Production Planning Certification

The Production Planning Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests production planning and control (PPC) for planners, schedulers and operations staff — planning fundamentals (master production schedule, BOM, routing and make-to-stock vs make-to-order), forecasting and aggregate/sales-and-operations planning, materials and inventory (MRP, lead time, safety stock, EOQ and reorder points), and scheduling and control (sequencing, bottlenecks, lean, JIT, Kanban and OEE). Written to ASCM/APICS planning concepts and lean manufacturing for 2026. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Production Planning Proficiency certificate (SOA-PP). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) exam content manual (ASCM (APICS)), Lean manufacturing and the lean enterprise (ASQ), Odoo Inventory documentation (routes, reordering rules, valuation) (Odoo S.A.) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Production Planning Certification, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures planning fundamentals, forecasting and aggregate planning, materials and inventory and scheduling and control and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Production Planning Proficiency certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) exam content manual (ASCM (APICS)); Lean manufacturing and the lean enterprise (ASQ); Odoo Inventory documentation (routes, reordering rules, valuation) (Odoo S.A.); SMRP Body of Knowledge (five pillars) and CMRP certification (Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Planning Fundamentals (MPS, BOM and Strategy); Forecasting and Aggregate Planning (Forecasting, S&OP and Strategies); Materials and Inventory (MRP, SafetyStock and EOQ); Scheduling and Control (Scheduling, Bottlenecks and Lean). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Production planner or scheduler, Operations or manufacturing manager, Supply chain or materials professional, Inventory controller and CPIM candidate. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Production Planning knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

The master production schedule (MPS) states what finished items to make and when, based on demand and capacity. Material requirements planning (MRP) then explodes that schedule through the bill of materials to calculate the quantities and timing of components and materials needed to meet it.

Make-to-stock produces finished goods to forecast and holds them in inventory for quick delivery, suiting standard, high-volume products. Make-to-order produces only after a customer order, reducing finished-goods inventory and suiting customised or low-volume products with longer acceptable lead times.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.