FCC Practice Test

The CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam is for federal acquisition staff who have finished CON 1100V, CON 1200V, CON 1300V and CON 1400V and want the FAC-C (Professional) certification. This page sets out the exam rules published by the Federal Acquisition Institute. It also has free practice sets by topic, worked explanations of sample questions and a study plan for the weeks before test day.

FCC Exam at a Glance

What the FCC is and how it works

According to Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), U.S. General Services Administration; exam delivered by Pearson VUE, “The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, randomly selected from a comprehensive question bank of more than 250 questions.”^[1]

The CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam is run by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), which is part of the U.S. General Services Administration. It is the exam for the FAC-C (Professional) certification. You can take it once you have finished all the required training: CON 1100V, CON 1200V, CON 1300V and CON 1400V.

To take the exam, submit an authorization request in FAI CSOD. The CON 3990V course is assigned to you there within 24 hours, and Pearson VUE sends you a welcome email within 48 hours. Each request gives you a single attempt, and it is good for 90 days. You can test at a Pearson VUE test center or online with OnVUE.

The exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, picked at random from a bank of more than 250. You get 3 hours, and that time also covers the introduction, the tutorial and any review before you submit. The exam is pass/fail, and you need at least 70% to pass.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, do it at least 48 hours before your exam. If you cancel later than that or don't show up, you lose that attempt. You get up to 4 attempts in total, at least 30 days apart.

These rules can change. Check the frequently asked questions page on fai.gov and your Pearson VUE emails before you book. Treat those as the final word over anything on this page.

Worked examples: how to reason through FCC questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: How does the FAR help reduce fraud in federal contracting?

1. By providing training for contractors
2. By ensuring proper documentation and oversight
3. By favoring specific companies
4. By reducing the number of contracts

Answer: B. By ensuring proper documentation and oversight

Explanation:

B is correct. The FAR fights fraud mainly through structure. It requires written records at every stage, from solicitation through award and administration, and it sets up oversight and internal controls. Those records let reviewers and auditors see who decided what and why, which makes improper actions harder to hide.

• A is wrong: the FAR does not control fraud by training contractors.
• C is wrong: favoring specific companies is the opposite of what the FAR aims for. Its competition and fairness rules exist to stop favoritism.
• D is wrong: the FAR does not reduce fraud by awarding fewer contracts.

Rule to remember: when a question asks how the FAR protects integrity, look for the answer about documentation, transparency, competition or oversight.

Example 2

Question: Which term describes the process by which the SBA accepts a requirement from an agency and awards it to an 8(a) participant?

1. Sole-source negotiation
2. Acceptance and offer
3. Set-aside competition
4. Contract novation

Answer: B. Acceptance and offer

Explanation:

B is correct. An agency offers a requirement to the 8(a) program, and the SBA formally accepts it before the requirement goes to an 8(a) participant. This step-by-step process is different from an agency making the award directly. You will often see it called "offer and acceptance". Either way, it refers to the SBA taking the requirement into the program.

• A is wrong: a sole-source negotiation is one way an 8(a) contract can be put in place, but it is not the name for the SBA accepting the requirement.
• C is wrong: a set-aside limits competition to a class of small businesses. It does not describe the SBA accepting an agency's offer.
• D is wrong: novation means recognizing a successor to an existing contract, which has nothing to do with awarding a new 8(a) requirement.

Rule to remember: in the 8(a) program, the agency offers the requirement and the SBA accepts it.

Example 3

Question: What must a contracting officer do after identifying a potential OCI that cannot be avoided or mitigated?

1. Automatically disqualify the contractor
2. Request a waiver from the agency head
3. Refer the matter to the Inspector General
4. Cancel the procurement

Answer: B. Request a waiver from the agency head

Explanation:

B is correct. Sometimes a contracting officer finds an organizational conflict of interest (OCI) that cannot be avoided or mitigated. In that case the FAR lets the agency head, or a designee, waive the OCI rules if that is in the government's best interest. The contracting officer requests the waiver instead of deciding alone.

• A is wrong: disqualification is not automatic. Before withholding an award over an OCI, the contracting officer must tell the contractor why and give it a reasonable chance to respond.
• C is wrong: Inspector General referrals are for suspected fraud or misconduct. An OCI is a conflict to manage and is not wrongdoing in itself.
• D is wrong: cancelling the procurement is not the required next step.

Rule to remember: identify the OCI, avoid it, mitigate it, and only if those fail, ask for a waiver at the agency-head level.

How to use these practice tests

1. Start with the official material. Reread your notes from CON 1100V, CON 1200V, CON 1300V and CON 1400V, and keep the FAR open while you study. Our questions are for practice and don't replace that training.
2. Take a baseline. Do the mixed FCC practice test without notes and write down which topics you miss most often.
3. Work through your weak topics. Use the topic sets, such as negotiated acquisition, contract types, cost realism and price analysis, source selection, OCI and procurement integrity and post-award administration. For each wrong answer, find the FAR part that settles it and write the rule in a single line.
4. Practise the pace. Do long mixed sessions in one sitting. Remember that the 3 hours on exam day also covers the tutorial and your final review.
5. Request authorization when you are ready. Each request gives you a single attempt that lasts 90 days, so submit it in FAI CSOD once your mixed scores are steadily above 70%. If something comes up, cancel at least 48 hours before the exam.

Sources & last verified

1. Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), U.S. General Services Administration; exam delivered by Pearson VUE — number of questions, time limit, retake policy, delivery (official source). “The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, randomly selected from a comprehensive question bank of more than 250 questions.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
2. Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), U.S. General Services Administration; exam delivered by Pearson VUE — passing score (official source). “The exam is graded on a pass/fail basis, with a minimum passing score of 70%.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.
3. pearsonvue.com — eligibility (official source). “Individuals who have completed all the required FAC-C (Professional) training—CON 1100V, CON 1200V, CON 1300V, and CON 1400V—are eligible to take the Contracting Certification Exam.” Verified Oct 21, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.