Certification

Choose either CPPO or CPPB to get started or check out the Comparison to find the UPPCC Certification that’s right for you

Formal Education

Formal education refers to the completion of an educational program (degree, certificate or diploma) that is offered by a post-secondary institution for higher learning (college or university). A Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution in the U.S. or the international equivalent is required to apply for the CPPO. Completion of a bachelor’s (or higher) degree is not required to apply under Option 2 for CPPO.

Experience

Procurement experience is defined as the length of time employed in a position where the applicant has responsibility to perform essential functions within the procurement cycle. The procurement cycle is defined as the sequence of activities that are carried out in the acquisition and disposition of supplies and services. A minimum of 50% of the required years of experience must be in public sector. The remaining experience may be from either public or private sector.

Further, applicants for CPPO only must have a minimum of 3 of the total years of experience in a procurement management role. This may be in a role that has total responsibility for procurement for the entity or the responsibility for one or more procurement management functions (e.g. management of contracts) or the direct supervision of procurement personnel (e.g. buyers).

Coursework/Training

Contact hours can be earned in a variety of ways by many types of educational providers. Courses can be taken in-person or online, through colleges/universities, professional associations or private companies. Applicants can earn 1 contact hour for every 1 clock hour of instructor-led education up to a maximum of 8 contact hours per day. Instructor-led education includes live conferences, workshops, seminars, or classes. Courses taken at the formal education level (colleges/universities) that earn credit hours also qualify for contact hours at a rate of 16 contact hours per 1 credit hour. All activities must have been completed within the previous 10 years, be related to the practice of procurement and fully supported by documentation.

Formal Education

Formal education refers to the completion of an educational program (degree, certificate or diploma) that is offered by a post-secondary institution for higher learning (college or university). A Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution in the U.S. or the international equivalent is required to apply for the CPPO. The completion of a 2-year education program from a post-secondary institution or higher is required to apply under Option 1 for CPPB. Completion of the 2-year degree is not required to apply under Option 2 for CPPB.

Experience

Procurement experience is defined as the length of time employed in a position where the applicant has responsibility to perform essential functions within the procurement cycle. The procurement cycle is defined as the sequence of activities that are carried out in the acquisition and disposition of supplies and services. A minimum of 50% of the required years of experience must be in public sector. The remaining experience may be from either public or private sector.

Further, applicants for CPPO only must have a minimum of 3 of the total years of experience in a procurement management role. This may be in a role that has total responsibility for procurement for the entity or the responsibility for one or more procurement management functions (e.g. management of contracts) or the direct supervision of procurement personnel (e.g. buyers).

Coursework/Training

Contact hours can be earned in a variety of ways by many types of educational providers. Courses can be taken in-person or online, through colleges/universities, professional associations or private companies. Applicants can earn 1 contact hour for every 1 clock hour of instructor-led education up to a maximum of 8 contact hours per day. Instructor-led education includes live conferences, workshops, seminars, or classes. Courses taken at the formal education level (colleges/universities) that earn credit hours also qualify for contact hours at a rate of 16 contact hours per 1 credit hour. All activities must have been completed within the previous 10 years, be related to the practice of procurement and fully supported by documentation.

Formal Education

Formal education refers to the completion of an educational program (degree, certificate or diploma) that is offered by a post-secondary institution for higher learning (college or university). A Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution in the U.S. or the international equivalent is required to apply for the CPPO. The completion of a 2-year education program from a post-secondary institution or higher is required to apply under Option 1 for CPPB. Completion of the 2-year degree is not required to apply under Option 2 for CPPB.

Experience

Procurement experience is defined as the length of time employed in a position where the applicant has responsibility to perform essential functions within the procurement cycle. The procurement cycle is defined as the sequence of activities that are carried out in the acquisition and disposition of supplies and services. A minimum of 50% of the required years of experience must be in public sector. The remaining experience may be from either public or private sector.

Further, applicants for CPPO only must have a minimum of 3 of the total years of experience in a procurement management role. This may be in a role that has total responsibility for procurement for the entity or the responsibility for one or more procurement management functions (e.g. management of contracts) or the direct supervision of procurement personnel (e.g. buyers).

Coursework/Training

Contact hours can be earned in a variety of ways by many types of educational providers. Courses can be taken in-person or online, through colleges/universities, professional associations or private companies. Applicants can earn 1 contact hour for every 1 clock hour of instructor-led education up to a maximum of 8 contact hours per day. Instructor-led education includes live conferences, workshops, seminars, or classes. Courses taken at the formal education level (colleges/universities) that earn credit hours also qualify for contact hours at a rate of 16 contact hours per 1 credit hour. All activities must have been completed within the previous 10 years, be related to the practice of procurement and fully supported by documentation.

Exam Schedule

All UPPCC certification examinations are administered via computer at a Prometric testing center. Examinations will be delivered daily, Sunday through Saturday at a time and location selected by the candidate. Beginning with the 2025 exam year, Spring examinations will be administered on May 1st – 15th and Fall exams will be administered on October 17th – 31st each year. Please see the schedule below for the October 2024 and May 2025 exam deadlines.

  Fall Examinations Spring Examinations
Exam Application Window Opens May 27, 2024 Nov 8, 2024
Application Submission Deadline Aug 19, 2024 March 3, 2025
Application Submission Late Deadline Sep 2, 2024 March 18, 2025
Approved Candidates Schedule Exam By Sep 16, 2024 March 31, 2025
Exam Dates October 14-26, 2024 May 1-15, 2025