FAC-C CERTIFICATION EXAM STUDY GUIDE | TESTBANK | PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS | EXAM PREPARATION | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 | ADVANCED
REVIEW | COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM
Examiner:
U.S. Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Federal Acquisition Framework
2. Acquisition Planning
3. Market Research
4. Competition Requirements
5. Contract Types
6. Source Selection
7. Cost and Price Analysis
8. Contract Administration
9. Performance Management
10. Ethics and Professional Responsibility
FAC-C || FEDERAL ACQUISITION || FAR || ACQUISITION PLANNING || MARKET
RESEARCH || COMPETITION || SOURCE SELECTION || CONTRACT TYPES || COST
ANALYSIS || PRICE ANALYSIS || PERFORMANCE-BASED ACQUISITION || CONTRACT
ADMINISTRATION || NEGOTIATION || ETHICS || PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY || RISK
MANAGEMENT || DOCUMENTATION || COMPLIANCE || BEST VALUE ||
PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT
QUESTION 1.
During acquisition planning for a complex IT modernization effort, the contracting
team determines that commercial solutions exist but require moderate configuration
to satisfy agency objectives. Which acquisition strategy is generally most consistent
with federal acquisition principles?
,A. Require a fully customized solution without evaluating commercial capabilities.
B. Conduct market research and maximize the use of commercial products and
services where appropriate.
C. Limit competition to a single incumbent contractor to reduce transition risks.
D. Delay acquisition planning until after receipt of vendor proposals.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Conduct market research and maximize the use of
commercial products and services where appropriate.
🔵 Explanation: Federal acquisition principles emphasize conducting meaningful
market research and acquiring commercial products or services whenever they can
reasonably satisfy agency needs. Automatically requiring customized development or
restricting competition without justification generally conflicts with acquisition policy.
Delaying planning until proposals are received weakens acquisition strategy and
increases risk.
QUESTION 2.
A contracting officer discovers that the government's independent cost estimate
differs significantly from every competitive proposal received. What should be the
most appropriate initial action?
A. Reject all offers solely because they exceed the estimate.
B. Increase available funding without further analysis.
C. Analyze the assumptions supporting both the estimate and the proposals before
determining the next acquisition decision.
D. Select the lowest-priced proposal regardless of technical merit.
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Analyze the assumptions supporting both the estimate and
the proposals before determining the next acquisition decision.
🔵 Explanation: A significant pricing discrepancy requires careful analysis to determine
whether the government estimate, vendor assumptions, or both require
reconsideration. Sound acquisition decisions rely on objective evaluation rather than
automatic rejection, funding increases, or selection based solely on price.
,QUESTION 3.
An acquisition team is developing evaluation factors for a technically sophisticated
requirement where mission success depends heavily on contractor innovation. Which
evaluation approach best supports a best-value decision?
A. Selecting the proposal with the shortest submission.
B. Using only price as the determining evaluation factor.
C. Evaluating technical capability, past performance, and price according to the
stated solicitation criteria.
D. Negotiating only with the incumbent contractor before evaluating other offers.
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluating technical capability, past performance, and price
according to the stated solicitation criteria.
🔵 Explanation: Best-value acquisitions typically evaluate multiple factors identified in
the solicitation, including technical merit, past performance, and price or cost.
Restricting evaluation to price alone or favoring the incumbent without proper
competition undermines fairness and procurement integrity.
QUESTION 4.
While preparing a solicitation, an acquisition professional recommends including
only performance outcomes rather than prescribing detailed methods for
accomplishing the work. What is the primary advantage of this approach?
A. It reduces the government's responsibility to monitor contractor performance.
B. It allows contractors greater flexibility to propose innovative solutions while
remaining accountable for measurable results.
C. It guarantees lower contract prices.
D. It eliminates the need for quality assurance.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. It allows contractors greater flexibility to propose innovative
solutions while remaining accountable for measurable results.
🔵 Explanation: Performance-based acquisitions focus on desired outcomes instead of
detailed processes, encouraging contractor innovation while establishing measurable
, performance expectations. This approach does not eliminate oversight, quality
assurance, or guarantee reduced pricing.
QUESTION 5.
A contracting officer identifies an organizational conflict of interest that could impair
a contractor's objectivity during contract performance. What should be the most
appropriate response?
A. Ignore the issue if the contractor has strong past performance.
B. Address, mitigate, neutralize, or avoid the conflict before contract award whenever
possible.
C. Award the contract because price is the lowest.
D. Transfer responsibility for resolving the issue to another offeror.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Address, mitigate, neutralize, or avoid the conflict before
contract award whenever possible.
🔵 Explanation: Organizational conflicts of interest should be identified and
appropriately addressed to protect the integrity of the acquisition process. Strong past
performance or low pricing does not eliminate the need to resolve conflicts that could
compromise objective contract performance.
QUESTION 6.
An agency must acquire services with uncertain workload requirements over several
years. Which contract characteristic generally provides flexibility while establishing
agreed contractual terms?
A. A contract structure designed to accommodate varying ordering needs within
established limits.
B. A fixed quantity contract that prohibits any variation.
C. A purchase made without documented acquisition planning.
D. A contract requiring complete recompetition for every task.
ANSWERS | EXAM PREPARATION | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 | ADVANCED
REVIEW | COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM
Examiner:
U.S. Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Federal Acquisition Framework
2. Acquisition Planning
3. Market Research
4. Competition Requirements
5. Contract Types
6. Source Selection
7. Cost and Price Analysis
8. Contract Administration
9. Performance Management
10. Ethics and Professional Responsibility
FAC-C || FEDERAL ACQUISITION || FAR || ACQUISITION PLANNING || MARKET
RESEARCH || COMPETITION || SOURCE SELECTION || CONTRACT TYPES || COST
ANALYSIS || PRICE ANALYSIS || PERFORMANCE-BASED ACQUISITION || CONTRACT
ADMINISTRATION || NEGOTIATION || ETHICS || PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY || RISK
MANAGEMENT || DOCUMENTATION || COMPLIANCE || BEST VALUE ||
PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT
QUESTION 1.
During acquisition planning for a complex IT modernization effort, the contracting
team determines that commercial solutions exist but require moderate configuration
to satisfy agency objectives. Which acquisition strategy is generally most consistent
with federal acquisition principles?
,A. Require a fully customized solution without evaluating commercial capabilities.
B. Conduct market research and maximize the use of commercial products and
services where appropriate.
C. Limit competition to a single incumbent contractor to reduce transition risks.
D. Delay acquisition planning until after receipt of vendor proposals.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Conduct market research and maximize the use of
commercial products and services where appropriate.
🔵 Explanation: Federal acquisition principles emphasize conducting meaningful
market research and acquiring commercial products or services whenever they can
reasonably satisfy agency needs. Automatically requiring customized development or
restricting competition without justification generally conflicts with acquisition policy.
Delaying planning until proposals are received weakens acquisition strategy and
increases risk.
QUESTION 2.
A contracting officer discovers that the government's independent cost estimate
differs significantly from every competitive proposal received. What should be the
most appropriate initial action?
A. Reject all offers solely because they exceed the estimate.
B. Increase available funding without further analysis.
C. Analyze the assumptions supporting both the estimate and the proposals before
determining the next acquisition decision.
D. Select the lowest-priced proposal regardless of technical merit.
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Analyze the assumptions supporting both the estimate and
the proposals before determining the next acquisition decision.
🔵 Explanation: A significant pricing discrepancy requires careful analysis to determine
whether the government estimate, vendor assumptions, or both require
reconsideration. Sound acquisition decisions rely on objective evaluation rather than
automatic rejection, funding increases, or selection based solely on price.
,QUESTION 3.
An acquisition team is developing evaluation factors for a technically sophisticated
requirement where mission success depends heavily on contractor innovation. Which
evaluation approach best supports a best-value decision?
A. Selecting the proposal with the shortest submission.
B. Using only price as the determining evaluation factor.
C. Evaluating technical capability, past performance, and price according to the
stated solicitation criteria.
D. Negotiating only with the incumbent contractor before evaluating other offers.
🔴 Correct Answer: C. Evaluating technical capability, past performance, and price
according to the stated solicitation criteria.
🔵 Explanation: Best-value acquisitions typically evaluate multiple factors identified in
the solicitation, including technical merit, past performance, and price or cost.
Restricting evaluation to price alone or favoring the incumbent without proper
competition undermines fairness and procurement integrity.
QUESTION 4.
While preparing a solicitation, an acquisition professional recommends including
only performance outcomes rather than prescribing detailed methods for
accomplishing the work. What is the primary advantage of this approach?
A. It reduces the government's responsibility to monitor contractor performance.
B. It allows contractors greater flexibility to propose innovative solutions while
remaining accountable for measurable results.
C. It guarantees lower contract prices.
D. It eliminates the need for quality assurance.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. It allows contractors greater flexibility to propose innovative
solutions while remaining accountable for measurable results.
🔵 Explanation: Performance-based acquisitions focus on desired outcomes instead of
detailed processes, encouraging contractor innovation while establishing measurable
, performance expectations. This approach does not eliminate oversight, quality
assurance, or guarantee reduced pricing.
QUESTION 5.
A contracting officer identifies an organizational conflict of interest that could impair
a contractor's objectivity during contract performance. What should be the most
appropriate response?
A. Ignore the issue if the contractor has strong past performance.
B. Address, mitigate, neutralize, or avoid the conflict before contract award whenever
possible.
C. Award the contract because price is the lowest.
D. Transfer responsibility for resolving the issue to another offeror.
🔴 Correct Answer: B. Address, mitigate, neutralize, or avoid the conflict before
contract award whenever possible.
🔵 Explanation: Organizational conflicts of interest should be identified and
appropriately addressed to protect the integrity of the acquisition process. Strong past
performance or low pricing does not eliminate the need to resolve conflicts that could
compromise objective contract performance.
QUESTION 6.
An agency must acquire services with uncertain workload requirements over several
years. Which contract characteristic generally provides flexibility while establishing
agreed contractual terms?
A. A contract structure designed to accommodate varying ordering needs within
established limits.
B. A fixed quantity contract that prohibits any variation.
C. A purchase made without documented acquisition planning.
D. A contract requiring complete recompetition for every task.
