Ready to excel in your CIPS L5M15 Exams
✨ Premium Access ✨
Access more CIPS L5M15 Exam Past Papers
Note: $4.99 grants you access to all papers (paper 1 – paper 10)
L5M15 Exams
L5M15 Past Exams
L5M15 Quick Exam-Ready Summary:
- Core Module
- Objective / Response Exam
- 1.5 hours Exam duration
- 60 Questions in exam
- 6 Credits Score
Principles & Context of Negotiation
Strategic role, ethics, power, culture, relationship management
Preparation & Planning
BATNA, ZOPA, cost analysis, market data, stakeholder mapping
Strategies, Styles & Tactics
Distributive vs integrative, Harvard model, psychological tactics, persuasion
Conducting & Managing Negotiations
Team roles, leadership, power types, digital negotiation, conflict resolution
Post-Negotiation & Improvement
Evaluation, lessons learned, benchmarking, capability building
CIPS L5M15 Exam Focus Areas – 2025 (Master List)
“These are core learning areas, but CIPS may include questions from other parts of the syllabus.” ⚠️
1. Principles and Context of Advanced Negotiation
- Core Concepts:
- Definition and objectives of negotiation at strategic level.
- Differences between tactical, operational, and strategic negotiations.
- Importance of power balance, trust, and long-term relationships.
- Ethical standards and professional integrity (CIPS Code of Conduct)
- Strategic Context:
- Negotiation as part of strategic sourcing and category management.
- Alignment of negotiation objectives with organisational goals.
- Internal vs external stakeholders and preparation alignment.
- Role of culture, environment, and context in global negotiations.
2. Preparation and Planning for Complex Negotiations
- Preparation Process:
- Defining objectives, BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), and reservation points.
- Gathering data: spend, supplier performance, market intelligence.
- Understanding the other party’s needs, pressures, and alternatives.
- Setting priorities and identifying negotiation variables (price, delivery, risk, innovation, ESG factors).
- Analytical Tools:
- SWOT, PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces for supplier market analysis.
- Cost analysis and should-cost modelling.
- Game theory and scenario planning.
- Stakeholder and power mapping (Mendelow’s Matrix, French & Raven’s Power Bases).
3. Strategies, Styles, and Tactics in Negotiation
- Negotiation Strategies:
- Distributive (win–lose) vs Integrative (win–win) approaches.
- Competitive, collaborative, and principled negotiation models.
- Harvard Negotiation Principles (interests, options, legitimacy, alternatives, communication, commitment).
- Use of ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement).
- Tactics and Behaviours:
- Common tactics: anchoring, silence, bluffing, good cop–bad cop, concession planning.
- Psychological and behavioural influences (emotions, heuristics, cultural dimensions).
- The role of persuasion, framing, and communication style.
- Managing difficult negotiations and deadlocks.
4. Conducting and Managing Negotiations
- Process Management:
- Setting the agenda, sequencing issues, and controlling tempo.
- Chairing and managing negotiation teams.
- Use of negotiation logs, minutes, and review templates.
- Role of leadership and emotional intelligence during discussions.
- Power and Influence:
- Types of power: legitimate, expert, reward, coercive, referent.
- Balancing dependency and leverage in long-term supplier relationships.
- Managing internal politics and cross-functional input.
- Digital and Remote Negotiation:
- Video conferencing and virtual negotiation challenges.
- Technology tools for analysis and recording outcomes.
- Non-verbal cues and etiquette in online settings.
5. Post-Negotiation Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
- Performance Review:
- Post-negotiation debrief and lessons learned.
- Comparing negotiated outcomes to objectives and KPIs.
- Supplier feedback and relationship impact.
- Contract alignment and communication of outcomes.
- Continuous Improvement:
- Capturing knowledge for organisational learning.
- Benchmarking negotiation performance.
- Training, mentoring, and competency development in negotiators.
- Embedding negotiation capability into organisational strategy.
View more CIPS Exams
Select the Exams you want to practice