| GLOSSARY
OF TERMS
Assessment
Assessment is the way in which CIPS will measure whether or not a student is able to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and ability to apply their learning in any given situation.
An
assessment could be an examination, assignment or project.
Command
Words
Command
words are generally verbs that are used to indicate the level of
learning undertaken. They tend to be hierarchical in nature. For
example, at the CIPS Certificate qualification at Level 3, a command
word will be ‘demonstrate’ or ‘explain’,
whereas a command word at Graduate Diploma level will be ‘synthesise’,
or ‘critically evaluate’.
These words reflect the level of complexity of your learning and
ultimately your assessment. at that level.
Compulsory Core Units
These
units are specifically CIPS units that must be taken as part of
the overall CIPS qualifications. For the purpose of this glossary,
these are the units that sit within the Graduate Diploma at Level
6.
Compulsory Units
These are units that you must take either through CIPS or an alternative
awarding body that constitute necessary knowledge and understanding
to fulfil learning requirements for CIPS qualifications. If you
have undertaken equivalent learning or have equivalent related experience
to the compulsory units from somewhere else you may either be exempt
from learning, or gain accreditation for prior learning or experience.
Entry Level
This
is the point at which you will enter the CIPS qualifications ladder.
This entry will be based upon pre-requisite knowledge, understanding
and experience.
There
will be entry points in CIPS qualifications from Level 2 to Level
7.
Exemptions
Students who have successfully completed certain post-school studies
may apply for exemptions from equivalent courses in their programme
of study.To earn an exemption from either levels of qualifications
or option units within qualifications you should contact CIPS.
Please note that gaining an exemption, does not mean that you gain
an exist award at that level, rather that you bypass that level
of learning because of equivalent learning and achievement gained
elsewhere.
Exit Award
An
exit award is in essence a qualification. CIPS will have six exit
awards in total.They are:
• Introductory Certificate in Purchasing and Supply
• Certificate in Purchasing and Supply
• Foundation Diploma in Purchasing and Supply
• Advanced Diploma in Purchasing and Supply
• Graduate Diploma in Purchasing and Supply
For each qualification you study, you will receive a Certificate
of Achievement confirming your exit award.
Indicative
Content
The knowledge required in order to fulfil the learning objective and achieve the learning outcomes – in other words what you need to know in order to achieve
Integrative Units
Integrative units are intended to help students see connections between all aspects of their learning within a particular level of qualification. For the purpose of CIPS qualifications, each qualification will have an integrative unit.
Learner
Member who is studying a CIPS qualification
Learning Objectives
Determines the level of learning you must undertake in order to achieve the learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes
A goal for attainment, which indicates what you need to know and be able to do to complete your studies in a particular subject area.
Each unit has six to seven learning outcomes which outlines what you will achieve as a result of your learning in that particular unit.
Level
Exit awards will have a level assigned to them. For example: Level 3 will be the Certificate in Purchasing and Supply.
This level determined the complexity of learning, the depth of learning and the comparison of learning with other qualifications.
CIPS will ultimately have qualifications at Levels 2 to 7. The levels
are as follows:
•
Level 2 – Introductory Level – this is for somebody
new to the purchasing and supply professional and often in a junior
capacity
• Level 3 – Junior technical – also potentially
new to learning
• Level 4 – Operational/junior manager/new to the profession
• Level 5 – Manager/specialist role
• Level 6 – Senior managers/specialist professional
• Level 7 – Strategic manager
The levels are determined by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority,
who are the Government regulator for education, and enable a clear
understanding nationally of the level of a person’s learning
and ability in that field. National Qualifications Framework This
framework is a Government Framework, where qualifications that are
approved by Government, as being fit for purpose, and meeting the
quality criteria, are listed.
Qualifications listed within this Framework are monitored against
a variety of quality measures to ensure quality of qualification,
associated procedures and delivery.
Optional Units
These are units where you have choice an opportunity to specialise
in an area of interest. There is an opportunity to select two optional
units at Advanced Diploma and two optional units at Graduate Diploma.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) QCA is the Government
regulator for professional bodies such as CIPS, and act as the caretaker
of qualifications included with the National Qualifications Framework.
Qualifications Ladder
This ladder represents the hierarchical nature of CIPS qualifications. The ladder has six steps within it. It starts with an Introductory Certificate through to the Graduate Diploma. Each step of the ladder is represented by qualification with an ‘exit award’.
Strands
CIPS have introduced a new concept called ‘strands’.
Strands are commonly occurring themes through the CIPS qualifications,
that do not warrant a unit in their own right, but that are important
holistically to the learning undertaken within CIPS qualifications.
They are areas of importance, innovation and some emerging themes,
such as:
• Quality Management
• International issues
• Business Finance
• Information Management
• External factors
Transitional Arrangements
These arrangements enable students who are currently part way through their studies to move to the new qualifications. Transition recognises previous CIPS exam passes, previous CIPS exemptions. CIPS will ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the introduction of new qualifications.
Unit
A segment of learning within the CIPS qualifications, which has a value in terms of hours of learning.
Each unit is individual, has its own title, rationale and content. A unit will also have an assessment attached to it in order to demonstrate achievement and conclusion of the learning.
Weightings
Weightings are allocated to each unit, to determine how the learning can be sensibly split.
Each unit has a content weighting of 100%. Within each unit, each subject area is given a weighting e.g. 20% or 25%.
This weighting indicates the level of input and learning required by the deliverer and the learner in order to complete the subject area.
However, the weighting do not necessarily reflect the marks that may be allocated to a question in that subject area of the unit.
CIPS
- MCG Centre Number - 005031578
 |
