CON 3990V Exam Flashcards

Q: What is the current CON 3990V format?

It is a closed-book, 150-question multiple-choice exam delivered through Pearson VUE. The three-hour seat time includes the introduction, tutorial, exam, permitted in-person breaks, and review. A score of 70% is required to pass.

Q: How is the 150-question blueprint divided?

Guiding Principles has 42 questions, Pre-Award 30, Award/Form Contract 40, and Post-Award 38. These 50 cards use proportional whole-card coverage of 14, 10, 13, and 13 cards respectively.

Q: Who may take CON 3990V?

The exam is restricted to DoD government civilian and military personnel. Candidates need agency approval through the Training Authorization System and an Authorization to Test before scheduling with Pearson VUE.

Q: What happens after an unsuccessful DoD attempt?

Wait at least 30 days, obtain a new TAS approval and Authorization to Test, and follow any component remediation requirement. DoD permits no more than three attempts in any 12-month period.

Q: Did the exam change for the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul?

Yes. WarU states that an updated CON 3990V exam went live March 31, 2026 to reflect the RFO and related DFARS class deviations. Study the currently applicable FAR, DFARS, and deviations rather than superseded wording.

Q: What experience is required for DoD Contracting Professional certification?

The current certification standard requires 12 months of full-time experience applying a representative sample of contracting competencies. Education cannot substitute for that first year of experience.

Q: How is the certification kept current?

DoD contracting professionals must complete at least 80 continuous-learning hours every two years. CON 7300V Price Analysis becomes an additional certification training requirement on October 1, 2026, so candidates should verify the standard in effect when they apply.

Question 1

Who can legally bind the Government to a contract?

Accepted Answer

Only a contracting officer acting within the limits of a valid warrant or delegated authority. A COR, program manager, or technical expert cannot change price, scope, schedule, or other contract terms unless separately authorized as a contracting officer.

Question 2

How should the acquisition team's roles be divided?

Accepted Answer

The requirements owner defines the mission need; technical, legal, finance, small-business, and other specialists advise within their expertise; and the contracting officer integrates the business decision and exercises contractual authority.

Question 3

After the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, what policy sources should a CON 3990V candidate apply?

Accepted Answer

Use the currently effective FAR text together with DFARS, applicable class deviations, and component procedures. Do not rely on a superseded FAR citation merely because it appeared in older training material.

Question 4

What does the federal acquisition life cycle cover?

Accepted Answer

It begins with defining the need and acquisition strategy, continues through solicitation, evaluation, award, and administration, and ends only after performance, final payment, property and records actions, and contract closeout are complete.

Question 5

What is an unauthorized commitment, and how is it corrected?

Accepted Answer

It is an agreement made by a Government representative who lacked authority to bind the Government. It does not become valid merely because work occurred; an authorized official must evaluate ratification under the applicable rules.

Question 6

What is the default competition principle in federal contracting?

Accepted Answer

Promote full and open competition to the maximum extent required by law and policy. If an exception is used, establish the applicable authority, approvals, market facts, and documented rationale rather than treating incumbency as enough.

Question 7

What core elements support formation of an enforceable Government contract?

Accepted Answer

An authorized Government representative, lawful offer and acceptance, consideration, a lawful purpose, available funds, and compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. Apparent authority is not enough against the United States.

Question 8

How do responsiveness, technical acceptability, and responsibility differ?

Accepted Answer

Responsiveness asks whether a sealed bid promises exact compliance; technical acceptability asks whether an offer meets evaluated requirements; responsibility asks whether the prospective contractor has the integrity, resources, and capability to perform.

Question 9

What information does the Procurement Integrity Act protect during a procurement?

Accepted Answer

Contractor bid or proposal information and source-selection information. Government and contractor personnel must not knowingly disclose or improperly obtain it before award, and post-employment and compensation restrictions may also apply.

Question 10

What is the safe response to a possible conflict of interest or gratuity?

Accepted Answer

Disclose it promptly, avoid participating while it is evaluated, and follow ethics and contracting-officer direction on recusal, mitigation, or disqualification. Do not decide privately that the issue is too small to matter.

Question 11

What is a reliable first step when a contracting scenario is ambiguous?

Accepted Answer

Identify the life-cycle phase, the actor's authority, the verified facts, the governing current rule, the affected stakeholders, and the consequence of delay. Then compare lawful options and document the risk-based decision.

Question 12

What keeps an acquisition team effective during disagreement?

Accepted Answer

Shared mission outcomes, explicit roles and decision rights, evidence-based challenge, timely escalation, and one coordinated Government message to industry. Productive dissent should improve the decision without creating conflicting direction.

Question 13

What should the official contract file demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

A complete, auditable history of the transaction: authority, approvals, competition, evaluations, negotiation and price rationale, funding, award, modifications, surveillance, acceptance, payments, disputes, and closeout actions as applicable.

Question 14

What should a COR do after a contractor treats oral technical guidance as a change?

Accepted Answer

Clarify that the COR cannot change the contract, stop further unauthorized direction, notify the contracting officer immediately, and document what was said and what work or cost may have resulted.

Question 15

How should a requirement be written to support competition and performance?

Accepted Answer

State the mission outcome, measurable performance standards, constraints, and acceptance criteria. Avoid unnecessary design prescriptions or brand-specific features unless the need and authority are justified.

Question 16

What should an acquisition plan integrate?

Accepted Answer

The requirement, schedule, funding, market research, competition approach, small-business strategy, contract type, source-selection method, risks, approvals, data and cybersecurity needs, and post-award administration strategy.

Question 17

What supports a commercial product or commercial service determination?

Accepted Answer

Evidence of how the item or service is offered and sold in the marketplace, customary commercial practices, modifications, and relevant pricing or terms. Administrative convenience alone does not establish commerciality.

Question 18

What sources should be considered before creating a new open-market solicitation?

Accepted Answer

Check mandatory and required sources, existing contracts and vehicles, interagency options, and small-business opportunities under current policy. Document why the selected approach best meets mission, competition, schedule, and value needs.

Question 19

How must solicitation requirements, proposal instructions, and evaluation factors relate?

Accepted Answer

They must be internally consistent. Ask offerors for the information evaluators need, evaluate only the disclosed factors and subfactors, and ensure those factors meaningfully distinguish performance of the stated requirement.

Question 20

How should the Government handle a material solicitation change?

Accepted Answer

Issue an amendment through the authorized contracting channel, give all affected offerors the same material information, and provide adequate response time. A private clarification must not create an unequal competitive advantage.

Question 21

When is sealed bidding generally appropriate compared with negotiated acquisition?

Accepted Answer

Sealed bidding fits when requirements are clear, discussions are unnecessary, adequate competition is expected, and award can be based on price and price-related factors. Negotiation permits exchanges and evaluation under stated nonprice factors.

Question 22

What is the basic difference between a solicitation provision and a contract clause?

Accepted Answer

A provision primarily governs submission and evaluation before award; a clause establishes rights and obligations in the resulting contract. Select the currently applicable prescriptions, including effective deviations, and avoid obsolete language.

Question 23

What should a contractor consider in a disciplined bid/no-bid decision?

Accepted Answer

Customer need, strategic fit, capability, capacity, performance and supply-chain risk, compliance burden, competition, contract terms, and expected return—using lawful public or authorized information, never protected source-selection information.

Question 24

What makes an offer easy for the Government to evaluate?

Accepted Answer

Trace each response to the solicitation, substantiate technical and price assertions, include required representations and certifications, identify assumptions or exceptions clearly, and submit the complete offer through the specified channel on time.

Question 25

How do price analysis, cost analysis, and cost realism differ?

Accepted Answer

Price analysis evaluates the total proposed price without examining separate cost elements; cost analysis evaluates individual cost elements and profit; cost realism tests whether proposed costs are realistic for the work and may support an evaluated probable cost.

Question 26

What can support a fair-and-reasonable price determination?

Accepted Answer

Adequate competition, market research, published or market prices, historical prices adjusted for differences, independent estimates, parametric methods, and cost analysis when appropriate. The contracting officer documents why the chosen evidence is reliable.

Question 27

When are certified cost or pricing data obtained?

Accepted Answer

Only when the applicable threshold and requirements are met and no exception applies. The offeror certifies that required data are accurate, complete, and current as of the date of agreement on price, subject to current law and policy.

Question 28

What tests generally govern whether an incurred cost is allowable?

Accepted Answer

The cost must be reasonable, allocable, consistent with applicable cost principles and accounting standards, permitted by the contract, and adequately supported. A reasonable contract price does not automatically make every incurred cost allowable.

Question 29

What belongs in prenegotiation objectives?

Accepted Answer

The facts and data relied on, key issues, Government positions and targets, price and nonprice priorities, risk, negotiation authority, concession strategy, and rationale for the range of acceptable outcomes.

Question 30

What fairness rules apply when conducting competitive discussions?

Accepted Answer

Address meaningful proposal weaknesses or deficiencies as required, avoid favoring one offeror, do not disclose another offeror's protected solution or price, and give remaining offerors a common opportunity to submit final proposal revisions.

Question 31

What should the price negotiation memorandum record?

Accepted Answer

The acquisition and proposal background, data considered, Government objectives, significant issues, the negotiated result, and the contracting officer's rationale for price fairness and reasonableness and other material terms.

Question 32

May evaluators use an unstated criterion because it seems important?

Accepted Answer

No. Evaluate proposals solely against the solicitation's stated factors and subfactors. If a new material consideration is necessary, the contracting officer should amend the solicitation and preserve a fair opportunity to respond.

Question 33

How does a best-value tradeoff differ from LPTA?

Accepted Answer

A tradeoff may justify paying more for superior nonprice value when the solicitation permits and the rationale is documented. LPTA selects the lowest-priced proposal meeting the stated acceptability standards without paying a premium for superiority.

Question 34

What does a responsibility determination address before award?

Accepted Answer

Whether the prospective contractor has adequate resources, schedule capability, performance record, integrity, organization, controls, equipment, and legal eligibility. A small-business nonresponsibility issue may require referral for a Certificate of Competency.

Question 35

How does a bid protest differ from a Contract Disputes Act claim?

Accepted Answer

A protest challenges the conduct or result of an acquisition, usually before or around award. A claim is a written demand arising under or relating to an existing contract and follows the disputes process, including a contracting officer's final decision when required.

Question 36

What is the goal of alternative dispute resolution in contracting?

Accepted Answer

Resolve the issue earlier, fairly, and at lower cost through a mutually acceptable neutral process while protecting legal rights, authority, and required deadlines. ADR does not authorize an official to exceed settlement authority.

Question 37

What should a lawful debriefing accomplish?

Accepted Answer

Explain the evaluation and award decision within the permitted scope, give useful feedback, and protect other offerors' proprietary and source-selection information. If a material procurement defect is found, consider timely corrective action.

Question 38

Can a post-award kickoff meeting change the contract?

Accepted Answer

No. It aligns roles, communication, deliverables, surveillance, invoices, and schedule, but only an authorized contracting officer can modify contractual obligations through the proper instrument.

Question 39

What is the COR's core post-award function?

Accepted Answer

Perform the surveillance and technical-administration duties specifically delegated in writing, document performance, and report issues promptly. The COR does not supervise contractor employees or make contractual commitments.

Question 40

What must be checked before exercising an option?

Accepted Answer

The option terms, notice and timing requirements, continuing need, funds, price and market conditions, contractor performance, required determinations and approvals, and whether exercise is the most advantageous method under current policy.

Question 41

What should happen before approving an invoice for payment?

Accepted Answer

Verify that billed work or supplies match contract terms, acceptance or progress criteria are satisfied, quantities and rates are supported, funding and payment clauses are applied, and any discrepancy is documented and routed for resolution.

Question 42

What is the relationship between a QASP and contractor quality control?

Accepted Answer

The QASP defines how the Government will assess measurable performance outcomes. It does not replace the contractor's responsibility to control its own processes and deliver conforming supplies or services.

Question 43

How do inspection and acceptance differ?

Accepted Answer

Inspection determines whether supplies or services conform to contract requirements. Acceptance is the authorized Government act acknowledging conformity and generally has legal consequences for payment, warranties, and later rejection rights.

Question 44

What should the Government do when performance is nonconforming?

Accepted Answer

Document the facts, preserve evidence, assess mission and safety impact, notify the contracting officer, and choose an authorized remedy such as correction, rejection, price reduction, or other contractual action. Do not accept silently or direct extra work without authority.

Question 45

Does Government consent to a subcontract relieve the prime contractor of responsibility?

Accepted Answer

No. The prime remains responsible for contract performance, subcontract management, and required flowdowns. Consent normally creates neither contractual privity nor a direct Government obligation to the subcontractor.

Question 46

How do unilateral and bilateral contract modifications differ?

Accepted Answer

A unilateral modification is signed only by the contracting officer under an existing authority, such as an authorized change or administrative action. A bilateral modification is signed by both parties and records mutual agreement.

Question 47

What separates an in-scope change from an out-of-scope change?

Accepted Answer

Ask whether the change is within the original competition's general scope and reasonably anticipated nature, magnitude, and purpose. A cardinal or out-of-scope change generally requires a new competition unless a valid exception is approved.

Question 48

What is a constructive change?

Accepted Answer

Government conduct is reasonably interpreted as requiring work beyond the contract even though no formal change order was issued. The contractor should give timely notice and document impact; the contracting officer evaluates authority, entitlement, and equitable adjustment.

Question 49

How do termination for convenience and termination for default or cause differ?

Accepted Answer

Convenience ends work in the Government's interest without treating the contractor as at fault and provides the contract's settlement process. Default or cause responds to contractor failure and requires adequate factual support and procedural safeguards.

Question 50

What must be resolved before administrative contract closeout?

Accepted Answer

Confirm physical completion and final acceptance, settle final invoices and indirect rates when applicable, disposition property, resolve claims and subcontracts, recover excess funds, complete performance records, obtain required releases, and retain the file under the proper schedule.

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