Government Procurement Certification Government Procurement Legal & Regulatory Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which statute establishes the primary framework for federal acquisition policy in the United States?
- Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA)
- Armed Services Procurement Act (ASPA)
- Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (Correct answer)
- Competition in Contracting Act (CICA)
Correct answer: Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 is the foundational statute that established the framework for federal property management and acquisition policy.
Question 2: Under FAR 9.4, a contractor may be debarred for a period not to exceed how many years?
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
Correct answer: 3 years
FAR 9.406-4 states that debarment shall not exceed three years, unless the debarment is based on a conviction or civil judgment.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of the Procurement Integrity Act (PIA)?
- To mandate small business set-asides for all procurements
- To prevent improper disclosure of contractor proposal information and source selection data (Correct answer)
- To require all contracts over $250,000 to undergo independent review
- To establish whistleblower protections for contract employees
Correct answer: To prevent improper disclosure of contractor proposal information and source selection data
The Procurement Integrity Act prohibits disclosing contractor bid or proposal information and source selection information, and restricts post-employment activities of procurement officials.
Question 4: A contracting officer issues a cure notice under FAR 49.607 when a contractor's performance is in danger of default. How many days does the contractor typically have to cure the deficiency?
- 10 days (Correct answer)
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
Correct answer: 10 days
FAR 49.607 requires that cure notices give the contractor at least 10 days to cure the conditions endangering performance before a default termination can be issued.
Question 5: Under the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA), cost or pricing data must be certified as current, accurate, and complete as of what date?
- Date the offer is submitted
- Date of contract award
- Date of price agreement (Correct answer)
- Date the contracting officer signs the contract
Correct answer: Date of price agreement
TINA requires that cost or pricing data be certified as current, accurate, and complete as of the date of price agreement (also called the handshake date).
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT a valid exception to the requirement for full and open competition under CICA?
- Only one responsible source exists
- Unusual and compelling urgency
- The contracting officer prefers a specific vendor's product (Correct answer)
- National security considerations
Correct answer: The contracting officer prefers a specific vendor's product
A contracting officer's preference for a specific vendor is never a valid statutory exception to full and open competition under the Competition in Contracting Act.
Question 7: Under FAR Part 15, what is a 'competitive range' in the context of negotiated procurements?
- The price range within which all offerors must fall to be considered
- The set of most highly rated proposals with which the government will conduct discussions (Correct answer)
- The geographic area from which contractors may submit offers
- The range of technical ratings acceptable for award without discussions
Correct answer: The set of most highly rated proposals with which the government will conduct discussions
The competitive range consists of the most highly rated proposals, as determined by the contracting officer, with which the government intends to conduct discussions before requesting final proposal revisions.
