CPIM Exam in Egypt: Format, Test Centers and How to Book
Read this guide in Arabic: اقرأ بالعربية
The CPIM exam is the part of the process Egyptian candidates worry about most and research least. They spend months on MRP logic and then discover, a week before the date, that their national ID will not be accepted or that their neighborhood has an evening power cut schedule that overlaps the online proctoring slot. This guide covers the format, where you can sit it in Egypt, how to book, and what to do when things go wrong.
The format: one exam, 150 questions, 3.5 hours
Since 2023 CPIM has been a single exam. There is no Part 1 and Part 2 anymore, although you will still see the old structure described in forum posts and in second hand books circulating in Cairo. The current exam has 150 multiple choice questions in 3.5 hours. Of those, 130 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items that ASCM is trialing for future exams. You cannot tell which is which, so treat every question as if it counts.
Scoring is scaled from 200 to 350 and the pass mark is 300. The scale is not a percentage, so do not try to convert it into a number of correct answers; different exam forms carry slightly different difficulty and the scaling adjusts for that. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, which means you should never leave a question blank.
The content follows the ASCM exam content manual, which the body refreshes every few years, most recently in 2026 at the time of writing. The domains cover supply chain strategy, demand management, sales and operations planning, master scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity, inventory management, distribution, quality and continuous improvement, and the technology that supports all of it. Planning and inventory carry the most weight, which is why candidates from scheduling and materials roles at plants in 6th of October City and the 10th of Ramadan zone tend to feel at home.
Language and question style
The exam is delivered in English. ASCM has offered translated versions of some exams in particular markets over the years, but in Egypt you should plan for English, and the Learning System you study from is in English as well. The vocabulary is specific: available to promise, planning time fence, period order quantity, bill of material explosion. If these terms are new to you, the language is a bigger hurdle than the concepts.
Questions are mostly scenario based. You read three or four sentences about a plant or a distribution center, then choose the best action, or compute a figure. An on screen calculator is provided, so there is no excuse for arithmetic errors, but there is also no time to be slow. Three and a half hours for 150 questions is about 84 seconds each. Our first attempt study plan explains how to practice at that pace, and our free CPIM practice questions show you the question style before you pay for anything.
Where to sit the CPIM exam in Egypt
You have two options, and both are booked through Pearson VUE.
The first is a Pearson VUE authorized test center. Greater Cairo has several, including the center on the American University in Cairo campus in New Cairo, which is a short drive from our Fifth Settlement office and the one many of our learners choose. Availability changes, so use the Pearson VUE center locator for the live list and open dates rather than relying on a colleague's experience from two years ago. Candidates in Alexandria or the Suez Canal zone usually travel to Cairo for the day or choose the online option.
The second is OnVUE, Pearson VUE's online proctored delivery. You sit the same exam at home, watched through your webcam by a remote proctor, with your room checked on camera before you start. It is convenient and it removes the Cairo traffic variable, but it is less forgiving of technical problems, which we come to below.
One point of clarity, because it causes confusion in our enquiries. For some programs we run in Egypt, such as the IPSCMI and ACI certifications, the exam is administered through Blue Ocean. CPIM is not one of them. Every CPIM exam, for every candidate everywhere, is booked and delivered through Pearson VUE on behalf of ASCM. We prepare you; we do not run the exam.
How to book, step by step
- Create or log in to your ASCM account. Self study candidates buy the exam there, usually as part of the Learning System bundle. If you are enrolled in our Certified in Planning and Inventory Management program, do not buy it yourself: our fee includes the course, the exam and the certification fee, as the course page states.
- Wait for the authorization to test email from ASCM. It carries the details you need to schedule and it has an expiry window, typically around six months at the time of writing.
- Go to the Pearson VUE site for ASCM, sign in, and choose test center or OnVUE. For a center, pick the Cairo location and a date; for online, pick a date and time and run the system test on the exact laptop you will use.
- Check that the time zone shows Cairo. Confirmations occasionally default to US time and candidates have turned up a day late.
- Save the confirmation email and the reschedule link. You will want both.
ID rules Egyptian candidates must get right
Pearson VUE requires a valid, unexpired, government issued ID with your photo and signature, and the name must match your ASCM registration. For most Egyptians that means a passport. The national ID card is printed in Arabic only, and a proctor who cannot match the Roman letters on screen to your card will turn you away without a refund. We have seen it happen in New Cairo.
Check your ASCM profile today. If it shows a shortened version of your name and your passport has the full version, correct the profile well before booking, as our CPIM requirements guide for Egypt explains. If your passport has expired, renewing it is part of your exam budget. For online delivery, you will hold the passport up to the camera, so make sure it is the physical document and not a scan on your phone.
Exam day, rescheduling and when online proctoring fails
At a test center, arrive 30 minutes early. Everything goes into a locker: phone, watch, notes, water. The clock keeps running during any break. In our experience the AUC campus check in is calm; the Ring Road at 8 am is not, so plan the drive.
For OnVUE, close every other application, clear the desk completely, and tell the household the door stays shut for four hours. Egypt's summer load shedding is the specific local risk. If your area has a scheduled power cut, either book outside that window or sit at a test center. A laptop battery survives a cut; your router usually does not, so a mobile hotspot as backup is sensible.
Rescheduling is done through your Pearson VUE account and is normally free if you do it at least a day or two before the appointment, with ASCM's policy setting the exact cutoff, so check it on your confirmation. Missing the appointment without rescheduling forfeits the fee.
If the online check in or the exam itself fails for technical reasons, contact Pearson VUE support through the chat or phone number on your confirmation immediately, while the problem is happening, and note the case number. Then email ASCM certification support with that number. Candidates who report within the hour are usually rebooked without charge; candidates who wait until the next morning struggle.
Exam fees, retakes and the full budget are covered in our article on CPIM certification cost in Egypt. For everything else we have written on this credential for Egyptian professionals, start at the CPIM guides hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the CPIM exam and how long is it?
The CPIM exam has 150 multiple choice questions and lasts 3.5 hours. Of the 150, 130 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items that you cannot identify, so answer every question. It has been a single exam since 2023; the old Part 1 and Part 2 structure no longer exists.
What is the passing score for the CPIM exam?
Scores are reported on a scale from 200 to 350 and you need 300 or higher to pass. The scale is not a percentage and varies slightly between exam forms, so you cannot translate it into an exact number of correct answers. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
Where can I take the CPIM exam in Cairo?
At any Pearson VUE authorized test center with open seats, including the center on the American University in Cairo campus in New Cairo. The list of centers and their availability changes, so check the Pearson VUE locator when you book rather than relying on older advice.
Can I take the CPIM exam online from home in Egypt?
Yes, through Pearson VUE's OnVUE online proctored service. You need a quiet private room, a laptop that passes the system test, a webcam, a stable connection and your passport. Plan around any scheduled power cuts in your area, and keep a mobile hotspot as backup.
Which ID is accepted at the CPIM exam in Egypt?
A valid, unexpired, government issued ID with photo and signature whose name matches your ASCM account exactly. For Egyptian candidates that is normally a passport, because the national ID card is printed in Arabic only. Fix any name mismatch in your ASCM profile before you book.
Is the CPIM exam available in Arabic?
Plan for English. ASCM has offered translations of some exams in certain markets, but candidates in Egypt should expect the English exam and English study materials. If technical English is your weak point, start the vocabulary work early rather than hoping for a translated version.
