How to Prepare for the APICS CPIM Exam May 3, 2016 Webinar

Transcription

1 How to Prepare for the APICS CPIM Exam May 3, 2016 Webinar Thank you to all of our webinar attendees. Below is the list of submitted questions with answers. We are here to support the achievement of your professional designation. If you have additional questions, please contact our staff at After how long does it take to complete studies before taking the exam? what do you suggest? And how much recommended time should be given to your study on daily basis? It typically takes hours of study time investment. Based on that set your date for your exam and work backwards to calculate the time needed each day to study for the exam. After taking the long self-study test (no key), what resource do participants have to get any questions answered? We recommend the exam content manual which contains the body of knowledge, the participating workbooks, the APICS Dictionary and the Learn It app as well as our new self-study resources, the CPIM Self-Study Kit and the online courses by Accenture. Can I take my calculator to the exam? Yes, as long as it is a simple calculator, it can t have any storage. It will be inspected by the proctor prior to the exam. The computer based function of the exam will give you access to an online calculator. Can you take the pre exam timed and untimed for each module more than once? Yes, you can take the tests as often as you like. In the study tools you can also access the answers to the exams to help you understand what the correct answer is the best for that questions.

2 CPIM Online Course Series is no longer offered or is it now the Self-Study Kit? CPIM Online Course Series is offered as the APICS Online - Powered by Accenture and is available in Shop APICS. Do I have to finish 5 modules within 2 years to receive CPIM certification? No. You have 10 years from your first exam to complete the 5 exams for the CPIM certification. Do you have a webinar for the CSCP certification? Or is it similar to the CPIM webinar? We had the CSCP webinars earlier this year. You can access the recorded webinar at: Do you have CPIM on CD or cassette to listen to in the car? No, we don t at this time. Does APICS accept Veteran's benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill? Our partner Fox Valley Technical College has benefits available to aid your pursuit of the CPIM. Visit their website at: Does the cpim self-study kit printed format include anything online? Yes, the Self-Study Kit includes the online CPIM Exam Simulator for exam preparation.

3 Doesn't each section have 300 questions. Total of 1500 questions. If you take the pre-test multiple times won't you get additional or new questions? If you are referring to the CPIM Exam Simulator there are over 300 practice questions per module that are aligned with the current CPIM Exam Content Manual. For the self-study kit, the access to the exam simulator is limited to one year from the date I bought the kit? Yes. You have one year from when you purchased the kit. Has the content changed for 2016? There was not a significant change from 2015 to 2016 content. I'm an Industrial Engineer... I'm 25 years old, I have almost 3 years working. Since I start I work in supply chain. Actually I'm a materials planner (MRP) So, I wonder if I can take the apics exam or do I need more experience years? I have taken first module BSCM of CPIM. I passed it. My question is, is there anything like practical exposure that is required before taking the other modules? As I am university graduate student. I'm Material Planning Engineer in junior level, is the CPIM better study for me? There are many industrial engineers who have earned the CPIM designation because there is a lot of synergy between the CPIM content and what industrial engineers do. You could get started now, but might have to study harder, because the concepts are ones you will be using now and also in the future.

4 How close are the questions in the exam simulator to the actual exam questions? The questions are very similar, but not the same. All of the questions for the simulator were created by the same group of committee members who created the actual exam. How do people normally take the exams? After they've studied each module one-by-one? Or do they take all of them after studying all of them? Most people typically take the exam after they study the module, on-by-one. How long is the certification valid? The certification is valid for three years and must be maintained. Full information is available on our website at: How much time takes the exam for each module and how many questions are on them? Candidates have three hours to complete each of the exams. The CIM Basics exam has 105 multiple choice questions (80 operational and 25 pretest). All of the other modules have 75 multiple choice questions per exam (60 operational and 15 pretest). I am using the books published in 2013, is it suitable for preparing for this year exam? We update the courseware every year to make sure that it is aligned with the ECM. For the last couple of years, the CPIM exams have not had major updates. If you have something that is a year or two old, you will be ok. However, if your participant workbook is old, you may no longer have access to the CPIM Study Tools, it is only available for one year.

5 I can order the self-study kit and be confident all material is covered for the CPIM exam? We recommend that you use this as an additional resource for your studies, not the only resource. I purchased the Self Study Guide in middle April. This is 2016 version. When do I need to complete all 5 tests with the existing material I have? I heard by end of calendar year (Dec 2016) or within one year of purchase (Apr 2017). Which is correct? At this point, we are not anticipating changes to the exam in If you purchased it now, you will be able to use it into next year, at least through July. I seem to recall classes being held, earlier this year in Michigan. When is that going to take place again, from the very first module? You can check on our website at: apics.org/partnerfinder for class information in Michigan. If I am registered and in the process of taking the Basics of Supply Chain (APICS) on-line by Accenture course; however, I am now learning that the CSCP is more of what I am looking for - is there any way to move from one course over to the other? Unfortunately, no. But, our experience has shown us that the people who take the Basics of Supply Chain Management exam, actually have one better on the CSCP exam. So would encourage you to continue your Basics studies and take the exam before pursing the CSCP program. Is there a certificate given for each module? You will receive a certificate after you complete and pass the Basics of Supply Chain Management exam and then you will not receive another certificate until you pass all 5 exams and complete the certification.

6 Can we mix the books to get what is important to me? APICS will not create a custom CPIM book. If you want to take the existing books and pull out the material that you really need, you can do that. Another option that I would recommend. If this is something that your company is interested in or if you have a partner nearby, let the company or partner know that you are interested in specific pieces of the body of knowledge for education. For example; if you want to know more about sales and operations planning, MRP, or how to be a master scheduler, if those are the types of things that you are interested in as opposed to an actual certification. APICS has an educational product called the Principles of Operations Management. Principles contains five different courses of nine sessions each plus a midterm exam and a final exam. However, the cool thing about principles is that you can mix and match all the different sessions in order to put together the course you are looking for. Is there a timeframe requirement for completion of all 5 modules? I completed 4 of the 5 a number of years ago and wondered if they expire? You have 10 years from your first exam to complete the CPIM designation. Is there something that shows what formulas are needed for each module? No we don't have anything that has the formulas other than the CPI Participant Workbooks for each of the modules. It is not clear to me whether there is 1 exam per module, or whether it is 1 exam covering the 5 CPIM modules? There is one exam for each of the modules, five in all. We recommend that you pursue the certification in the following order. Basics, MPR, DSP, ECO and SMR. We recommend this order because they build upon each other.

7 It was my understanding that previously one must have had the CPIM designation before pursuing the CSCP designation - has that changed? You do not need to have the CPIM prior to pursuing the CSCP designation. However, many candidates have found it useful to complete the Basics of Supply Chain Management module before beginning the CSCP. Is the learn it app free? and how can I get it on the apics site Yes, it is free. Visit for download information. Should I wait a certain time before taking another exam for the next module? Is it possible to complete two modules in a year for example? It is up to you. 75 percent of candidates take the exam one to three months after completing studies and 50 percent take the exam one month after. Yes, it is very possible to complete two modules in a year. The cost of dictionary to members? The APICS Dictionary is $30 for members and can be purchased in Shop APICS at apics.org/shopapics. What are exam fees? Exam fees are different for North America and outside North America. Visit for the links to the pricing.

8 What can an individual expect to pay as far as study tools, courses, etc., in order to obtain certification? What is the price of the CPIM lead resources course online? We have our different study options and pricing listed on our website at: What if I do not pass the exam on the first try? We like to think positive, that you will pass. But in the unlikely event that you do not pass, you must wait 14 days before re-testing. After you complete the exam, you will get a score report with how you did on each of the diagnostic areas. What is the best sequence I should take the 5 module exam? We recommend that you pursue the certification in the following order. Basics, MPR, DSP, ECO and SMR. We recommend this order because they build upon each other. What is the maximum score you can receive on an APICS module? The APICS CPIM uses a scaled score methodology and the score range is Fail = , Pass= What is the success rate of passing module 2, 3, 4, 5 for those who pass BSCM (module 1) in other words how do candidates perform in post BSCM exams? Are they easier than BSCM? We have a Pass Rate Report for for each module on our website at:

9 What qualification is required to qualify for APICS exam? We do not have an eligibility requirement for the certification. It does come in handy if your field of study in college was supply chain. It is open to everyone. When was the first webinar? Can I still get access to that recording? The first webinar is posted at: Which is more desirable in the operations world at this time? CSCP or CPIM? CPIM is recommended for operations since it is inside the four walls of your company. While going through simulator questions there were questions which were not in the participant book. Do I have to buy the Introduction to material Management as part of the exam? No, you do not need to purchase Introduction to Material Management to study for the exam. However, there are a couple caveats, that you understand that the exams are created to be application exams. They are not testing what knowledge you know from the workbook or other books. They are testing your ability to apply supply chain concepts. the second caveat is that the Introduction to Material Management is one the best other references to own for CPIM. It is used for a primary reference for three of the modules and it is the reference for the Basics of Supply Chain Management and it is popular textbook. Will we be able to "formula dump" on provided paper once we start the exam? Yes. You will.

10 Why are there only exam windows outside the US and not within the US? This dates back to pre-2013 where we introduced testing windows. Prior to that, outside North America our testing was done with paper and pencil. We didn't know the effect it would have to move to computer based testing. We thought to migrate step-by-step to 21 weeks of testing to make sure that we weren't impacting testing behaviors negatively or effecting classes that were arranged. We continue to evaluate this process to see if we need to make windows longer. In 2016 we added six more weeks of testing to add more flexibility. Do you trust tools sold by companies other than APICS? Like pocket prep? APICS neither reviews or endorses third party CPIM and CSCP study helps. Our best suggestion is to use what APICS provides and endorses. With the new study guide kit that has recently become available for each of the 5 CPIM exams, will I find all of the necessary content available in each study guide to pass the exam? Or will there be topics left out that ARE included on the exam? $120 is way more cost effective than a $500 course. Yes, many people have used the Study Guide within the kit and were successful on the exam. It is designed to cover the entire Exam Content Outline that the exam uses to define the part of the APICS body of knowledge covered in the exam. The addition of the Exam Simulator makes it an even better study tool.