1. www.apics13.org1 APICS Test Preparation Some tips for taking APICS Certification Exams

2. www.apics13.org2 Study Suggestions Review the Exam Content Manual carefully. Review the outline - do you understand everything in the outline? What don't you understand? Review that material. Review the vocabulary - make sure you know the APICS definitions - from the APICS dictionary. Are there exceptions to the APICS definitions given in the Exam Content Manual? Know those definitions, too.

3. www.apics13.org3 Study Suggestion (Cont.) Attend class – Participate! Take the Sample Test Review Exam questions in the Participant Guide Go to the References! Additional reading Study Notes by Brian Wilcox

4. www.apics13.org4 Steps to Better Test Taking Do a memory dump as soon as you sit down : formulas, dates, etc. Read the question and answers and make a tentative selection Don’t pick the first “good” answer; select the BEST answer Reread the question and answers to confirm your selection

5. www.apics13.org5 Steps (Cont.) Use the “Mark-It” option for each question you are unsure of After the “first pass,” go back to the marked items After reviewing marked items, review everything else until you run out of time or you are satisfied you have done your best!

6. www.apics13.org6 Special Hints APICS likes answers that suggest empowerment, information sharing, speed, flexibility, feedback, partnerships, JIT, quality, etc. (Almost) Never say “never” — nor “always” Watch out for “EXCEPTS” Beware the obvious

7. www.apics13.org7 Special Hints (Cont.) Every item has four answer choices. Two are usually “throwaways,” one is almost right, and one is “best” You want the “best” answer Sometimes, you must pick the “least obnoxious answer” Leave no question unanswered — even if you don’t have time to read it!

8. www.apics13.org8 Special Hints (Cont.) On “Roman Numeral” questions, review the I,II,III,IV statements and select the “true” response(s). Then pick the a,b,c,d answer that matches your selection. If there isn’t an answer that matches your selection, attack the problem logically. Sometimes you get lucky! Don’t let experience get in the way!

9. www.apics13.org9 Be Prepared Have a light snack before starting If you use prescription glasses for computer work be sure to bring them If you have a cold bring tissues, cough drops, etc. Come early and stay calm! You don’t need pencils, calculators, etc.

10. www.apics13.org10 Sentence Structure menwere eaten in woods the Three by bear a Subject Predicate Adjective Prepositional phrase

11. www.apics13.org11 Student’s Top Four Problems Not studying the Exam Content Manual or sample questions Not knowing underlying concepts Trying to predict test questions Carelessness—not paying attention to the WORDS in questions

12. www.apics13.org12 Most Common Errors During the Test Not setting a schedule. You have about 2- ½ minutes for each question; allow about 1-½ minutes for the “first pass.” Use the extra time (about an hour) for review. Not knowing the considerations when changing your answer (and second guessing yourself out of a right answer!) Not checking the last step or comparing your scratch calculation to the answer selected

13. www.apics13.org13 The Feeling of Relief After Successfully Completing the Test!

14. www.apics13.org14 Prepared by: Bob Johnson CFPIM, CIRM APICS Course Content Expert President Robert D. Johnson Consulting St. Louis, MO USA With input from the following instructors: Bob Collins, CFPIM, CIRM Bill Latham, CFPIM, CIRM Jam Steiner, CPIM