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About this exam

The SLLC Intermediate is a professional supply chain credential aimed at practitioners who already handle day-to-day planning, sourcing, or logistics work and want to demonstrate broader command of the end-to-end chain. It suits coordinators, planners, buyers, warehouse and transport supervisors, and analysts moving toward a role that spans functions rather than sitting inside one silo. The exam is delivered as multiple choice and is weighted across nine domains: strategy and network design, demand planning and forecasting, procurement and supplier management, production planning and inventory control, warehousing and materials handling, transportation and distribution, logistics operations and customer service, technology and data analytics, and risk, sustainability, and compliance. Questions test applied judgement rather than recall alone, so expect scenarios where you must choose between defensible options. Preparation works best in two passes: first close knowledge gaps in the two or three domains you touch least at work, then practise scenario reasoning across domain boundaries, because the heaviest-weighted areas are strategy, production and inventory, and procurement. Build a one-page formula sheet for forecasting error, safety stock, and inventory turnover, and rehearse explaining trade-offs aloud. Confirm current administrative details, including scheduling and results, directly with the awarding body, since it publishes the authoritative figures.

What you'll study

Common questions

About SLLC Intermediate preparation

What is the exam format?

It is a multiple-choice examination covering nine weighted supply chain domains, from strategy and network design through to risk and compliance. The awarding body publishes the current number of questions and the sitting time on its website; check there before you book, as these details are updated periodically and are not fixed here.

How difficult is the SLLC Intermediate compared with entry-level certificates?

It assumes working familiarity with planning, sourcing, or logistics, so it rarely rewards pure memorisation. The hard part is scenario questions where two answers look reasonable and you must weigh cost, service, and risk. Candidates with two or more years of hands-on operational exposure generally find the vocabulary and trade-offs intuitive.

What happens if I fail - can I retake it?

Retake rules, waiting periods, and any fees are set by the awarding body and can change, so confirm them on its official site rather than relying on forums. In practice, most candidates who fail are weak in one or two domains; use the score report to target those before rebooking instead of repeating a full generic review.

How should I order my study across the nine domains?

Start with the three heaviest-weighted domains: strategy and network design, production planning and inventory control, and procurement and supplier management. Then cover demand planning, transportation, warehousing, and customer service. Leave technology and analytics plus risk and compliance for last, since they are lighter but often supply easy marks.

How much preparation time is realistic?

There is no official study-hour requirement. Candidates already working in supply chain typically need a few weeks of focused review, while career changers should allow longer. Judge readiness by practice scores and your ability to explain trade-offs, not by hours logged, and reserve the final week for scenario practice rather than new material.

What are the most common failure modes?

Three recur: memorising formulas without knowing when to apply them, ignoring the lighter domains and losing easy marks, and answering from habit rather than reading the scenario's constraints. Watch for qualifiers such as lowest cost, shortest lead time, or highest service level, because they change which option is correct.

Which calculations should I be able to do by hand?

Expect forecast error measures such as mean absolute deviation and bias, safety stock and reorder point logic, economic order quantity, inventory turnover and days of supply, and basic capacity or utilisation checks. Know what each result means for a decision, not just the arithmetic, since questions often ask for the implication.

Is the credential affiliated with a specific professional association?

This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any awarding body. Always treat the official exam handbook and the awarding body's website as the authoritative source for eligibility, content weighting, scheduling, and results.

How should I spend the final week before the exam?

Do timed mixed-domain sets rather than single-topic drills, then review every wrong answer to identify whether the gap was knowledge or misreading. Rehearse your formula sheet from memory, and confirm your appointment logistics with the awarding body. Avoid learning new topics in the last two days.