The SIPC examination

Exam format

The SIPC examination is a single, proctored online assessment, designed to test whether you can apply the Practice Guide methodology to realistic scenarios — not just recall its contents.

Syllabus

The examination tests the four phases of the Practice Guide. Topic weightings are balanced so that no single phase dominates — the credential signals competence across the full cycle, not depth in one corner of it.

Phase 1 — Discover (≈25% of questions)

• The Mandate: scoping the engagement before fieldwork starts.
• Analytical priming for community-level problems.
• Stakeholder identification and analysis using the AAA model (Authority, Acceptance, Ability).
• Primary beneficiary identification.
• Cause-and-effect analysis of the problem and its impacts.

Phase 2 — Define (≈25% of questions)

• Outcome statements and the definition of success.
• Gap analysis between current and desired state.
• SMART criteria for outcomes and indicators.
• The SPICE problem-definition framework (Situation, Problem, Impact, Causes, Evidence).
• The “How might we…?” question canvas.

Phase 3 — Develop (≈25% of questions)

• Structured ideation: Brainstorming, Brainwriting, SCAMPER, TRIZ, Delphi, Nominal Group Technique.
• Solution enrichment and clustering.
• Shortlist evaluation against problem boundaries.
• Idea-to-prototype transition criteria.

Phase 4 — Deliver (≈25% of questions)

• Logic Model: Inputs → Activities → Outputs → Outcomes → Long-term Impact.
• Indicators, means of verification, and assumptions.
• Prototyping ladder: low-fidelity (Role Play, Storyboards, Paper Prototype) and high-fidelity (Digital Prototype, Functional Demo, Service Simulation, MVP, Pilot, Beta).
• Measurement: KPIs, NPS, learning logs, evidence maps.
• The Pivot/Persevere matrix and outcome weighting.
• The Promise of Change and the seven-part Call to Action pitch.

Levels of cognition

Questions are distributed across Bloom’s cognitive levels so that the exam tests both recall and the higher-order judgement that matters in real practice. Indicative distribution:

• Remember and Understand (≈30%) — recall of frameworks, terminology, and definitions.
• Apply (≈35%) — given a short scenario, choose the appropriate phase, framework, or activity.
• Analyse and Evaluate (≈25%) — given a richer scenario with conflicting signals, judge which evidence matters and what to do next.
• Create (≈10%) — design-style questions that ask you to compose elements of the methodology (e.g., draft a “How might we?” question, choose a prototyping path).

Across phases and cognitive levels, 80% of questions are scenario-based — you are given a brief situation and asked to act on it, not to define a term in isolation.

Reference material

The single authoritative reference for the examination is the Social Innovation Practice Guide, published under CC BY 4.0. Everything tested in the exam is in the guide.

Optional further reading is listed in the guide’s bibliography. Optional reading is not tested — questions are drawn only from the guide itself, so candidates can be confident that mastering the guide is sufficient to pass.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites. SIPC is open-access by design — anyone can sit the exam regardless of degree, job title, or years of experience.

In practice, candidates who pass tend to share two things:

• They have read the Practice Guide end-to-end, with attention to the canvases and worked examples.
• They have applied at least some of the methodology to a real or constructed problem before sitting the exam.

Most candidates prepare with an accredited trainer; self-study is fully supported by the guide alone.

Booking and taking the exam

Booking is handled by certN, ADP’s exam partner. You can book directly through their platform once you are ready.

Results are typically released within 5 working days, with a diagnostic breakdown by phase so you can see where you were strongest.

Renewal

SIPC is valid for life. There is no renewal fee, no continuing-education requirement, and no expiry date on your certificate.

ADP publishes future editions of the Practice Guide with explicit changelogs. Holders of an earlier edition’s certificate may opt to be recognised against the latest edition by passing a short delta exam — this is optional, not required.