CPI Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the CPI exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

📋 CPI Exam Format at a Glance

125
Questions
180 min
Time Limit
70.00%
Passing Score

📚 CPI Topics to Study (21)

✍️ Sample CPI Questions & Answers

1. How long must drug accountability records typically be retained after study completion under FDA regulations?
2 years after the study is approved or discontinued, or 2 years after the investigational drug is marketed

Under 21 CFR 312.62, investigators must retain records for 2 years after a marketing application is approved or, if no application is filed, 2 years after the investigation is discontinued and FDA is notified.

2. What is a data management plan in clinical research?
A plan for data collection, storage, and analysis

A data management plan (DMP) is essential in clinical research for systematically organizing and handling all data generated during a study. It outlines procedures for data collection, entry, storage, quality control, security, and eventual analysis, ensuring data integrity, accessibility, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

3. What is a clinical research protocol?
A plan that outlines the study's objectives and procedures

A clinical research protocol is a detailed document that serves as the blueprint for a clinical study. It meticulously describes the study's rationale, objectives, design, methodology, statistical considerations, and organizational aspects, ensuring consistency, safety, and scientific integrity throughout the research.

4. Which of the following best describes 'blinded drug kits' used in a double-blind trial?
Packages where both active drug and placebo are made identical in appearance, smell, and labeling to conceal treatment assignment

Blinded drug kits are manufactured so that active drug and placebo are indistinguishable to both the subject and site staff, preserving the blind and preventing bias in outcome assessment.

5. Which of the following scenarios represents a serious breach of investigational product accountability that must be reported to the sponsor immediately?
Investigational product is discovered missing from site inventory with no documentation explaining the loss

Unexplained missing investigational product represents a potential diversion, safety hazard, or fraud that requires immediate sponsor notification and investigation to protect trial integrity and subject safety.

6. What are record retention policies in CPI practice?
Rules defining how long records must be kept and when destroyed

Retention policies establish consistent guidelines based on legal requirements and business needs.

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1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation