Supply Chain Certifications Compared
CPIM, CSCP, CLTD and ISM’s CPSM side by side.
APICS Certification
APICS Certification: What It Is Now And Which One To Take
What became of APICS, the four certifications that still carry the name, what each exam costs and which one fits your job.
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
What Is APICS Certification?
APICS certification is a supply chain credential from the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). APICS used to be the association’s own name. On January 22, 2019 it became ASCM: in the words of its chief executive, “as of January 22, we have officially become the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).” The credentials kept the old name. The same note promised that “APICS credentials and the APICS body of knowledge will continue to be the global standard in learning and professional development.”
That is why job ads, ASCM’s own pages and Pearson VUE, which runs the test centers, still say APICS. An APICS CPIM and an ASCM CPIM are the same credential, and anything earned before 2019 carried over.
The Four APICS Certifications
ASCM offers four certifications under the APICS name, and each covers a different slice of the work:
| Certification | What It Covers | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| CPIMCertified in Planning and Inventory Management | Planning and inventory inside the operation: supply chain strategy, sales and operations planning, demand, internal and external supply, inventory, detailed schedules, distribution, and quality and continuous improvement. | 9 |
| CSCPCertified Supply Chain Professional | The end-to-end supply chain: demand management and forecasting, global networks, sourcing, internal operations and inventory, forward and reverse logistics, supplier relationships, risk, and optimization, sustainability and technology. | 8 |
| CLTDCertified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution | Logistics specifically: logistics strategy, demand and capacity, customer and order management, warehouse and fulfillment center management, inventory, transportation, global logistics, reverse logistics and risk, and network design. | 9 |
| CTSCCertified in Transformation for Supply Chain | Leading an end-to-end supply chain transformation: diagnosing performance gaps, designing the change with frameworks such as the SCOR Digital Standard, and carrying it through. | 4 |
ASCM, each certification’s page, read October 9, 2026.
The CTSC’s four modules follow a transformation from start to finish: Supply Chain Transformation Overview, Preparing for Supply Chain Transformation, Executing Supply Chain Transformation and Review of Supply Chain Transformation.
Which APICS Certification To Take
Pick the one that matches the work you do or want to do. ASCM describes who each is built for, and this site’s career guides list the jobs where each comes up:
| Certification | Built For | Jobs That Cite It |
|---|---|---|
| CPIM | ASCM names the people it is for by task: ERP users and IT staff, planners at any level of the planning hierarchy, sales and operations planning teams, and anyone doing master production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity planning or manufacturing inventory control. | Supply Chain Manager, Supply Chain Analyst, Industrial Production Manager, Production Planner |
| CSCP | ASCM pitches it at people responsible for the supply chain end to end: sourcing strategy and supplier selection, inventory visibility, demand forecasting, and designing a network that scales. | Supply Chain Manager, Logistician, Supply Chain Analyst |
| CLTD | People whose work is the movement and storage of goods: transportation, warehousing and fulfillment, order management and logistics network design, where the make, deliver and return steps of the supply chain meet. | Supply Chain Manager, Logistician, Warehouse Manager, Transportation Manager, Logistics Coordinator |
| CTSC | People responsible, or hoping to be responsible, for supply chain transformation: choosing the frameworks, applying systems thinking to the options, organizing the roles and technology, and making improvements stick. |
ASCM, each certification’s page and the certification FAQ; jobs from this site’s career guides.
The common split: CPIM for planners, schedulers and inventory managers inside one operation; CLTD for transportation, warehousing and distribution; CSCP for roles that reach across suppliers, customers and the whole network. The CTSC is for people leading a large change to the supply chain rather than running part of it.
How The APICS Exams Work
All four use the same format: one exam of 150 questions (130 scored and 20 unscored pretest questions) in 3.5 hours. Scores run from 200 to 350, and 300 or more passes. You sit it at a Pearson VUE test center or online.
ASCM membership is optional, though members pay less. You buy an authorization to test, which expires six months after purchase (12 months when bought in a bundle), and ASCM recommends about 100 hours of study per exam. A candidate who fails must wait 14 full days before retaking the same exam.
Who Can Take An APICS Exam
For the CPIM, CSCP and CLTD, ASCM sets no education or experience requirement: anyone can buy an authorization to test, and its exam handbook lists no prerequisite. That makes them reachable for students and career changers as well as people already in the field. The harder question is whether the credential fits the job you want, which is what the table above is for.
What APICS Certification Costs
ASCM prices each exam twice: once for members who add its certification upgrade, and once for everyone else. The membership with the upgrade is $199 a year.
| Certification | Members | Everyone Else | Joining First |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPIM | $1,265 | $1,755 | $1,464 |
| CSCP | $1,450 | $2,015 | $1,649 |
| CLTD | $1,100 | $1,530 | $1,299 |
ASCM, each certification’s page. “Joining first” is the member fee plus a year of membership with the upgrade.
Joining first costs less than the nonmember price for every exam in the table. The CTSC is priced differently: ASCM sells it only as a bundle (a learning system, an exam voucher and a second-chance exam) for $2,275, and adds a year of membership to the price for anyone who isn’t already a member with the upgrade.
Keeping An APICS Certification Current
An APICS certification doesn’t last forever on its own. ASCM’s rule: “To keep your APICS certification valid, you must earn and submit 75 professional development maintenance points every five years (100 points for APICS Fellows).” If you hold more than one, “if you have more than one APICS certification, each certification must be maintained separately.” Holders aged 62 or older can convert a current certification to a lifetime designation, which ends the cycle.
Paying For An APICS Exam With The GI Bill
ASCM says veterans and transitioning service members may be able to use their GI Bill benefits to cover the CPIM, CSCP, CLTD and CTSC exams. Check your remaining benefit with the VA before you buy an authorization to test. For a degree rather than a credential, the supply chain degrees for military and veterans ranking scores schools on their Yellow Ribbon and VA records.
APICS vs. ISM: Where The CPSM Fits
The other big name in supply chain credentials isn’t APICS at all. The CPSM comes from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and is built for procurement and supply management. Unlike the CPIM, CSCP and CLTD, it asks for professional experience before it is awarded. The certifications comparison sets it beside the APICS credentials, and the CPSM guide covers its three exams.
FAQ
Is APICS The Same As ASCM?
APICS was the association’s name until January 22, 2019, when it became the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). APICS lives on as the name of ASCM’s certifications, so an “APICS certification” today is a credential from ASCM.
How Much Does APICS Certification Cost?
The exam alone runs from $1,100 (CLTD, members) to $2,015 (CSCP, nonmembers). ASCM’s membership with the certification upgrade is $199 a year and unlocks the lower price. The CTSC is sold only as a bundle, at $2,275.
Which APICS Certification Is Best For Beginners?
ASCM sets no education or experience requirement for the CPIM, CSCP or CLTD, so the choice is about the work, not seniority. CPIM suits planning and inventory roles, CLTD logistics roles, and CSCP roles that span the whole supply chain.
How Long Is An APICS Exam?
Each of the four is one exam of 150 questions in 3.5 hours, scored from 200 to 350, with 300 or more passing. ASCM recommends about 100 hours of study per exam.
Does APICS Certification Expire?
It stays valid while you earn 75 professional development points every five years, and each APICS certification is maintained separately.
Can You Use The GI Bill For APICS Certification?
ASCM says veterans and transitioning service members may be able to use GI Bill benefits to cover the CPIM, CSCP, CLTD and CTSC exams.
Keep Reading
CSCP Certification
The end-to-end supply chain credential, module by module.
CPIM Certification
The planning and inventory credential, module by module.
Master’s In Supply Chain Management
The degree route, ranked, for when a credential isn’t enough.
Sources
- 1 ASCM, “Check Out Our Transformation” (the change from APICS to ASCM), 01.25.19 Read .
- 2 ASCM, APICS certifications Read .
- 3 ASCM, CPIM (Certified in Planning and Inventory Management) Read .
- 4 ASCM, CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) Read .
- 5 ASCM, CLTD (Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution) Read .
- 6 ASCM, CTSC (Certified in Transformation for Supply Chain) Read .
- 7 ASCM, certification exam details (format, maintenance, GI Bill) Read .
- 8 ASCM, certification exam details and process Read .
- 9 ASCM, certification and credential FAQs Read .
- 10 ASCM, APICS Exam Handbook and Testing Policies Read .