Everything You Need to Know About the CSCP ASCM Certification - Study Approach and Exam Tips

Choosing CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)

Like many others, I was thrust into a career in logistics by sheer circumstance and looking back, I'm glad I was. With an undergraduate degree in management and an MBA with dual concentrations of Project Management and Finance, I was well-equipped to begin tackling the challenges in logistics and supply chain. While many of these topics touched my business, the majority of my training and development was found on the job. In my first couple of years, I was able to complete Lean Six Sigma training and obtain my Green Belt, a great start to my continued industry education.

After several years of development and growing responsibilities within my transportation and logistics environment, I began to realize my passion for understanding the broader supply chain.

Through much research, the CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) certification appeared to be the most recognized, and the ASCM/APICS organization is well established. I decided on the CSCP over the CLTD certification as I felt my experience in transportation and logistics had covered more of the CLTD content already. The CSCP would allow me to study broader concepts outside of my scope of responsibility and experience up to this point. The CPIM and SCOR-P are two other ASCM verifications with the CPIM more focused on planning/inventory and the SCOR-P more focused on implementing and utilizing the SCOR model within a supply chain (the SCOR model is introduced in the CSCP).

Ultimately, the breadth of content in the CSCP covered my desired outcomes for pursuing a certification. The summary of the certification provided by ASCM below captures this well:

"CSCP focuses on the mastery of the extended supply chain — extending beyond internal operations from organizations' suppliers through to the end customer. The APICS CSCP candidate will learn how to streamline production and cut costs by strategically looking outside internal operations and throughout the entire supply chain."

Certification Eligibility

Below are the three criteria for eligibility to sit for the CSCP Exam and Achieve the certification.

• Three years of business experience
• A bachelor’s degree or an international equivalent
• An active CPIM, CPIM-F, CIRM, SCOR-P, CPM, CPSM, CTL or CLTD certification

Cost

The cost for the study material and exam can seem a little pricey. Most employers have education reimbursement programs which can help fund your certification. In most cases you will have to pay up front and will be reimbursed once you have completed them. Note, these reimbursements may be taxed as income. An ASCM membership (Plus North America - $220 per year) will greatly reduce the cost of the learning system and exam, so I suggest becoming a member prior to purchasing these. Also, keep an eye out for discount codes on the ASCM website or through ASCM emails. Additionally, the Bundle provides further discounts and a 2nd chance exam opportunity.

Learning System: $995 for members ($1,380 for non-member)

Exam: $995 for members ($1,295 for non-member)

Bundle (included Learning System, Exam, and 2nd Chance Exam): $1,795 for members ($2,011 for non-members, but includes a membership for non-members)

Additional resources - Here are the additional resources I reference below that I purchased to round out my studying.

Pocket Prep App (Premium) - $19.99 per month or $47.99 quarterly

APICS Exam Success Book - $90 on Amazon

Study Approach

There are a few different learning approaches for the CSCP, but I chose the Self-Study approach. Instructor-Led, Instructor-Supported, and Corporate/Group learning options are also available.

Study Materials

2020 CSCP Online Learning System, Books, and Flashcards - the CSCP Learning System is a requirement for studying to sit for the CSCP exam. I don't believe anyone would be able to pass without completing it in its entirety.

APICS CSCP Exam Success: A Guide to Achieving Certification on Your First Attempt (J.Ross Publishing) Link here - I mention how I came to purchase this book below within the review section.

Pro's of this book:

1. Great Review of the CSCP content in a summarized form with additional exercises and helpful charts

2. Extra practice questions within the book and access to online practice exam questions beyond what is available in the learning system

3. Exam tips as far as approaching the exam and questions (what to expect)

A few watch-outs: I did run across a few practice questions or charts that appeared wrong to me as either misprints or incorrect information. Also, I went through the 2020 ASCM content and 4.0 test version in 2021. This book may be slightly outdated in some of the content or terms, but it is still a solid tool.

Pega Cert practice questions - just extra questions for you, free, but no explanations on right/wrong answers Link Here

Self-Made Flashcards - I highly recommend creating your own flashcards to round out the flashcards provided and to increase retention through writing terms, definitions, and formulas.

CSCP Pocket Prep App - Great mobile app with 600 test bank questions for the CSCP exam. I really liked some of the features such as "Question of the Day", study reminders, make your own quiz, and being able to compare your quiz scores against the average community scores.

DataChem Software - some individuals also recommend the DataChem Software Supply Chain Prep Question Bank as well. I did not use this, but it may be another resource to look into for additional practice question Link Here

*Note: I utilized the 2020 Learning System and took the Exam version 4.0. At the time of writing this, the 2022 Learning System is available, and the 5.0 version of the exam will be the only version available beginning 3/31/22. While the exam and content has been updated, I believe the content written here will still be helpful in your study journey.

Study Process

1. First, I read through all of the content in the learning system books, highlighting key points/terms, taking all quizzes and completing the exercises along the way. I would re-take the quizzes or re-read sections where I performed poorly on the quizzes. I introduced the flashcards to myself as I came across them in the reading material.
2. The CSCP Learning System includes flashcards available to print. Go ahead and print all of them at once when you begin studying so you can begin to introduce them as you come across them in the material or to get a head-start in memorization. I used the Leitner system to organize my flashcard studying and leverage the power of "spaced repetition" for optimal retention. Click here to watch a video on the Leitner system and studying with flashcards
3. On top of the Learning System, I began to incorporate the Pocket Prep app to begin working through the 600 practice question bank. I tried to always complete the question of the day, and when I had down time, I'd complete a quick 10 question quiz. I found it very convenient to go through practice questions on the go and outside of my scheduled study sessions. At first, these questions seemed difficult as I had not always gotten to the specific topics in the study material, but as I progressed they became more familiar.
4. After completing the CSCP Learning System content, I decided to take my first pass at the practice exam. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with my first attempt's score of 61%. The next Review/Practice Questions section outlines where I decided to go from there.

Review / Practice Questions

1. After scoring poorly on the practice exam, I took the time to list out every incorrect question to review those particular topics over again and understand why I may have missed the question initially. I also believe it is important to still go through your correct questions in order to affirm your line of thinking for that question. Sometimes, you may guess on a question and end up getting it correct. The review of correct answers allows for you to solidify your answer for that type of question.
2. To increase my practice exam score, I decided to purchase the APICS CSCP Exam Success prep book to round out my studies and build more confidence. I'm really glad I purchased this book. I appreciated the high-level summary and review of all of the content I had read in the CSCP Learning System, and the additional charts, exercises, quizzes, practice questions, and exam tips were extremely helpful. During my first readthrough of this book, all of the content began to become familiar and started to "click" for me.

1. At this point I started my final review. I utilized a highlighter and sticky notes to go back through both the CSCP Learning System books and the APICS CSCP Exam Success book to mark all high priority topics and useful charts. This allowed me to quickly turn to and find main topics I needed to focus on or review further (i.e., S&OP Process, Supplier Certification, House of Toyota, Seven Old/New Tools, Product Life Cycle, 4 P's of Marketing, etc.) I also used a different color highlighter than my first read-through to highlight "missed points" from the first time around. Doing so allowed me to focus on information I may have missed originally, but now realized was pertinent after answering the practice questions.
2. After reading the additional Exam Success book I decided to go ahead and create my own flashcards. Creating your own flashcards allows you to round out the provided CSCP flashcards with additional terms or formulas. Additionally, the process of writing out terms, definitions, lists, and formulas greatly improves learning and retention.

1. Whiteboarding was also a useful exercise I leveraged during my final review to help in memorization of lists or formulas. Glancing at my flashcards, I would then utilize a whiteboard to write out the lists or formulas by hand. The same could be done on paper, but the whiteboard allowed for easy erasing and correcting. I would also leave certain formulas or lists on the whiteboard for a period of time to help with memorization throughout the day or when I returned back to studying.
2. Completed CSCP Practice Exam 2nd attempt (score of 88%), completed APICS CSCP Exam Success practice tests (score > 80%), completed all Pocket Prep questions and reviewed missed questions until I had scored >90%.
3. Take the exam! I felt pretty confident and almost excited to take the exam at this point. Typical exam day prep tips apply. Eat a good meal the night before (nothing exotic or out of the norm), get a good night's rest, and eat a good meal before the test.

The goal is to achieve a score of at least 80% on the CSCP practice exam and other practice exams prior to sitting for the real exam. Continue to study weaker areas and retake the exams as needed. I tried to limit my practice exam attempts in order to avoid memorizing answers and to truly understand why I was getting questions on certain topics incorrect.

Study Tips

Remain disciplined and stick to your study schedule. Stay consistent and on-track to keep material fresh and to avoid dragging out your studies.

Flashcards and more flashcards, the terms and definitions are very important.

Study without distractions.

Focus on weaker areas.

Study to understand as opposed to memorize (outside of the flashcards). Many questions are situational in addition to term/definition related.

The quiz questions and practice exam questions are more difficult than the real exam questions. Do not get discouraged by this! Everyone seems to find this to be true as well. The more difficult questions are helpful in getting prepared to take the real exam.

Don't rely on solely the CSCP learning system. Utilize other tools and resources as I've mentioned here.

Don't forget to review and study reference material in the CSCP Learning System outside of the textbook content. The learning system has external references, videos, and applicable CSCP material which are helpful in studying. Also, the Exam Content Manual (ECM) provides all the information related to the exam itself and outlines the test format and content covered, a must-read.

Taking the Exam

What to expect

150 Questions (20 of which are practice/trial questions, these are not identified and do not count towards your score)

3.5 hour time limit

All Multiple Choice

Scaled Scoring: 300 or above is passing. Multiple exam forms/versions exist. Scaled scoring is utilized to even out scores between more or less difficult versions of the exam.

You will know your score and pass/fail result immediately upon completing the test.

Exam Experience

Online vs In-Person

Due to COVID the CSCP Exam is now being offered to be taken at a testing facility or online/remote. Based on my experience, I strongly suggest you take the exam at a testing facility. Pearson Vue is the test proctoring service for the exam. The online exam proctoring is very strict, and the "lock down" browser program is finnicky. Work computers are not recommended due to firewall and security restrictions. Even with a personal computer, I had at least 7 test interruptions from the program which required me to close out of the test and end background functions on my PC in order to continue. A live proctor will be able to see you via webcam (though you cannot see them) and will chat with you throughout your test if needed. Don't assume you can have study material available during your online test as this is against the rules. Also, there are many rules such as looking away from your screen, moving out of camera view, or mumbling questions as you read them - any of these will trigger a warning via chat from your proctor.

About 2 hours into my exam, I received a chat message from the proctor notifying me that my video connection had been lost and was asked if I was still taking the exam. The chat function would not allow me to respond, but I was able to continue answering questions. After multiple attempts to respond and after receiving continued chats from the proctor, I assumed I should press on and continue to answer/review questions. About 20 minutes later, I received a message from the proctor explaining the exam would now be terminated due to the lost connection, and I would be provided a case number to reschedule my exam. The program then shutoff, and I was left with an empty screen, no test result, and no direction on what to do next. As you can imagine, this was a nightmare scenario after all of the hard work of preparation and taking the exam up to that point. After searching my exam emails from ASCM and Pearson Vue, I was eventually able to find a few customer service phone numbers. After a few attempts, I was connected with a customer service representative who told me my case would be reviewed, and I would receive an email in 3-5 business days with information on how to reschedule. Once I was adamant about submitting my exam with the completed answers, he said he would add a note to my case requesting the exam to be submitted as-is first, opposed to rescheduling.

Luckily, I woke up the next day to an email from ASCM congratulating me for passing the exam and obtaining the certification. From there, I was able to view my exam results and certificate. I was very relieved!

Exam Tips

Take your time and read both the questions and answers very carefully. When I sped through the questions, I was more likely to misread the question and answer incorrectly. 3.5 hours is more than enough time to answer all of the questions and review them.

Focus on eliminating incorrect answers and then selecting the correct answer that remains.

Do not use personal experience or your company's practices to answer the questions. The ASCM way is the right way when it comes to the exam. Earlier on in my studies I was trying to relate my experience to the topics too much as opposed to learning the CSCP approaches which led to incorrect quiz and practice test questions.

Don't over-study or over-worry about formulas. I only had 3-5 questions which required calculations or memorized formulas. Most were fairly simple. I believe I spent more time than necessary studying and memorizing a vast array of formulas. You should still strive to be comfortable and confident enough in the common formulas (ie. ROI, Cash to Cash Cycle Time, Inventory Turnover) as these are more likely to be on the exam.

Always double-check math and calculations. It is very easy to miss questions in this way.

Vocabulary and terms are key. Mastery of the key terms is key to passing the exam. If you don't know the terms and definitions, you will struggle answering questions and passing the exam.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I ended up passing with a 311! I do wonder what my score could have been, had I been allowed the full time to review my questions. Also, it was interesting to see I scored evenly across all three modules.

My study journey from Learning System purchase to passing the exam took almost a year (Feb - Dec), but I believe someone could knock it out in 4-6 months without too much difficulty and depending upon prior experience. The stated time commitment to complete the CSCP Learning System is at least 60 hours, while the rule of thumb for total exam prep is usually around 120 hours. I'm sure I spent somewhere around the 120 hour mark in total study time and possibly more. I stalled early on while going through the material the first time since the first read-through was much more tedious. Once I completed my first read-through, my confidence and desire to finish was much higher. I started to enjoy the challenge of mastering the content and correctly answering practice questions. Also, at this point I had the accomplishment of passing the exam in sight. I'd encourage everyone to go ahead and schedule the exam once they begin their review phase of studying or even earlier. It is very easy to push the exam off and procrastinate further if you aren't careful. You'll never feel truly ready, but scheduling the exam will push you to become as prepared as possible.

The CSCP certification felt like a huge accomplishment, and I'm very glad I invested in my professional development by taking on the challenge. I encourage anyone who is considering the CSCP to go ahead and take the plunge. I'm certain my newfound knowledge will help me throughout my career and provide me with further career opportunities.

One of my biggest takeaways was this:

"The value is not in the exam itself, but the journey of the learning to get there."

Feel free to comment on this post and ask any questions for me or the rest of the CSCP community!

Appendix/References

CSCP Link on ASCM Website

Other helpful posts from LinkedIn:

How I passed APICS CSCP on my first attempt?

Self study tips for passing the APICS CSCP exam - My CSCP experience

Note the below Exam Dates as it related to the CSCP Exam version transition from 4.0 to 5.0

• 9/1/2021 Release of the new CSCP 5.0 Exam Content Manual (ECM)
• 11/15/2021 Last day to purchase CSCP 4.0 Learning System
• 11/16/2021 Launch of CSCP 5.0 Learning System
• 3/30/2022 Last day to take the CSCP 4.0 Exam
• 3/31/2022 Launch of CSCP 5.0 Exam

It appears the Modules and Structure of the new exam may have been changed. I believe the content is probably similar, but it is important to note the former three modules of Supply Chain Design, Supply Chain Planning and Execution, and Supply Chain Improvement and Best Practices has been broken down further into the below 8 modules.

• Module 1: Supply Chains, Demand Management, and Forecasting
• Module 2: Global Supply Chain Networks
• Module 3: Sourcing Products and Services
• Module 4: Internal Operations and Inventory
• Module 5: Forward and Reverse Logistics
• Module 6: Supply Chain Relationships
• Module 7: Supply Chain Risk
• Module 8: Optimization, Sustainability, and Technology