Free CIPS L4M3 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 3

Hire purchase is an arrangement for buying expensive consumer goods, where the buyer makes an initial down payment and pays the balance plus interest in installments. Ownership is not transferred until the end of the agreement, hire purchase plans offer more protection to the vendor than other sales or leasing methods for unsecured items. That's because the items can be repossessed more easily should the buyer be unable to keep up with the repayments.

The answer is 'When the final instalment is paid'.

From the supplier’s perspective, well-constructed KPIs:

Focus on critical success factors (A) – allows the supplier to allocate resources effectively and improve performance where it matters most.

Clarify expectations (C) – clear KPIs reduce confusion and misunderstandings about what the buyer actually needs.

Options B, D and E are either negative or nonsensical from a supplier-advantage viewpoint:

Cutting quality (B) is not a legitimate advantage; it increases risk.

Sharing best systems with competitors (D) is definitely not an advantage.

Ensuring they do not exceed performance levels (E) is not beneficial; suppliers often want to exceed targets for reputation or gain-share.

Hank’s pre-contractual assurances may amount to misrepresentation. Fraudulent misrepresentation is a strong possibility since Hank had carried out no investigations into the viability of the project timescales. This could amount to recklessness in using information without taking any steps to see if it is true or not.

The scenario above was constructed based on the case BSkyB v EDS, a famous case in IT sector.

LO 1, AC 1.2

Procurement staff in the Hospital is forcing suppliers into fixed price contract. If the costs generally rise, supplier may operate at a loss. This situation can disrupt the relationship, that is the reason why some suppliers refusing to deal with BDH and a few going out of business mid-way.

Alternative methods could be variable pricing arrangement. This method would reimburse the fluctuation of market price. It will also benefit buyer if the market price drops. This type of arrangement should be applied to long-term contracts (i.e. 18 months or more).

KPIs are used to monitor supplier's performance. They can be qualitative or quantitative. Of course, service providers can be monitored by quantitative KPIs regarding the outcome achieved (such as uptime in IT contracts), timeliness of deliveries (such as in construction contracts)...

Specifications are normally attached as schedules and form part of the contract; they define deliverables and performance standards.

Therefore, once signed, they become legally binding — errors or ambiguity can create disputes.

Qualitative performance measures capture subjective or non-numerical aspects of service, such as customer satisfaction, perceptions, and opinions. These are often gathered through surveys or interviews. While quantitative data is crucial, qualitative insights can reveal hidden issues and improve relationship management.

Reducing specification detail can be safely managed by referencing industry standards and inviting suppliers to propose solutions. This supports flexibility and innovation while ensuring clarity and alignment with established quality benchmarks. Acronyms and samples (options 1 and 4) are not substitutes for formal specification methods.

In a fixed price contract:

The price is agreed and stays fixed, regardless of changes in actual costs (unless a separate adjustment clause exists).

Key risks:

If costs rise significantly (materials, labour, etc.), the supplier’s profit is squeezed or wiped out and the supplier may default or fail to perform → (A) is a recognised risk.

If costs fall, the supplier’s actual cost base drops but the selling price is fixed, allowing the supplier to make excess or windfall profits → (D) is another recognised risk.

The other options:

(B) Under a pure fixed price arrangement, the supplier is normally not entitled to claim for unforeseen additional costs unless expressly provided for.

(C) An inflation-linked price is not truly “fixed”; that’s a variable/indexed price mechanism.

(E) A supplier may attempt legal action in some circumstances but “will sue if he makes a loss” is not a standard, defined procurement risk in fixed price contracts.

ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was adopted in 1948. The Declaration commits Member States to respect and promote principles and rights in four categories, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.

These categories are: freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced or compulsory labour, the abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.