CPCM Practice Questions
Prepare for CPCM with more than an answer.
- Level
- Professional
- Valid for
- 3 years
Domains covered on the exam 7
- Leadership14.3%
- Management14.3%
- Guiding Principles14.3%
- Pre-Award14.3%
- Award14.3%
- Post-Award14.3%
- Learn14.3%
- 1
The government issues a unilateral contract modification under the 'Changes' clause that deletes a portion of the work. This action is known as a:
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Correct answer: D
A deductive change is a formal, unilateral modification issued by the contracting officer that reduces or deletes a portion of the work required under the contract. This action typically results in a downward equitable adjustment to the contract price. A constructive change is an informal action that has the effect of a change, and a cardinal change is one that is outside the scope of the original contract.
- 2
As a contract manager for a company that frequently does business with the Department of Defense, you are required to ensure ethical conduct. Which of the following situations would constitute a violation of the Procurement Integrity Act? (Select TWO)
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Correct answer: B, C
- 3
A contractor's accounting system must be adequate for determining costs applicable to a contract. Which government agency is primarily responsible for conducting audits to determine the adequacy of a contractor's accounting system for most defense contracts?
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Correct answer: B
The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is the agency responsible for performing all necessary contract audits for the Department of Defense (DoD) and providing accounting and financial advisory services. A key function is auditing contractor accounting systems to ensure they comply with federal regulations like FAR and CAS and are adequate for accumulating costs under government contracts.
- 4
A prime contractor for a federal agency wants to add a new subcontractor to their team after contract award. The prime contract is a cost-reimbursement type and exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold. What is the prime contractor typically required to obtain from the Contracting Officer before awarding the subcontract?
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Correct answer: C
According to FAR Subpart 44.2, Consent to Subcontract, the government's consent is required before a prime contractor can award certain subcontracts. This is particularly common for cost-reimbursement, time-and-materials, or labor-hour prime contracts. The process allows the CO to review the proposed subcontract and the selection process to ensure it's in the government's best interest.
- 5
The government is acquiring services that will require the contractor to have access to sensitive but unclassified government information on its internal IT systems. To protect this information, the solicitation must include clauses requiring the contractor to implement specific cybersecurity controls. The process flow for this is shown below. What regulation is the source of these mandatory clause requirements?
flowchart TD A[Identify Need for CUI Access] --> B{Is contractor an IT Service Provider?}; B -->|Yes| C[Include DFARS 252.204-7012]; B -->|No| C; C --> D[Require NIST SP 800-171 Implementation]; D --> E[Flow Down Requirements to Subcontractors]; E --> F[Mandate Cyber Incident Reporting];Show answer details
Correct answer: C
The requirements to safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), implement NIST SP 800-171 security controls, and report cyber incidents are specifically mandated for Department of Defense contractors by DFARS clause 252.204-7012, 'Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting.' This is a critical DFARS requirement for any contractor handling CUI.
- 6
A prime contractor on a major DoD acquisition program has just received formal notification that their Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 assessment failed due to deficiencies in their incident response plan. The contract contains DFARS 252.204-7021 and requires CMMC Level 2 for contract execution. As the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), what is the most appropriate initial action?
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Correct answer: B
The most appropriate initial step is to issue a cure notice as per FAR 49.402-3. This formally notifies the contractor of the specific failure (not maintaining required CMMC certification) and provides them a defined period to propose a remedy. A T4C is too drastic as an initial step, a stop-work order may not be necessary yet, and directing a specific subcontractor is outside the PCO's privity of contract.
- 7
A federal agency is procuring cloud computing services and intends to award a multi-year contract. The requirements document emphasizes the need for cost efficiency and ensuring the government benefits from commercial price reductions over the life of the contract. Which contract clause would best achieve this objective?
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Correct answer: C
A Most Favored Customer (MFC) clause, often used in GSA Schedules and commercial item acquisitions, ensures that the government gets the benefit of the best price the contractor offers to any other customer. In a dynamic market like cloud computing where prices often decrease, this clause contractually obligates the provider to lower the government's price in line with commercial offerings. An EPA clause typically addresses inflation, not price decreases. The defective pricing clause is for pre-award issues, and incentive fees reward performance, not market price adjustments.
- 8
During a source selection for a research and development contract, the Source Selection Authority (SSA) is presented with two proposals. Proposal A has a significantly higher technical rating but is 20% more expensive than Proposal B. The solicitation stated that technical factors are significantly more important than cost. According to FAR Part 15, what is the key determination the SSA must document to justify awarding to Proposal A?
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Correct answer: C
In a best value tradeoff process where technical factors are more important than cost, the SSA must document why the superior features or quality of the higher-priced proposal warrant paying the price premium. The core of the tradeoff decision is not just that the price is reasonable, but that the added value is worth the added cost. Proposal B does not need to be unacceptable for this decision to be made.
- 9
A contract manager is leading a newly formed integrated project team (IPT) for a high-visibility acquisition. The team includes members from contracting, program management, legal, and engineering, who have never worked together. The manager observes conflict and a lack of clear direction. According to the Tuckman model of group development, which leadership style is most effective during this 'Storming' phase?
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Correct answer: C
The 'Storming' phase is characterized by conflict and a struggle for status as team members assert their positions. An effective leader acts as a coach, providing strong directional guidance, clarifying roles and responsibilities, establishing processes, and mediating conflicts to help the team move toward the 'Norming' stage. A delegating or purely supportive style would be ineffective and could allow the conflict to derail the team.
- 10
A contractor performing a cost-reimbursement contract submits an invoice that includes costs for extravagant holiday parties for its employees. The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is most likely to question these costs based on which principle from FAR Part 31, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures?
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Correct answer: B
According to FAR 31.201-3, a cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person in the conduct of competitive business. Extravagant holiday parties would likely fail this 'prudent person' test. While entertainment costs are also subject to allowability rules (FAR 31.205-14), the primary test failed by 'extravagant' spending is that of reasonableness.
