CPIM Certification in India: the Single-Exam CPIM Explained
| CPIM at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Awarding body | ASCM (formerly APICS) |
| Structure since 1 June 2026 | One exam. Part 1 and Part 2 cannot be tested after 31 May 2026 |
| Eligibility | ASCM states no education or experience requirement |
| Exam | 150 questions, 3.5 hours, computer-based |
| Scoring | 200 to 350; 300 and above passes |
| Where | Pearson VUE test centres in India, or online through OnVUE |
| Maintenance | 75 points every five years, or retake |
| Our preparation | CPIM course, live online with a self-paced option |
The short answer
If you plan demand, supply, production, materials or inventory, CPIM is the credential written for your job, and it is now simpler than it was: one exam instead of two. ASCM states no entry requirement. Prepare with us live online from anywhere in India, sit the exam at Pearson VUE or from home, and maintain it with 75 points every five years.
What changed in 2026
For years CPIM was two exams, Part 1 and Part 2, and Indian pages still describe it that way. Under ASCM's Exam Content Manual version 9.0 the credential moved to a single exam; the old Part 1 and Part 2 exams cannot be taken after 31 May 2026, and from 1 June 2026 every CPIM candidate sits one paper. If you passed Part 1 under the old structure, ask ASCM directly about transition rules; we will not guess at them here. If you are starting now, there is only one exam to plan for.
What CPIM covers
ASCM describes the current CPIM as one exam "covering nine modules of content". Our course is organised across the content ASCM tests: supply chains and strategy, sales and operations planning, demand, supply, detailed schedules, inventory, distribution, and quality, technology and continuous improvement, with master scheduling, MRP, capacity management and S&OP running through it. The outcomes are a planner's: forecast and plan demand, optimise inventory, apply MRP, align sales, operations and capacity, and connect planning decisions to business results.
Eligibility
ASCM's programme page and the Exam Content Manual state no education or experience prerequisite for the CPIM exam. We phrase that carefully, because it is an absence of a stated requirement rather than a sentence in which ASCM says "there are none". In practice it means no application to approve and no form to file: you purchase the exam and schedule it. In practice it also means the exam assumes you know what a bill of materials, a planning horizon and a safety stock are from work, not from a glossary; candidates with no planning exposure should start with a planning or inventory programme first (see warehouse, inventory and planning courses in India).
Sitting the exam, paying for it, keeping it
The mechanics are common to every ASCM designation and our CSCP explainer walks through them step by step; here are the points that matter specifically for CPIM. The paper is scored 200 to 350 with 300 to pass, and a large share of its 150 questions turn on calculation (MRP logic, safety stock, capacity and schedule arithmetic), so timed practice under exam conditions matters more here than for the other two designations. You book the sitting yourself with Pearson VUE once ASCM has issued your exam credit, at a test centre or from your desk through OnVUE; Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata and Kochi all have centres, and we time each cohort so the exam can follow within a few weeks of the final session. ASCM bills the learning system and the exam in US dollars at member and non-member rates; our rupee tuition is on the course page and the advisor confirms the combined total in writing rather than this page quoting a number that ASCM may change. After you pass, 75 maintenance points over each five-year cycle keep the designation alive; planners usually collect them through the ERP, S&OP and professional development they would do anyway.
How we prepare you
Live online cohorts with recordings and a self-paced track, built around the ASCM learning system with practice questions and timed mock exams. In-person sessions run at our New Delhi, Noida, Pune, Hyderabad or Kochi centres when numbers justify them; elsewhere in India you study online. Planning teams can take CPIM preparation as an in-house programme through corporate training in India.
CPIM, CSCP or CLTD?
CPIM is depth in planning and inventory. CSCP is breadth across the end-to-end chain and has had no eligibility requirement since December 2022. CLTD is logistics, transportation and distribution. All three are 150 questions in 3.5 hours with 75-point maintenance. Planners pick CPIM; generalists and managers pick CSCP; warehouse and transport managers pick CLTD. The supply chain certification comparison works through it by role; the CSCP and CLTD explainers cover the other two.
Who it suits in India
Demand and supply planners, master schedulers, production and materials planners, inventory managers and S&OP leads in manufacturing, pharma, automotive, FMCG, retail and distribution, and ERP users who want to understand the planning logic behind the system. Less suited to people who will not plan or schedule as a core duty, for whom CSCP is the better use of the same effort.
Frequently asked questions
Is CPIM still Part 1 and Part 2? No. Since 1 June 2026 CPIM is a single exam; the two-part exams cannot be taken after 31 May 2026.
What is the CPIM eligibility? ASCM states no education or experience requirement. You purchase the exam and schedule it.
How long is the CPIM exam? 3.5 hours, 150 questions; 300 on a 200 to 350 scale passes.
Can I take the CPIM exam in India? Yes, at Pearson VUE test centres across India or online via OnVUE.
How much does CPIM cost in India? ASCM's fees are set in US dollars and depend on membership; our tuition is in rupees on the course page. Ask the advisor for the current total.
Start your CPIM preparation
See the CPIM course page for the current cohort, format and rupee tuition, or speak to a course advisor.
