Exams

CIPS Accredited Examination Centre

APA Procurement Training is an accredited examination provider of CIPS Examinations.  We run exams for the CIPS syllabus for each exam series through the year in November, March, May and July.

All exams are Computer Based, either Objective response (OR) exams which are flexi-scheduled with two sittings per day on Tuesday, Weds and Thursday in Week 1 of each series. Or Constructed response (CR) exams are timetabled in Week 2 of each exam series. Other days may be available if taking exams at a regional centre other than ours.

If you are studying with us, you are able to sit for all your examinations at our Centre in Swindon or we will have booked your exam at the CIPS regional centre preference at time of enrolment, remote invigilation is also available for an additional fee from CIPS. Examination Fees (including Examination Centre Fees) will be in addition to the price of the published course fee.

Examination Booking

For those studying with us we will book your exams on your behalf and we will need your CIPS membership number to book your exam, this Membership needs to be current.

The examination subject timetables are published on the CIPS website as well as on your class timetable and discussed in your teaching sessions.

Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration

We are committed to ensuring that all candidates have equal opportunities to reach their full potential. In some instances, candidates may require adjustments to the assessment process to give them an equal opportunity.

Applications for Reasonable Adjustments should be made direct to CIPS at least eight weeks prior to the date of the examination or assessment, we will support this and send the application on your behalf.

Candidates may also apply for Special Consideration in instances that could not possibly be predicted, such as in the event of personal issues that might impact on your exam performance. Such applications must be made within 7 days of the date of the examination.

Reasonable adjustment can include the use of a reader/amanuensis or additional examination time.  Once we have confirmation from CIPS, we are very happy to make the required arrangements at our Centre.

For any questions relating to exams, contact us by emailing studycentre@aparaining.co.uk or calling 01793 228 969.

For more details on any of our CIPS courses, submit an online enquiry here.

Revision tips: How to Pass CIPS Level 4 Diploma written exams (Constructive response exams)

 

So, stop worrying now. Here is a brief guide of what you need to do to achieve a minimum of a Pass for these tricky exams – from a former CIPS examiner:

L4M1 -Scope and Influence in Procurement and Supply

This is the first 3 hour written exam you will come across. And it is widely thought of as the toughest. There is a lot of content, and any of it could come up in the exam. So, preparation is essential. There are 4 questions worth 25 marks each, which can be subdivided into part a and part b. Two of these questions are case study based, and two are not. For the case study questions, you must relate your answers to the detail in the case study. For the other two, use your own examples from your organisation to support your answers.

L4M8 -Procurement and supply in practice

This is a three- hour written exam, which includes 4 case studies with a question that can be subdivided into parts a and b, totalling 25 marks for each question. So, you need to divide your time equally between the case study questions: 45 minutes for each.

This exam tests your knowledge of procurement and supply using real life scenarios that you are likely to come across in your career. It uses cases from a range of public, private and third sectors as well as different industries, so having a good understanding about how procurement and supply works in practice across different types of organisations is essential.

 

Revision tips:

• Read the question carefully, and only answer what the question is asking you to answer. This sounds obvious, but it is the second most likely reason for you to fail. Making sure you stick to the question in your answer stops you going off on a tangent and avoids waffle.
• Look at the mark allocation for the question and tailor your answer accordingly. There is no point writing more for a 10- mark question than a 15- mark question. Don’t write more than 300 words maximum for a 10- mark question. You can only get a maximum of 10 marks so once the examiner has got to 10- marks they may not waste their time reading the rest!
• Make a plan to answer the question in the answer text box in the exam. To do this write down a subheading or key word that describes each feature you are going to talk about, before filling in the detail below. So, for example, for the question: ‘Describe 5 potential barriers to achieving good procurement governance’, you could type in ‘Conflict of interest’– and then fill in the detail in a paragraph underneath it, and then go on to fill in the other subheadings you want to talk about.
• Write in full sentences and do not use bullet points in your answers
• Focus on answering the question by re-reading the question at the start of each new subheading!
• Include examples in each paragraph. Either from the case study or your own experience.
• Make sure you manage your time carefully – stick to the time allowed for each question: 45 minutes maximum for a 25- mark question, 15 mins for a 10- mark question, 25 minutes for a 15 -mark question
• Divide each of your points into a separate sentence punctuated by a full stop so that it is clear to the examiner that you have made a point and therefore will be awarded a mark.
• Don’t bother writing an introduction and definitely No conclusion – they rarely attract even 1 mark as they generally just rephrase the question!
• Have a go at answering all of the questions – if you don’t you are unlikely to achieve a pass!
• Practice makes perfect. You must have a go at answering some questions under timed conditions so that you get a feel of how long you have to read the question and write your answer. It will help hugely to get feedback from your tutor. They will provide advice and suggestions of points and examples you can add to improve your marks. It’s the single most effective way to ensure that you pass this exam!

We have loads more helpful advice and ways that you can add more detail into your answers, so get in touch. We are here to help you!