NCMA CPCM TEST - CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
BODY OF KNOWLEDGE (CMBOK)
Recommended basic types of feedback - Answers -Corrective, confirmatory, motivating
A decisive leader is - Answers -Confident and effective
Which of the following is a leadership process competency? (-a. Character, -b.
Credibility, -c. Confidence, -d. Cooperation) - Answers -Character
Which of the following is not a step in the 6-step Decision-Making process to decisive
decision making? (-a. Provide feedback, -b. Implement the decision, -c. Collect internal
and external opinions , -d. Pre-plan strategies to make the decision) - Answers -Collect
internal and external opinions
What can reduce or even eliminate the creative process? - Answers -Forced consensus
In which decision-making step should one create objectives and goals? - Answers -Pre-
plan strategies
An integrative thinker is: - Answers -able to create innovative solutions to problems
Step 4 of the 6-step Decision-Making Process advises leaders to create a written plan
that: - Answers -Details the problem, determines the root cause, and lists criteria to help
choose a solution
What reflects a leadership activity for a contract manager? (-a. Resolving a dispute with
a supplier., -b. Quoting the Federal Acquisition Regulation., -c. Promptly responding to
seller inquiries., -d. Developing questions in response to a solicitation.) - Answers -
Resolving a dispute with a supplier.
Which of the following describes a leader who is developing new leaders? -a. Develops
the bottom 20% of the workforce, -b. Treats everyone the same, -c. Grows the
organization by addition, -d. Focuses on individual strengths) - Answers -Focuses on
individual strengths
When pre-planning strategies for making a decision, the leader should: - Answers -
Dispel assumptions that can negatively affect his/her leadership role
Which of the following is a principle required for an organizational culture of high ethical
standards? (-a. Documenting all decisions, -b. Providing rationale for all decisions, -c.
Including others in decisions, -d. Leading by example) - Answers -Leading by example
When your supervisor fails to delegate tasks to you, preferring to do it themselves, what
is this called? - Answers -Resisting force to achieving competence
,Successful contract management depends on the leader's ability to integrate: - Answers
-The leadership process competencies
If you are an experienced contract management leader and you need to make a fast,
high risk decision in an uncertain situation, what is the best approach? - Answers -
Intuition
Risk management is: - Answers -The ability to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigate
problems
When tracking costs following the award of a contract, what is latency? - Answers -The
delay between when a cost is incurred and when it appears in the accounting system.
This costing method uses a two-step process: 1 - assign the resource costs of each
activity, and 2 - assign activity costs to the output: - Answers -Activity-Based Costing
System.
The process for creating the Resource-Loaded Schedule begins with: - Answers
-...extracting a Work Breakdown Structure from the Statement of Work.
When suppliers are being certified or pre-qualified they have been: - Answers -
Screened
Regardless of an organization's contracting activity size and purpose, the following four
key functions of management are essential: - Answers -Planning, Organizing, Directing,
Controlling
Analysis to measure the company's ability to meet current and long-term obligations
would use the following ratio: - Answers -Solvency Ratio.
Providing information to satisfy Federal contract reporting requires the comparison of
current accounting data and a time-phased program budget. One standard approach is
the use of: - Answers -An "S" Curve that represents how activities ramp up and tail off
during a project.
Supply Chain Management: - Answers -Involves managing the activities to produce and
deliver a product or service from suppliers to the end user customer
A contracting officer is preparing to award a contract for Advisory & Assistance Services
to a small business. The contracting officer wants to make sure the small business is
financially capable of performing and managing the contract. The Contracting Officer
requests the contractors Balance Sheet from the most recently completed fiscal year.
What is an example of another item the Contracting Officer might consider requesting to
make a more informed decision? - Answers -Cash flow statement
,Burn Rate funding analysis "spreads" the contract value over time in a level-loading
scheme. This technique: - Answers -fails to consider project phases, or the potential for
programs to "ramp-up" activity at the beginning, and "tail off" at the end of a project.
Which of the following could mitigate a performance risk?
a. Use appropriate cost estimating methods
b. Provide timely and appropriate performance feedback
c. Implement an effective earned value management system
d. Create an effective ethics and compliance internal control system - Answers -Create
an effective ethics and compliance internal control system
Which of the following best describes the project manager's role in financial
management?
a. Verifying the work completed that needs to be invoiced for.
b. Preparing invoices and sending them to the buyer.
c. Analyzing corporate balance sheets and income statements.
d. Negotiating payment terms with the buyer. - Answers -Verifying the work completed
that needs to be invoiced for.
A firm fixed-price contract results in __________ buyer risk and __________seller risk. -
Answers -Low; high
A schedule that outlines what tasks will take place, when they are scheduled to begin
and end, and what resources are needed to accomplish them is typically created during
the Project Planning Phase and is called a ___________. - Answers -Resource-Loaded
Schedule.
A Basis of Estimate is prepared for each work package (the lowest level of the Work
Breakdown Structure). It is: - Answers -...a description of how the work will be done, by
whom, and the effort or materials required.
Which of the following best describes project management?
a. The planning, organizing, directing and controlling of all aspects of a project.
b. Coordination between executive staff, financial staff and contracts staff to manage a
project effectively.
c. The maintenance of all project documents and timelines with the exception of
contractual document which are managed by the contracts manager.
d. Responsibility for all business functions of an organization including establishing
procedures and directing project completion. - Answers -The planning, organizing,
directing and controlling of all aspects of a project.
What best reflects the relationship between the leader and vision? - Answers -Leader +
vision = result
, Employee __________ is a major component of organizational success. - Answers -
Motivation
_________ and _________ competencies support the technical application of contract
management.. - Answers -Leadership and Management
Assuring your organization adheres to high ethical standards is an example of what? -
Answers -A leader's focus on character
Which of the following can impede leaders from developing a vision? (Failing to consult
others, Focusing on the day-to-day, Being inflexible, Living in the past) - Answers -
Living in the past
When a leader in your organization insists that you accomplish something that you
believe is unethical, it likely reflects what? - Answers -Abuse of power
Why would contract managers need vision? - Answers -To drive behaviors that achieve
the mission
Optimism is an important leadership tool, but it can be undermined by: - Answers -
Inflexibility
You've read FAR 33.103 (Agency Protests) over and over and are still unable to
determine if you can go ahead and award the contract. This could be an example of
_______________, and your next step could be _______________. - Answers -
Insufficient information; consult with stakeholders
Character is composed of which three elements? - Answers -Integrity, optimism,
decisiveness
A purchase order has the following two step process that sometimes causes accounting
data entry delays: - Answers -1 - A commitment is made when the order is approved
and funds are deducted, similar to an accrued expense.
2 - The value of the commitment is reduced as the supplier invoices for goods/services.
The following is NOT true regarding a "Funds Thru" date:
a. The Antideficiency Act allows the contracting officer to instruct contractors to work
when funds are no longer available.
b. Federal contracts typically contain an admonition that contractors may not work when
there are no funds remaining on the awarD.
c. A "Funds Thru" date is the date when all contract funds will be expendeD.
d. Working beyond the "Funds Thru" date places the contractor at risk that they will not
be paid for their effort. - Answers -The Antideficiency Act allows the contracting officer
to instruct contractors to work when funds are no longer available.
BODY OF KNOWLEDGE (CMBOK)
Recommended basic types of feedback - Answers -Corrective, confirmatory, motivating
A decisive leader is - Answers -Confident and effective
Which of the following is a leadership process competency? (-a. Character, -b.
Credibility, -c. Confidence, -d. Cooperation) - Answers -Character
Which of the following is not a step in the 6-step Decision-Making process to decisive
decision making? (-a. Provide feedback, -b. Implement the decision, -c. Collect internal
and external opinions , -d. Pre-plan strategies to make the decision) - Answers -Collect
internal and external opinions
What can reduce or even eliminate the creative process? - Answers -Forced consensus
In which decision-making step should one create objectives and goals? - Answers -Pre-
plan strategies
An integrative thinker is: - Answers -able to create innovative solutions to problems
Step 4 of the 6-step Decision-Making Process advises leaders to create a written plan
that: - Answers -Details the problem, determines the root cause, and lists criteria to help
choose a solution
What reflects a leadership activity for a contract manager? (-a. Resolving a dispute with
a supplier., -b. Quoting the Federal Acquisition Regulation., -c. Promptly responding to
seller inquiries., -d. Developing questions in response to a solicitation.) - Answers -
Resolving a dispute with a supplier.
Which of the following describes a leader who is developing new leaders? -a. Develops
the bottom 20% of the workforce, -b. Treats everyone the same, -c. Grows the
organization by addition, -d. Focuses on individual strengths) - Answers -Focuses on
individual strengths
When pre-planning strategies for making a decision, the leader should: - Answers -
Dispel assumptions that can negatively affect his/her leadership role
Which of the following is a principle required for an organizational culture of high ethical
standards? (-a. Documenting all decisions, -b. Providing rationale for all decisions, -c.
Including others in decisions, -d. Leading by example) - Answers -Leading by example
When your supervisor fails to delegate tasks to you, preferring to do it themselves, what
is this called? - Answers -Resisting force to achieving competence
,Successful contract management depends on the leader's ability to integrate: - Answers
-The leadership process competencies
If you are an experienced contract management leader and you need to make a fast,
high risk decision in an uncertain situation, what is the best approach? - Answers -
Intuition
Risk management is: - Answers -The ability to efficiently and cost-effectively mitigate
problems
When tracking costs following the award of a contract, what is latency? - Answers -The
delay between when a cost is incurred and when it appears in the accounting system.
This costing method uses a two-step process: 1 - assign the resource costs of each
activity, and 2 - assign activity costs to the output: - Answers -Activity-Based Costing
System.
The process for creating the Resource-Loaded Schedule begins with: - Answers
-...extracting a Work Breakdown Structure from the Statement of Work.
When suppliers are being certified or pre-qualified they have been: - Answers -
Screened
Regardless of an organization's contracting activity size and purpose, the following four
key functions of management are essential: - Answers -Planning, Organizing, Directing,
Controlling
Analysis to measure the company's ability to meet current and long-term obligations
would use the following ratio: - Answers -Solvency Ratio.
Providing information to satisfy Federal contract reporting requires the comparison of
current accounting data and a time-phased program budget. One standard approach is
the use of: - Answers -An "S" Curve that represents how activities ramp up and tail off
during a project.
Supply Chain Management: - Answers -Involves managing the activities to produce and
deliver a product or service from suppliers to the end user customer
A contracting officer is preparing to award a contract for Advisory & Assistance Services
to a small business. The contracting officer wants to make sure the small business is
financially capable of performing and managing the contract. The Contracting Officer
requests the contractors Balance Sheet from the most recently completed fiscal year.
What is an example of another item the Contracting Officer might consider requesting to
make a more informed decision? - Answers -Cash flow statement
,Burn Rate funding analysis "spreads" the contract value over time in a level-loading
scheme. This technique: - Answers -fails to consider project phases, or the potential for
programs to "ramp-up" activity at the beginning, and "tail off" at the end of a project.
Which of the following could mitigate a performance risk?
a. Use appropriate cost estimating methods
b. Provide timely and appropriate performance feedback
c. Implement an effective earned value management system
d. Create an effective ethics and compliance internal control system - Answers -Create
an effective ethics and compliance internal control system
Which of the following best describes the project manager's role in financial
management?
a. Verifying the work completed that needs to be invoiced for.
b. Preparing invoices and sending them to the buyer.
c. Analyzing corporate balance sheets and income statements.
d. Negotiating payment terms with the buyer. - Answers -Verifying the work completed
that needs to be invoiced for.
A firm fixed-price contract results in __________ buyer risk and __________seller risk. -
Answers -Low; high
A schedule that outlines what tasks will take place, when they are scheduled to begin
and end, and what resources are needed to accomplish them is typically created during
the Project Planning Phase and is called a ___________. - Answers -Resource-Loaded
Schedule.
A Basis of Estimate is prepared for each work package (the lowest level of the Work
Breakdown Structure). It is: - Answers -...a description of how the work will be done, by
whom, and the effort or materials required.
Which of the following best describes project management?
a. The planning, organizing, directing and controlling of all aspects of a project.
b. Coordination between executive staff, financial staff and contracts staff to manage a
project effectively.
c. The maintenance of all project documents and timelines with the exception of
contractual document which are managed by the contracts manager.
d. Responsibility for all business functions of an organization including establishing
procedures and directing project completion. - Answers -The planning, organizing,
directing and controlling of all aspects of a project.
What best reflects the relationship between the leader and vision? - Answers -Leader +
vision = result
, Employee __________ is a major component of organizational success. - Answers -
Motivation
_________ and _________ competencies support the technical application of contract
management.. - Answers -Leadership and Management
Assuring your organization adheres to high ethical standards is an example of what? -
Answers -A leader's focus on character
Which of the following can impede leaders from developing a vision? (Failing to consult
others, Focusing on the day-to-day, Being inflexible, Living in the past) - Answers -
Living in the past
When a leader in your organization insists that you accomplish something that you
believe is unethical, it likely reflects what? - Answers -Abuse of power
Why would contract managers need vision? - Answers -To drive behaviors that achieve
the mission
Optimism is an important leadership tool, but it can be undermined by: - Answers -
Inflexibility
You've read FAR 33.103 (Agency Protests) over and over and are still unable to
determine if you can go ahead and award the contract. This could be an example of
_______________, and your next step could be _______________. - Answers -
Insufficient information; consult with stakeholders
Character is composed of which three elements? - Answers -Integrity, optimism,
decisiveness
A purchase order has the following two step process that sometimes causes accounting
data entry delays: - Answers -1 - A commitment is made when the order is approved
and funds are deducted, similar to an accrued expense.
2 - The value of the commitment is reduced as the supplier invoices for goods/services.
The following is NOT true regarding a "Funds Thru" date:
a. The Antideficiency Act allows the contracting officer to instruct contractors to work
when funds are no longer available.
b. Federal contracts typically contain an admonition that contractors may not work when
there are no funds remaining on the awarD.
c. A "Funds Thru" date is the date when all contract funds will be expendeD.
d. Working beyond the "Funds Thru" date places the contractor at risk that they will not
be paid for their effort. - Answers -The Antideficiency Act allows the contracting officer
to instruct contractors to work when funds are no longer available.
