Contracting Certification Exam
The Contracting Certification Exam (CON 3990V) is the comprehensive, closed-book assessment required for Department of Defense (DoD) contracting professionals to earn the DoD Professional Certification in Contracting. This exam validates the foundational competencies needed for initial readiness in the Contracting Functional Area, ensuring that candidates possess the knowledge and skills required to perform effectively as contracting professionals. The exam is designed to function like a professional certification exam, with rigor commensurate with similar industry certifications. It assesses candidates across the Contracting Common Technical Competencies and related job tasks found in the DoD Contracting Competency Model . The questions and correct answers are derived directly from the policy and guidance in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) . The exam consists of 150 situational multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour seat time limit that encompasses the exam introduction, tutorial, the 150-question exam, breaks, and any pre-submission review . The exam is graded on a pass/fail basis with a minimum passing score of 70% . The exam is completely closed book—examinees cannot use or reference any subject material during the exam, including notes, books, computers, or personal devices . To be eligible for the CON 3990V Certification Exam, candidates must be coded as acquisition career field members in the GS 1102, 1103, 1105, or equivalent military specialties, and must gain authorization through their Agency Training Application System (TAS) such as AITAS for the Army, AcqNOW for the Air Force, or DATMS for the Fourth Estate . Once approved in the Agency's TAS, the student receives an "Authorization to Test" email from Pearson VUE with instructions on how to schedule the exam . The exam is delivered by Pearson VUE, and candidates may choose to take it either virtually on a personal computer using the OnVUE application or in person at a Pearson VUE test center . The exam is available only to DoD government civilian and military personnel . DoD allows the exam to be taken up to three times within a 12-month period, with a minimum of 30 days between attempts . If a student fails the exam three times, a fourth attempt can be authorized within a new 12-month period beginning one year after the date of the first failed attempt . Cancellation requests must be made at least 48 hours prior to an appointment, and canceling without rescheduling counts as one of the three allowed attempts . For candidates preparing for the exam, DAU offers the optional CON 3910 Online Contracting Certification Exam Prep course, which includes self-paced lessons, practice quizzes, and a practice exam requiring approximately 22 hours to complete . DAU also encourages students to review two games designed to help with preparation: "A FAR Better View" for learning FAR part titles, and "SaFARi" for building confidence and deepening understanding of the contracting lifecycle . The following FAR Parts and their titles should be familiar: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 31, 33, 42, 44, 46, and 49 .
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- Uploaded on
- October 7, 2026
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- 4
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- 2026/2027
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- Exam (elaborations)
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- Questions & answers
