UPPCC
Certification Process
• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
• Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)
This presentation is the unofficial version on the
CPPO and/or CPPB recertification process
Presented by NAME HERE
Agenda
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What is CPPO or CPPB?
Why become certified?
Application & exam overview
Are you eligible to apply?
Application process
Approved application to test
Application cost
Q and A
Questions?
What is CPPO or CPPB?
Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)
• Supervisors of public purchasers/buyers
• Managers of public purchasing function
• First certificate issued in 1964
Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
• Perform public purchasing functions (buyers)
• Non-managerial or supervisory
• First certificate issued in 1991
What is CPPO or CPPB?
• The Universal Public Procurement Certification
Council (UPPCC) is an independent entity formed to
govern and administer the CPPO and CPPB
credentialing programs to the public procurement
profession.
• UPPCC alone verifies candidate eligibility, develops
and delivers certification examinations, and issues
the CPPO and CPPB credentials.
http://www.uppcc.org
Why become certified?
• Professional recognition
• Personal satisfaction
• Increased knowledge
• New career/advancement opportunities
• Signifies to others a specific level of
education and experience
• Increased credibility with clients
• Increased self-confidence
Why become certified?
• UPPCC credentials are portable and have
meaning wherever the designated individual
may go
• The CPPO and CPPB are globally recognized
credentials
• Demonstrate an established level of
knowledge necessary to competently perform
the work of a public procurement officer or
buyer
Application & Exam Overview
1. Go to www.uppcc.org
Review the UPPCC Handbook
Complete and submit the application
2. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for application review
3. Upon application approval, schedule exam
4. Pass the exam!
5. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for exam results
6. Recertify every 5 years
Are you eligible to apply?
CPPO Minimum Eligibility Requirements
 Bachelor's Degree
 Coursework/Training (only 1 of the following 3 options)
– 3 credit hours of public procurement coursework AND
72 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
– 6 credit hours of procurement-related coursework AND
72 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
– 174 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
 Experience
– 5 years of public procurement experience completed within the
previous 10 years, of which a minimum of 3 years is in a
management or supervisory position

See the application for further detail
Are you eligible to apply?
CPPB Minimum Eligibility Requirements
 Associate's Degree
 Coursework/Training (only 1 of the following 3 options)
– 3 credit hours of public procurement coursework AND
56 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
– 6 credit hours of procurement-related coursework AND
56 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
– 158 contact hours of "instructor-led" procurement training/education
 Experience
– 3 years of public procurement experience completed within the
previous 10 years

See the application for further detail
Are you eligible to apply?
Coursework/Training
http://www.uppcc.org/certified/coursework.aspx
• Formal Coursework
– Accredited
– Earn a passing grade
– Official, sealed transcript
• Procurement-Related Coursework
– Keywords in the title/course
description (see list on UPPCC
website)
– AND linked to the current Body
of Knowledge
 See the Handbook and Application for
further information
• Public Procurement Coursework
– Meets procurement-related
coursework definition AND contains
one or both of the public specific
keywords in the title/course
description: public or
government(al)
• Procurement Training/Education
– Procurement-specific
– Instructor-led
– Pass or earned a “C” or better
– Documented
– Examples such as live conferences,
workshops, seminars, or classes
Are you eligible to apply?
Public Procurement Experience
http://www.uppcc.org/certified/experience.aspx
For example, experience may be a position held that has
performed functions with procurement cycle such as:
• Determining customer
requirements
• Reviewing specifications
• Developing and issuing RFPs
and/or IFBs/ITTs
• Evaluating offers and
selecting the vendor,
• Negotiating
• Preparing the contract
and/or purchase order
• Maintaining vendor relations
 See the Handbook and Application
for further information
• Delivery of goods/services
• Contract administration or
management
• Warehouse and inventory
• MBE/WBE outreach
• Training personnel who teach
procurement-related courses
• Decentralized agents with
responsibilities similar or
equal to those performed
within a centralized
procurement department
Are you eligible to apply?
Additional Experience – CPPO Only
http://www.uppcc.org/certified/experience.aspx
• Public procurement management or supervisory experience
• Must include responsibility for overall procurement/material
management activities to include the supervision of procurement
personnel and/or the display of executive abilities involving
economic/financial, technical, statistical, legal and
administrative
 See the Handbook and Application
for further information
The Application Process
 Determine if you meet the requirements to apply
 Fill out, sign and submit the most recent application form
http://www.uppcc.org/certified/Application_Certification.pdf
 Attach the following:
– Cover letter (optional) noting any special circumstances
– Application fee
– Your official job descriptions
– Formal education documentation (e.g., transcripts)
– Coursework documentation (e.g., seminar certificates)
 Make a copy for your own records
 Receipt by UPPCC no later than the published application
deadline
Approved Application to Test
• Applications remain valid for 1 year following receipt by UPPCC
– Allows candidates to a maximum of two opportunities to test
– If testing is not completed within the timeframe, the applicant
must apply anew and submit required documentation and fees
• UPPCC offers semi-annual computer-based exams
– May and October (see the UPPCC website for specific dates)
– Directly schedule the test through Prometric
www.prometric.com
– Test administered at Prometric testing centers
– 190 multiple-choice scored questions (175 scored, 15 unscored)
– 4 options with only one as being correct
– 3.5 hours (no scheduled break)
Application Cost
Q: What are the current application fees?
A: The regular fee is $300. A reduced fee of $175 is available
for national members of either NASPO or NIGP.
Q: What forms of payment are accepted?
A: Check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express,
or purchase order payable to the UPPCC in U.S. currency.
Q and A
Q: Can I use my NIGP transcript for documentation?
A: Yes. NIGP members may submit copies of their member
profiles or NIGP transcripts as documentation for NIGP
national training/education.
Q: Where can I find quality procurement education?
A: See the UPPCC website for industry organizations offering
procurement education.
http://www.uppcc.org/certified/coursework.aspx
Q: Does the college transcript need to be sealed when it is
sent to UPPCC?
A: Yes
Q and A
Q: What does UPPCC recommend not to send in?
A: UPPCC does not need or want extra pieces of paper, as it
takes longer to review. Also, a PowerPoint is not needed.
No e-mail or fax applications.
Q: Will my application be accepted if it is late?
A: Yes, if the application is received within the 2-week
period after the published application deadline. There is
an additional $50 late fee required with the late
application. Applications received after the 2-week late
period will be held for review for the next testing period.
Q and A
Q: Any other helpful tips for me?
A: Yes! Give yourself enough time to arrive, get your sleep,
and dress comfortably, and relax. Bring your authorization
to test letter and photo ID. Secure your personal items, as
they won’t be permitted into the testing room.
Helpful NASPO Resources
• NASPO Procurement University Certification Webpage
o Exam Preparation Tips, List of Academic Institutions etc.
http://www.naspo.org/dnn/ProcurementUniversity/
Certification.aspx
• Opportunities for contact hours through NASPO Webinars,
Trainings and Conferences
http://www.naspo.org/dnn/
Questions?
Thank you for your interest