CIPS Level 3 study plan
CIPS Level 3 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Procurement and supply principles
Define the stages of the procurement cycle (identify need, specify, source, contract, manage, review) and map each stage to a real example from your own organisation or a public case
Distinguish procurement from purchasing and from supply chain management, and write a one-paragraph explanation of each difference in your own words
Explain the concepts of value for money, whole-life cost and total cost of ownership, and calculate a simple three-year TCO comparison for two hypothetical suppliers
List the main objectives of a procurement function and rank them by importance for a private-sector manufacturer versus a public-sector body
Your checkpoint
A one-page procurement cycle diagram with each stage annotated by a real example, plus a 300-word written comparison of procurement, purchasing and supply chain management
Procurement and supply principles
Describe the main sourcing approaches (single source, multiple source, competitive tender, framework agreement) and state one advantage and one risk of each
Explain the purpose and structure of a specification, and draft a short functional specification for a simple good or service
Outline the key contents of a contract (scope, price, payment terms, delivery, warranties, termination) and identify which clauses protect the buyer most
Summarise the role of ethics and codes of conduct in procurement and list four behaviours a professional buyer must avoid
Your checkpoint
A 500-word briefing note comparing three sourcing approaches for a named category, including a draft functional specification of 150 words
Procurement and supply operations
Explain the difference between a requisition, a purchase order and an invoice, and describe how each fits into the purchase-to-pay process
Describe the three-way match (order, receipt, invoice) and explain what happens when a mismatch occurs
Identify the main methods of supplier selection and evaluation, including pre-qualification questionnaires and weighted scoring
Outline the stages of tendering from advert to contract award, noting the documents produced at each stage
Explain the purpose of incoterms and payment terms in an international purchase
Your checkpoint
A process map of purchase-to-pay from requisition to payment, with each control point labelled and a 200-word note on how three-way matching prevents error and fraud
Procurement and supply operations & Procurement and supply stakeholder relationships
Define stakeholder mapping and apply a power/interest grid to five stakeholders in a procurement project
Explain the difference between internal and external stakeholders and give two examples of conflicting priorities between them
Describe how supplier relationship management differs from transactional purchasing and identify when each is appropriate
Draft a short communication plan for a sourcing project, stating audience, message, channel and frequency
Your checkpoint
A completed power/interest stakeholder grid for a named procurement project, plus a one-page communication plan covering at least four stakeholder groups
Procurement and supply stakeholder relationships
Explain the purpose of negotiation in procurement and distinguish distributive from integrative negotiation
Identify the stages of a negotiation (preparation, opening, bargaining, closing) and list the preparation activities a buyer must complete
Describe the roles of the three main parties in a negotiation: buyer, seller and any internal technical expert
Explain how to handle a supplier dispute or underperformance conversation constructively, including escalation steps
Your checkpoint
A negotiation preparation sheet for a named purchase, including objectives, walk-away position, tradeables and a planned opening position
Procurement and supply workflow and systems
Describe the core modules of a procurement or ERP system (requisitioning, catalogue, purchase orders, receipts, invoicing, supplier master data) and what each stores
Explain how e-procurement tools such as e-tendering, e-auctions and catalogues change the buying process
Identify the data protection and confidentiality issues that arise when handling supplier and stakeholder information
Explain why accurate master data matters and describe the consequences of a duplicate or incorrect supplier record
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated diagram of a procurement system showing at least six modules, the data each holds and the flow between them
Procurement and supply workflow and systems & Procurement and supply principles
Explain how procurement systems support compliance, audit trails and spend analysis, and describe one report a buyer could run to identify maverick spend
Describe how performance measurement (KPIs such as on-time delivery, cost savings, supplier quality) is captured and used
Revisit the procurement cycle and explain how system controls reinforce each stage
Identify three risks of over-reliance on automated procurement systems and suggest a mitigation for each
Your checkpoint
A 400-word report describing a spend analysis exercise: which data you would extract, which report you would run and what action you would recommend
Procurement and supply principles & Procurement and supply operations & Procurement and supply stakeholder relationships & Procurement and supply workflow and systems
Consolidate all four domains by producing a one-page summary of key definitions, models and processes for each
Complete at least 60 practice questions across all four domains and record your score by domain
Review every incorrect answer and write a correction note explaining the underlying concept
Rehearse exam technique: timing per question, reading the command verb and eliminating distractors
Your checkpoint
A scored practice paper with a domain-by-domain results table and a written correction log for every wrong answer
Milestones
Week 2: You can explain the procurement cycle, three sourcing approaches and the purpose of a specification without notes, and your briefing note is complete
Week 4: You can describe purchase-to-pay end to end, explain three-way matching and produce a stakeholder grid for any given scenario; aim for 60% or better on a Domain 1 and 2 practice set
Week 6: You can outline the stages of a negotiation and name at least six modules of a procurement system with the data each holds; aim for 60% or better on a Domain 3 and 4 practice set
Week 8: You score 70% or better overall on a full mixed practice paper, with no single domain below 60%, and your correction log is complete