The Ultimate APICS CSCP Examination

Cheat Sheet
Published on December 21, 2017

Nishant VarunFollow
Senior Consulting Manager, HCL Business Consulting | MBA - FMS, Delhi
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I recently cleared the APICS CSCP certification and thought to put up a method/ plan
towards successfully clearing the exam in the first attempt.

APICS CSCP is a renowned certification globally. It encompasses end to end supply chain
management concepts. It has a plethora of topics across industries, globalization, logistics,
supplier management, customer relationship management, technology tools, products,
services and many more. It might be a myth that only industry specific employees are
eligible, but this certification is externally focused and can useful for anyone who touches the
supply chain operations in an organization. Apart from supply chain managers/ Operations
managers/ Logistics managers across industries, it is also extremely helpful for
Analysts/Consultants/Project Managers. APICS has a high industry acceptance of >21,000
APICS CSCP designees in 94 countries. It is very helpful to the individuals in developing
competencies to manage complex worldwide supply chain activities involving suppliers,
plants, distributors and customers in a global environment.

The CSCP program consists of three modules with an exam that reflects critical changes in
the marketplace and in the evolving roles and responsibilities of supply chain managers. It is
a 350 marks exam and you need to score >=300 in the exam [~85%]

Module 1 – Supply Chain Design [23%]

Module 2 – Supply Chain Planning and Execution [43%]

Module 3 – Supply Chain Improvements and Best Practices [34%]

If you are planning to take the exam, its good practice to become an APICS PLUS member,
as it will help you with extra study resources and some beneficial discounts. There are two
modes of study: Self study or Instructor led courses. It depends on the individual to take
whatever mode is suited to him/her. If you are self studying, APICS CSCP material and the
learning system provided by APICS is the key. If you have access to the above mentioned
courseware, below are the some steps you can follow to successfully clear the exam:

1. Plan

 Take the pre test in the learning system. This is a good initial step
and will help you judge starting levels and plan your studies
 You might score less, but you will get an idea on how
comprehensively you need to study.
 Plan for each module, chapter and the number of days to be allocated
for each one
 Plan to read the material twice [Minimum]
 Include chapter quizzes in the plan once you complete a chapter
 Keep sometime everyday for APICS flashcards
 Schedule your exam atleast two months before the exam.
 Make sure you stick to the plan! [Dedication is the key]

2. Study [6 Weeks]

 Module 1 - 1.5 weeks; Module 2 - 3 weeks; Module 3 - 1.5 weeks

 Read atleast 2 hrs/day (Depends individually)
 Study the material once, read through and try to understand the
concepts
 If you are working in an supply chain environment, try associating
the concepts with the work (eg. S&OP in retail industry)
 If you find an important formulae or a concept that is hard to
understand, make notes or put up a sticky note on your room wall.
  Keep doing the flashcards (Never underestimate their power!)
 Attempt the chapter quiz after every chapter
 If you are well read, you will score ranging from 50 - 100% in each
chapter [I scored an average 70% across chapters]
 But even if you score less, there is nothing to be disheartened, as the
learning system is focused to re-inforce learning of chapters in such
a manner that you do not miss out on any important supply chain
concept
 Alas make sure you have noted down all the topics where you
faltered in the quizzes.

3. Re - Learn [5 Weeks]

 Module 1 - 1 week; Module 2 - 2.5 weeks; Module 3 - 1.5 weeks

 Read the whole material again. Make sure you understand what you
did not comprehend the last time
 Make sure you really understand the concepts this time, every line
and paragraph matters!
 Keep doing the flashcards - Make sure you are familiar with all
supply chain terminologies this time and have a 95% actualization
while reading the terms
 Keep on adding to your sticky notes on the wall with newer
formulaes and concepts
 Focus heavily on the topics that you did not do well the last time
[Read them twice]
 Give the chapter quiz again. There would surely be an increase in
your marks this time.
 After finishing the quiz, emphasize on what went wrong the first
time, and what went right the second time. Check for the right
options and analyze why didn't you pick up the right option.
 Analyzing this will strenghthen your understanding of core concepts
Have a small notebook which has all the important concepts; Keep on adding to it
as you finish more content

4. Scrutinize [2 Weeks]

 Once completed with reading all the material and giving the chapter
quizzes, inspect what went wrong
 Attempt chapter quizzes, make a note of the topic and read it again.
Add harder concepts to your notes and sticky notes
  Once done with the chapter quizzes, assuming that you are scoring
around 90-100%, move ahead to module quizzes
 Keep a goal of scoring around 90-100% in the module quizzes
While learning, analyzing & practicing, make sure you start from module 2 with
the highest weightage (43%) and then go down to other modules. Same way with
flashcards, module and chapter quizzes to secure a wide range of study
effectiveness

5. Practice [1 Week]

 Keep giving the module quizzes [Target Score: 95-100%]

 If required, go back to the chapters you are uncomfortable with and
practice chapter quizzes
 Make sure you really understand the flashcards and every word
within the definition of each term.
 Make use of your notes - Read the concepts, formulas, graphs,
tables, figures on a daily basis
 Give the pre-test again - Score >70% is generally considered good [I
scored 80%]
 Give the post-test - Score >70% is generally considered good [I
scored 62%]
 Give the exam like questions test - This exam is really significant
considering the questions asked here are the closest to the exam.
Make sure you take this after you are totally prepared overall .Score
>=80% is generally considered good [I scored 86%]
 Give the retired questions examination. Score >65% is generally
considered good [I scored 52%]

6. Exam

 If working, take a couple of days off before the examination.

 Read through your notes [Assuming that till this point of time there
will good # of pages & content to go through]
 Read through the sticky notes with all formulaes
 Go through the books - read through the important tables, figures
and diagrams
 Read the flashcards one last time, ensuring that you are well aware
of them 100%
 On the morning of the exam, do not read anything. If you have done
the previous steps efficiently, you wont need to read through
anything in the last one or two hours
  Reach the exam premises 20 minutes before. Talk to people to calm
your nerves, have a glass of water
 Take the exam - Make sure you read the questions carefully
Read the question, check for wordings like most, least, except and then move on to
the options. If not sure, comeback later and read the options bottom up. If still not
sure, never forget to use common sense

 Flag the questions where you are unsure out of two options
 You will have enough time, so you can go through all questions
once again
 Take a deep breath and submit
As mentioned before, if you have read through the material and have truly understood all the
supply chain concepts, then you will pass the exam. I scored 313/350 in the exam