The Leading Supplier Diversity Certification

3 years full-time, professional supplier diversity or supply management experience (non-clerical, nonsupport) and have a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree¹ OR 5 years of supplier diversity or supply management experience (non-clerical, nonsupport) without a degree.

Pass 2 CPSD® Exams.

¹ Regionally accredited means that your bachelor's degree was earned from a college or university that is recognized by one of the six U.S. accrediting organizations listed with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Please email the Certification Department if you have questions regarding your degree.

Full-time professional experience where supply management, procurement or supply chain is the primary job function. Clerical and support roles do not apply. Candidates can submit a Work Experience Evaluation if they are unsure if their experience qualifies. This evaluation is optional and a fee will apply. You can find the work experience review form and instructions here.

No. Exam scores are valid for 4 years from the test date. You can take the exams as you work towards your experience and/or degree.

The average cost for ISM members ranges from $495 – $1,337 USD. The average cost for nonmembers ranges from $795 - $2,028 USD. ISM membership is not required to become a CPSD®, however significant savings, along with a host of member benefits are enjoyed by ISM members. Click here for information about joining as an ISM member.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs reimburses for CPSM® Exam fees.

Our exams are specifically approved for the GI Bill. The VA can pay only for the cost of the tests and not other fees connected with obtaining the or CPSM® (study materials, application fees, etc.).

ACCORDING TO THE GI BILL WEB SITE, YOU MAY RECEIVE THIS BENEFIT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR:

The Montgomery GI Bill (also called the MGIB or Chapter 30)

• VEAP (also called Chapter 32), or

• Dependents Educational Assistance (also called DEA or Chapter 35) (DEA is a benefit for children, spouses, and surviving spouses of veterans with 100% service-connected disability or who died in service or due to service-connected disability.)

You can receive up to $2,000 per test (but not more than the cost of the test). There is no limit to the number of tests you can take.

For more details please visit http://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchLCCriteria.do. When using the search feature, keep in mind that ISM is located in the state of Arizona.

Timeframes vary based upon candidates’ study program. For those who are self-paced learners, the average is approximately 6 – 12 months to completion, depending on experience and time available to study.

There are two CPSD^® Exams, the Supply Management Core Exam and the Essentials in Supplier Diversity Exam. Below is a break-down of each exam by sections, with the number of questions and time allowed. Please see the Exam Specifications for further details.

Supply Management Core Exam

Section Name                                                                               # of Questions

Developing Business Case/Obtaining Executive Support  16

Developing a Supplier Diversity Program                             27

Project Management for Supplier Diversity Professionals  3

Influencing and Partnering with Internal Stakeholders     16

Establishing Diverse Supplier Certification Process             2

Establishing Diverse Supplier Qualification Process           12

Developing Diverse Suppliers                                                   8

Managing Relationships with Diverse Suppliers                  13

Financing and Budgeting                                                         10

Establishing Metrics and Reporting                                       15

Performing Advocacy and Market Outreach                        16

Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Ethics                    12
for the Supplier Diversity Profession 

150 questions

All Scored

2 Hours 45 Minutes

Essentials in Supplier Diversity Exam

Section Name                                                                               # of Questions

Developing Business Case/Obtaining Executive Support  16

Developing a Supplier Diversity Program                             27

Project Management for Supplier Diversity Professionals  3

Influencing and Partnering with Internal Stakeholders     16

Establishing Diverse Supplier Certification Process             2

Establishing Diverse Supplier Qualification Process           12

Developing Diverse Suppliers                                                   8

Managing Relationships with Diverse Suppliers                  13

Financing and Budgeting                                                         10

Establishing Metrics and Reporting                                       15

Performing Advocacy and Market Outreach                        16

Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Ethics                    12

for the Supplier Diversity Profession

150 questions

All Scored

2 Hours 45 Minutes

ISM maintains multiple versions, or forms, of the exam. While the content of the exam remains constant, the actual questions used in the exam will change. Different forms of the exam use different questions, the level of difficulty will vary slightly from test to test. To compensate for these variations, a statistical procedure known as equating is used to account for differences in test difficulty. The passing score is not calculated based upon percentages.

Scaling on the CPSM and CPSD exams converts all scores to a scale from 100-600, with the passing score set at 400 for each of the three CPSM exams and 480 for the CPSD Essentials in Supplier Diversity exam. Scores received from ISM are reported as scaled scores in increments of 10. If your scaled score on any of the three CPSM exams is from 100-390, you’ve failed that exam. If your scaled score is 400 or above for any of the three CPSM exams, you’ve passed that exam. If your scaled score on the CPSD Essentials in Supplier Diversity exam is from 100-470, you’ve failed that exam. If your scaled score on that exam is 480 or above, you’ve passed.

If you fail an exam, you should use the score report that you receive from the test center to re-focus your study effort on any task area(s) where you did not answer approximately 75% of the questions correctly. Then revisit the study material you used to prepare for the exams and purchase additional sources if more in-depth studying is needed.

To re-test, you will again need to register with ISM and pay the appropriate member or non-member fee.

ISM has a 30-day retake policy for the CPSM® Exams. If you are unsuccessful on an exam you must wait 30 days before you are eligible to re-take that specific exam.

Yes, you will again need to register with ISM and pay the appropriate member or non-member fee. There is no discount on re-tests.

ISM has a 30-day retake policy for the CPSM® Exams. If you are unsuccessful on an exam you must wait 30 days before you are eligible to re-take that specific exam.

Specific exam questions and answers are not made public. A score report for each exam is provided upon completion. The score report provides detail about the task areas where questions were missed. Task areas that you answered less than 75% of the questions correct is an area that requires more study.

CPSD^® Exam scores are valid for 4 years from the date they are taken. If an exam score is more than 4 years old, the exam must be taken and passed again before applying for the CPSD^®.

Your exam registration is valid for six months from the day ISM processes your registration. Payment is required in advance. You must test by the expiration date to avoid forfeiting your exam fees.

Individual candidate testing is done at Pearson VUE Testing Centers and can be scheduled at your convenience.

Register Online

For your exam, you must bring one valid photo I.D. with signature that exactly matches the name on your exam registration.

Your I.D. MUST be one of the following:

• Driver's License*

• Passport*

• Military I.D.*

• Official State, Government, or National I.D.

• Employee I.D.

• Student I.D.

• Photo credit card

No other forms of I.D. will be accepted.

*Driver's License, Passport and Military IDs that have a digital signature encoded will only be accepted as valid ID if accompanied by another valid ID with signature.

Note: On the day of your exam, if you are unable to produce a valid I.D. matching the name in ISM's database, you will not be allowed to test and all registration fees will be forfeited.

Note: Pearson VUE uses biometrics in all test centers. Biometrics are automated methods of recognizing a person based on a physical characteristic and are primarily used to combat identity fraud. One such method involves the examinee placing a palm on a scanner, which results in an electronic palm print.

• Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your appointment. If you are late, you will be considered a "no show" and your exam fees will be forfeited.

• You will be required to leave all personal belongings in a locker. This includes bags, cell phones, watches, wallets, notes, books or other materials not authorized for this exam.

• An erasable note board and pen will be provided for the exam. They will be collected at the end of the test.

• Calculators will be also be provided.

• Wear comfortable, layered clothing. Test center temperatures vary.

To reschedule or cancel your test appointment, you must contact Pearson VUE at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled local testing time. For example, an 8:30am appointment on Monday must be rescheduled by 8:30am on Sunday (all times are local). If you do not reschedule or cancel your appointment in time, all funds are forfeited.

Fees may apply if any changes or cancellations are made within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment time.

Please DO NOT call your local Pearson VUE test center to make appointments or cancel or reschedule appointments.

ISM offers onsite testing for groups. To request more information regarding on-site testing, please contact us at groupcert@ismworld.org.

ISM offers onsite training and review courses. To require more information, please contact our Corporate Services team at corpinfo@ismworld.org.

After you have met all requirements, you will need to apply for certification. You can apply online here.

Application processing may take up to 4 weeks. We offer a rush service for an additional fee. If rush service is purchased, we guarantee that your application will be reviewed within 2 business days.

Remember to use employer letterhead, have a current or previous supervisor or human resource department sign each letter, and include each title, and the length of time the title was held (from mo/yr to mo/yr).

Titles referenced in the samples are representative only and do not cover the range of titles held or used in the field.

Questions? Call ISM Member Services at 1.480.752.6276, opt. 8

Some of the more common situations encountered when documenting experience, and recommended solutions, are covered below:

MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS OR THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN SOLD OR MERGED WITH ANOTHER COMPANY.

Contact a previous supervisor, or other individual you worked with, who can certify your employment history and have them write a letter for you. Have them explain the situation briefly and identify their previous relationship to you within the company.

I CANNOT LOCATE ANY INFORMATION ON MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER.

Consider researching information at your public library or local government entity for documents of incorporation. You may be able to find the entity holding the personnel/employment records. You may also want to ask your present employer if they verified your previous experience, job titles, dates held, and so on. If this was done, your current employer can certify previous experience.

I'M NOT SURE MY JOB TITLE OR JOB DUTIES ARE ELIGIBLE.

If you have a title that is not normally associated with professional purchasing, supply management, or supply chain management, and you are not sure if you qualify, you may get your experience approved upfront for a nominal $25 fee. Experience must be documented on an official job description or letter on company letterhead. ISM does not allow self-verification. Letters should come from your current or previous human resources department or supervisor, explain your responsibilities in detail and list job duties. Please make sure they specify the percentage of time spent in each area/job function. ISM will review the material and notify you of the decision.

MY EXPERIENCE WAS GAINED WHILE IN THE MILITARY. HOW DO I DOCUMENT THAT EXPERIENCE?

Ask your commanding officer for a letter documenting your experience. In most cases we have received the DD 214. In some cases military review or discharge documents may also help document your experience.

CPSD’s are required to recertify every 3 years with 60 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs). CPSD’s are encouraged to recertify within the 60 days prior to the expiration date. Once your certification has expired, you will be given a one-year grace period in which you can recertify with no penalty. Candidates in their grace period will not be recognized as a CPSD® nor will they be allowed to use the designation. Certificate dates will appear on the certificate as if the recertification had been completed prior to the expiration of your previous certificate.

Please notify the Certification Department when you move or change jobs to keep your records current, as we may attempt to notify individuals when their designation has expired. You can also update your contact information by logging into ismworld.org and going to My Account to update your contact information.

In order to ensure the proper environment for proctored exams, you must have a quiet, private location, a reliable computer with a webcam, access to one of the approved internet browsers, and a strong internet connection. It is your responsibility to verify your computer meets the technical requirements to take the online proctored exam. Please review the technical requirements on the Pearson Vue Online Exam page under Additional Information. It is also your responsibility to run a system test BEFORE registering for an online proctored exam. Visit the Pearson Vue online exam page to run a system test.

Whether you decide to take your exams at a testing center or online, the purchase process on the ISM website is the same. After purchasing your exam, your purchase confirmation email will contain details about how to schedule your exam through Pearson Vue. After you’ve selected the exam you want to take, choose the “home or office” option. Follow the remaining prompts to complete the scheduling process. Once you have successfully scheduled your exam appointment, you will be sent a confirmation email that will provide you with your appointment details and important things to know for your exam.

Like the exams taken at a Pearson VUE testing center, online proctored exams are also live proctored. The only difference is that with online proctored exams, you are monitored by a remote proctor, along with enhanced security features and artificial intelligence technology.

The proctors speak English. In order to take an online proctored exam, you must be able to communicate verbally in English with the proctor. If you are unable, or not comfortable doing so, please schedule your exam at a local Pearson VUE testing center.

Online exams are currently not available in the People's Republic of China, Japan, Slovenia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria.

You can find the replacement certification request form and instructions here.