June 25, 2007 - Elevating its highly regarded Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certifications, the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC) today publicly revealed strategic program enhancements as part of an overall organizational goal to achieve third-party accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Internationally recognized ANSI accreditation will further elevate the stature of the CPPO and CPPB certifications as the unique and preeminent designations for purchasing professionals in public service.
The changes underway positively impact procurement practitioners seeking certification through improved testing methodologies that focus on assessment effectiveness, consistency, security, and detailed post-assessment feedback. The certification program enhancements culminate with the first offering of the new examinations October 20-25, 2008.
"The new administration process will provide a more controlled and standardized testing environment and a consistent testing experience for all candidates, which is very important to UPPCC" says Ann Peshoff, UPPCC Program Administrator.
Program enhancement highlights follow below. For additional details, please reference the UPPCC Program Enhancements FAQ document available at uppcc.org.
New Examination Format
The new CPPO and CPPB certification exams are computer-based and grounded in situational, scenario-based, multiple-choice questions. Through this questioning format, candidates are evaluated on their ability to apply knowledge gained from study and on-the-job experience. As a result of the higher cognitive level of questions developed for the exam, the UPPCC can better assess a candidate with fewer questions and, for CPPO candidates, eliminate the need for subsequent oral assessment.
To ensure the ongoing validity of its assessment tools, the UPPCC partnered with professional testing vendor, Thomson Prometric, to perform a Job Analysis Study. The results of the Job Analysis Study identify the specific skills, knowledge and abilities essential for competent practice in today's field of public procurement and drive the content of the new examinations.
Specific Testing Sites and Schedule
Effective with the October 20-25, 2008, exam period, CPPO and CPPB certification exams will be offered twice each year in May and October.
Examinations will be offered through Thomson Prometric's Professional Testing Network of more than 300 testing centers across the United States and Canada. The examinations will be offered daily during two, six-day testing periods. The first computer-based test administration will begin Monday, October 20, through Saturday, October 25, 2008.
Candidates will no longer need to secure their own proctor and location for testing and can enjoy a secure, consistent, and standardized testing experience. Once eligibility is established, candidates will schedule their examination directly with Prometric via phone or over the Web.
Detailed Exam Reporting
After examinations have been evaluated, the UPPCC will provide each candidate individualized feedback based on their test results. Candidates can apply this feedback to identify their strengths and weaknesses in each of the exam's topic areas. Successful candidates can use this post-test report to formulate plans for continued professional development. Unsuccessful candidates can apply the feedback to better focus their study efforts for re-testing. UPPCC also plans to provide a report to the industry following each administration of the exam to communicate the overall strengths and weaknesses of the testing population and, thereby, facilitate education.
Current CPPO/CPPB Examinations
The UPPCC will continue to offer the current examinations through July 31, 2008. Those individuals currently in process or those seeking to apply for certification in the near future should review the FAQ document document for detailed information on the transitional period and how they might be affected.
Important Dates to Remember
January 1, 2008
New certification fees go into affect
March 31, 2008
Application deadline to take the current CPPO or CPPB exam
July 21, 2008
Application deadline for new exams (October 2008 testing)
July 31, 2008
Last day to take the current CPPB or CPPO written examinations
September 15, 2008
Exam registration deadline for new exams (October 2008 testing)
September 30, 2008
Application deadline for the C.P.M. to UPPCC Bridge
December 31, 2008
Last day to take the written CPPB Bridge Exam
Last day to take the CPPO Bridge Exam
Last day to take the CPPO Oral Panel Exam.
The UPPCC is committed to the integrity of its certification programs and the professional development of public procurement professionals. "These changes bring us one step closer to our goal, which is to create a global recognition and acceptance of the CPPO and CPPB certifications as being representative of public procurement excellence" says Don Buffum, CPPO, UPPCC Council Chairman.
For more detailed information about the UPPCC changes, the UPPCC Program Enhancements FAQ is available at uppcc.org to help prospects, applicants, candidates and other interested parties better understand the upcoming changes.
The Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC) is an independent entity formed to govern and administer the Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certification programs. The CPPO and CPPB programs are highly regarded and respected among procurement professionals and employers involved in the public sector. To date, the UPPCC has certified well over 10,000 professionals primarily within the US and Canada as well as in other nations around the globe.