The CPO Suite Programs are not just about proving you can pass an exam; they are about investing in yourself and your career development. You’ll learn to develop your negotiation tactics, improve supplier performance, conduct strategic sourcing, and implement procurement technologies. When we combine your ambition with our knowledge, you will become an incredible resource for an employer, and you will open up opportunities for your future. All of our courses, exams, resources, etc., can be accessed on any device with an internet connection, making your classroom accessible wherever you are.

After you have enrolled in one of our certification programs, you will receive access to our state-of-the-art learning management system (LMS), which houses all of your required courses and resources. Accessing the LMS is accomplished by signing into your My Account page. We have based all of our content and courses on our CPO-Body of Knowledge (CPO-BOK). For more information on the CPO-BOK, visit the Why NLPA page.

To earn a certification credential, you must prove your grasp of the required skills and concepts by passing an exam. You must demonstrate your ability to apply the knowledge that you have gained.

Your certification cycle begins the day that you pass your exam and lasts for one year. During the first year after earning your certification credential, you are automatically in “good standing.”

Using our certification credentials makes a statement to the world; it declares our acknowledgment that you have achieved specific learning outcomes relative to a given standard. To avoid credential suspension or expiration, you must complete recertification before the end of the certification cycle.

To continue using a certification credential, we require evidence that you are continuing your education and are still a member of the NLPA. This requirement ensures your knowledge is always at the given level necessary to call yourself a Certified Procurement Operations Specialist, Professional, Manager, or Expert.

There are two ways to earn the status of “good standing.” Being in the first year of a certification cycle grants it automatically. To maintain the status after that, you must achieve recertification before the end of your certification cycle. Recertification occurs when you have completed 8 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs), submitted CEH records to your account, and have a Standard or Premium Membership. Click here to read more about what qualifies as a CEH and the process of submitting them.

We will contact you 90 days before the end of your certification cycle to confirm if you have met recertification requirements.