAM Act?
is composed mainly of senior-level staff who remain as 'at will' employees.
What is included in the Preferred service under the TEAM Act?
includes what was previously known as the 'career service,' comprised of managers and front
line staff.
What streamlined process was established for the Preferred service under the TEAM Act?
appeals process for wrongful terminations was established.
What did the TEAM Act abolish regarding the hiring system?
The TEAM Act abolished the existing hiring system and replaced it with one that eliminated
ineffective tests.
What type of performance evaluation system was established by the TEAM Act?
A new performance evaluation system based on performance outcomes established for each
position was created.
What procedure was eliminated by the TEAM Act regarding longer-term employees?
eliminated procedures that allowed longer-term employees to bump less-senior staff from
similar positions.
What are some important activities in a centralized HR system?
Examples include recruitment, selection, classification and compensation, benefits, and labor
and employee relations.
Can HR processing activities be performed off-site in a centralized system?
Yes, there may be some HR processing activities performed off-site from the central HR hub.
What is a decentralized system in HR?
4|Page
