CFD Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CFD facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When aligning assessments with learning objectives, which question should a faculty developer ask FIRST? → What evidence would demonstrate that students have achieved the objective?
2. In the context of active learning, what is a 'muddiest point' exercise? → A brief written reflection on the most confusing part of a lesson
3. According to best practices in DEI faculty training, which type of feedback is most effective for reducing bias in peer evaluations? → Criterion-referenced feedback tied to specific, observable behaviors
4. A CFD professional discovers a conflict of interest in a current assignment. What is the MOST ethical course of action? → Disclose the conflict immediately and recuse if necessary
5. A faculty developer coaches an instructor who lectures for 75 minutes without breaks. Which evidence-based recommendation should be offered FIRST? → Incorporate brief active learning pauses every 10–15 minutes to re-engage attention
6. Who is credited with originating the concept of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and distinguishing it from the scholarship of discovery? → Ernest Boyer
7. In Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which principle encourages providing multiple means of engagement? → Addressing learner motivation, interest, and self-regulation through varied approaches
8. What is a performance task? → Application in real scenarios
9. What is peer mentoring? → Among colleagues at similar levels
10. A program wants to ensure students can apply discipline-specific knowledge to messy, real-world problems. Which curriculum design approach is MOST appropriate? → Problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum
11. When a CFD professional faces pressure to compromise professional standards, the BEST response is to: → Document the pressure and uphold professional standards
12. What is the PRIMARY purpose of obtaining CFD certification in Certified Faculty Developer? → To demonstrate verified competency and adherence to professional standards
13. How can mentoring relationships be sustained? → Regular meetings and respect
14. Why should mentoring programs be evaluated? → Measure effectiveness
15. A faculty developer wants to reduce cognitive overload in a complex lecture. Which approach best addresses this goal? → Chunking content into smaller, sequenced segments
16. When evaluating a Learning Management System (LMS) for faculty adoption, which factor most directly impacts the cognitive load placed on students? → User interface consistency and intuitive navigation
17. A faculty developer advises a team to use rubrics aligned to program outcomes for their capstone course. What is the PRIMARY curricular benefit? → Enabling direct assessment of program-level learning outcomes using student work
18. Why is self-assessment valuable? → Encourages reflection
19. Which e-learning standard ensures that course content packages created in one LMS can be imported and tracked in another without data loss? → SCORM or xAPI (Tin Can)
20. Which framework categorizes privilege and oppression along multiple intersecting axes such as race, gender, class, and sexuality? → Intersectionality
21. What is the purpose of a program logic model in curriculum development? → To map inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes to show how a program achieves its goals
22. A faculty developer recommends 'calibration sessions' before graders score student work. The main goal is to: → Align graders' interpretations of rubric criteria to increase inter-rater reliability
23. How do learning objectives guide instruction? → Define clear goals
24. Which approach to faculty development best supports sustainable integration of new technology tools into teaching practice? → Embedded, ongoing coaching that connects tool use to specific pedagogical goals
25. How does curriculum evaluation benefit teaching? → Identify improvements
26. What is the MOST effective way for new CFD professionals to build competency? → Combining formal education, mentored practice, and ongoing professional development
27. What is the benefit of collaborative learning? → Enhances critical thinking
28. An instructor uses 'retrieval practice' as a learning strategy. What does this primarily involve? → Requiring students to recall information from memory through low-stakes quizzes or prompts
29. According to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which of the following is one of the three core principles faculty should apply to course design? → Multiple means of engagement
30. What is the main goal of faculty mentoring? → Support professional growth