APICS Practice Test

APICS exams, run by ASCM, are taken on a computer at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVUE. This page gives candidates free practice sets by topic, worked questions with explanations, and a plain summary of the format, scoring and retake rules, so you can see what to practise before you book. Practice with the free American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (9 questions with answer explanations).

Free American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified Study Tools

Interactive American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:

• APICS Supply Chain & Strategy — 9 questions with answer explanations
• American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified flashcards — review key terms and concepts card by card
• American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified study guide — topic-by-topic overview of what the exam covers
• American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified cheat sheet — one-page printable summary for last-minute review

APICS Exam at a Glance

What changed for APICS in 2026

• Jun 1, 2026: ASCM published CPIM Exam Content Manual version 9.0, effective June 1, 2026.^[5]

What the APICS is and how it works

According to ASCM, “Each exam consists of 150 questions (130 operational and 20 pretest).”^[1]

APICS certification exams are set by ASCM and delivered on a computer, either at a Pearson VUE test center or online through the OnVUE system. They are offered on demand, year-round, so you choose your own test date.

Each exam has 150 questions: 130 are scored and 20 are pretest questions. Scores run from 200 to 350, and 300 or higher is needed to pass. Your result is released immediately after you finish.

After you buy, your authorization to test (ATT) expires 6 months later, or 12 months if it was bundled, so book within that window. Rescheduling or cancelling carries a non-refundable $45 fee.

If you do not pass, there is a 14-day waiting period before a retake. The retake fee is $400 for members with a certification upgrade and $500 for members and nonmembers.

Once certified, you keep the credential valid by earning and submitting 75 maintenance points every 5 years (100 for Fellows). Certifications that are not maintained in that time are suspended.

Eligibility, exam content and fees differ between APICS certifications and can change. Check the ASCM certification pages and the Pearson VUE APICS page before you register.

Worked examples: how to reason through APICS questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: How do changes in demand affect S&OP?

1. They increase production costs.
2. They require adjustments in production, inventory, and supply chain management.
3. They reduce forecasting accuracy.
4. They lead to longer lead times.

Answer: B. They require adjustments in production, inventory, and supply chain management.

Explanation:

The correct answer is that changes in demand require adjustments in production, inventory and supply chain management. S&OP exists to keep supply aligned with expected demand, so when demand moves, the plan has to move with it: schedules, inventory targets and supplier or transport orders are revisited.

Higher production costs may follow in some cases, but that is a side effect, not what the process does. Reduced forecasting accuracy is not an automatic result; a demand change is new information that feeds a revised forecast. Longer lead times are what poor adjustment can cause, not what a demand change inherently brings.

Rule to remember: in S&OP, a demand change triggers a rebalancing of the whole plan, not a single fix.

Example 2

Question: What is the main goal of demand management?

1. To increase inventory levels.
2. To match supply with customer demand while minimizing costs.
3. To reduce supplier contracts.
4. To reduce customer demand.

Answer: B. To match supply with customer demand while minimizing costs.

Explanation:

The correct answer is to match supply with customer demand while minimizing costs. Demand management means understanding customers, forecasting, and shaping demand where useful, so that the supply chain can meet it efficiently.

Increasing inventory levels is wrong because stock is a tool with a carrying cost, not the goal. Reducing supplier contracts is wrong because the number of contracts says nothing about balance between supply and demand. Reducing customer demand is wrong because the aim is to influence and serve demand, not shrink it; shaping may move demand in time or mix, but it is not an end in itself.

Rule to remember: demand management is about balance between supply and demand at sensible cost.

Example 3

Question: What is the FIRST consideration when designing a solution in American Production and Inventory Control Society Certified practice?

1. Available budget constraints
2. Understanding requirements, constraints, and stakeholder needs
3. Selecting the preferred technology or method
4. Establishing the project timeline

Answer: B. Understanding requirements, constraints, and stakeholder needs

Explanation:

The correct answer is understanding requirements, constraints and stakeholder needs. A design can only be judged good if you know what it must achieve and what limits it must respect, so this step comes before any choices are made.

Budget constraints matter, but they are one constraint among others and only make sense once requirements are known. Selecting the preferred technology or method too early commits you to a solution before you know the problem. Establishing the timeline is also premature, because the work involved cannot be estimated without the requirements.

Rule to remember: when a question asks what comes first in design or problem solving, choose the option about understanding the need before the options about tools, cost or schedule.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official ASCM content outline for your certification, since this page does not list its content areas. Note which topics feel weakest.

Then work through the practice sets by topic rather than as a mixed run. Good starting points are Demand Management, Sales & Operations Planning, Inventory Management and Supply Planning. After each set, read every explanation, including those for questions you got right, and write down the rule behind each miss.

Next, move to Scheduling & Capacity Planning, Manufacturing Operations & Execution, Procurement & Sourcing, Logistics & Distribution, Lean Manufacturing, and the Supply Chain Strategy sets (here and here). Return to weak topics and repeat sets until you can explain an answer, not just recognise it.

In the final days, take the full practice test in a sitting under timed conditions and use the result only to decide what to review. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to practise reasoning and rely on ASCM material for official definitions. Book your date inside your ATT window.

Sources & last verified

1. ASCM — number of questions, passing score, retake fee, retake policy (official source). “Each exam consists of 150 questions (130 operational and 20 pretest).” Verified Oct 24, 2026 · source checked Oct 20, 2026.
2. pearsonvue.com — exam fee (official source). “There is a non-refundable USD $45 rescheduling and cancelation fee.” Verified Oct 24, 2026.
3. ASCM — validity, renewal (official source). “Certifications not maintained in five years will be suspended.” Verified Oct 24, 2026.
4. ASCM — delivery, score release (official source). “Administered via computer-based testing at PearsonVue test centers worldwide, and online through OnVUE system.” Verified Oct 24, 2026.
5. ASCM — other (official source). “EXAM CONTENT MANUAL EFFECTIVE DATE June 1, 2026 VERSION 9.0” Verified Oct 24, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.