Free Practice Questions for Cyber AB CMMC-CCP Exam

PerDFARS 252.204-7021, contractors must achieve the requiredCMMC certification levelbefore contract awardif the solicitation specifies it.

Key Requirements:

✔Contractorsmust be certified at the required CMMC levelprior to contract award.

✔Thecertification must be conducted by a C3PAO(for Level 2) orthrough self-assessment(for Level 1).

✔The certification must bevalid and registered in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS)before award.

Why is the Correct Answer " At the Time of Award " (A)?

A. At the time of award → Correct

DFARS 252.204-7021requires CMMC certification before a contract can be awardedif the solicitation includes CMMC requirements.

B. Upon solicitation submission → Incorrect

Contractorsdo notneed to be CMMC-certified at thetime of bid submission, only by the time of award.

C. Thirty days from the award date → Incorrect

Contractorsmust already be certified before the award is granted. There isno grace period.

D. Before the due date of submission → Incorrect

While compliance planning is important,CMMC certification is only required before contract award, not before bid submission.

CMMC 2.0 References Supporting This Answer:

DFARS 252.204-7021 (CMMC Requirement Clause)

CMMC certification is required prior to contract awardif specified in the solicitation.

CMMC 2.0 Program Overview

States that certificationis not needed at bid submission but is required before award.

DoD Interim Rule & SPRS Guidance

Contractors must havea valid CMMC certification recorded in SPRSbefore award.

TheAudit and Accountability (AU) domainis one of the14 familiesof security requirements inNIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, which is fully adopted byCMMC 2.0 Level 2.

Analysis of the Given Options:

A. Level 1→Incorrect

CMMCLevel 1only includes17 basic FAR 52.204-21 safeguarding requirementsand does not coverAudit and Accountability (AU)practices.

B. Level 2→Correct

TheAU domain is required at Level 2, which aligns withNIST SP 800-171.

CMMC 2.0 Level 2includes110 security controls, among whichAU-related controlsfocus on logging, monitoring, and accountability.

C. Levels 1 and 2→Incorrect

Level 1 does not requireaudit and accountability practices.

D. Levels 1 and 3→Incorrect

CMMC 2.0 only has Levels 1, 2, and 3, andAU is present in Level 2, making Level 3 irrelevant for this answer.

Official References Supporting the Correct Answer:

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 (Audit and Accountability - Family 3.3)

TheAU domainconsists of security controls3.3.1 – 3.3.8, focusing on audit log generation, retention, and accountability.

CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Practices (Aligned with NIST SP 800-171)

AU practices (Audit and Accountability) are only required at Level 2.

Conclusion:

TheAU domain applies only to CMMC 2.0 Level 2, making the correct answer:

✅B. Level 2.

The correct answer is B because the CUI banner marking is a document-level marking and must reflect the CUI contained in the document, not merely the CUI on one page or only the cover. The CUI marking rule states that CUI banner markings may include the CUI control marking, category or subcategory markings, and limited dissemination controls. It also states that CUI Specified category or subcategory markings that pertain to the information in the document must be included in the banner marking. Most importantly, the content of the CUI banner marking must apply to the whole document, inclusive of all CUI within the document, and must be the same on each page of the document that includes CUI. Option A uses “highest level” language, which is more characteristic of classified-information marking logic and is not the cleanest CUI rule. Options C and D are wrong because they confine special category/subcategory marking to the cover page or only selected pages, while the CUI banner marking operates at the document level. Reference/topics: CUI Registry, CUI banner marking, CUI category/subcategory markings, CUI Specified.

Step 1: Understanding AC.L1-3.1.22

AC.L1-3.1.22states: " Control information posted or processed on publicly accessible systems. "

This control requires organizations toensure that FCI (Federal Contract Information) is not publicly postedor made accessible in an uncontrolled manner.

FCI must beprotected from unauthorized disclosure, even if it is not classified or CUI.

What Happens in Phase 4 of the CMMC Assessment Process?

Phase 4 of theCMMC Assessment Process (CAP)is theFinal Reporting and Decision Phase. During this phase, theLead Assessormust:

Review all assessment findings

Determine the Organization Seeking Certification’s (OSC) eligibility for certification

Make a recommendation to the C3PAO (Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization)

Key Responsibilities of the Lead Assessor in Phase 4:

Ensure that the OSC hasmet the required practices and processes.

Confirm that anydeficiencieshave been corrected or appropriately documented.

Recommendwhether the OSC is eligible for certificationbased on assessment results.

Since theLead Assessor must determine and recommend the OSC’s eligibilityto the C3PAO, the correct answer isB. Eligibility.

Why the Other Answers Are Incorrect

A. Ability

❌Incorrect. While assessing an OSC’s ability to meet CMMC requirements is part of the process, the final determination in Phase 4 is abouteligibilityfor certification.

C. Capability

❌Incorrect. Capability refers to an organization ' stechnical and operational readiness. The Lead Assessor is making a recommendation oneligibility, not just capability.

D. Suitability

❌Incorrect. Suitability is not a defined term in theCMMC CAP processfor final assessment recommendations. The correct term iseligibility.

CMMC Official References

CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) Document– Specifies that the Lead Assessor must determine and recommend theeligibilityof the OSC in Phase 4.

CMMC 2.0 Model– Defines the assessment process, including certification decision-making.

Thus,option B (Eligibility) is the correct answer, as per official CMMC guidance.

Understanding the False Claims Act (FCA) and Whistleblower Protections

TheFalse Claims Act (FCA)(31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733) is aU.S. federal lawthat allowswhistleblowers (also known as " relators " )to sue on behalf of the federal government if they believe a company issubmitting fraudulent claimsfor government funds.

The FCA includes a " qui tam " provision, which:

✅Allows private individuals to file lawsuits on behalf of the U.S. government.

✅Provides financial rewards to whistleblowersif the lawsuit results in recovered funds.

✅Protects whistleblowers from employer retaliation.

In the context ofCMMC and cybersecurity compliance, theFCA has been used to hold companies accountableformisrepresenting their cybersecurity compliancewhen working with federal contracts.

For example:

If a companyfalsely claimscompliance withCMMC, NIST SP 800-171, or DFARS 252.204-7012butfails to meet security requirements, it could beliable under the FCA.

TheDepartment of Justice (DOJ)has pursued cases under theCyber-Fraud Initiative, using theFCA against defense contractorsfor cybersecurity noncompliance.

Thus, the correct answer isC. False Claims Actbecause it specifically allows whistleblowers tosue on behalf of the federal government.

Why the Other Answers Are Incorrect

A. NIST SP 800-53

❌Incorrect.NIST SP 800-53provides security controls for federal agencies butdoes notcontain whistleblower provisions.

B. NIST SP 800-171

❌Incorrect.NIST SP 800-171outlines security requirements for protectingCUI, but itdoes not have legal mechanismsfor whistleblower lawsuits.

D. Code of Professional Conduct

❌Incorrect. TheCMMC Code of Professional Conductapplies toC3PAOs and assessorsbut doesnot provide a legal basis for whistleblower lawsuits.

CMMC Official References

False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733)– Establishes whistleblower protections and qui tam lawsuits.

DOJ Cyber-Fraud Initiative– Uses the FCA to enforce cybersecurity compliance in government contracts.

DFARS 252.204-7012 & CMMC– Require accurate reporting of cybersecurity compliance, which can lead to FCA violations if misrepresented.

Thus,option C (False Claims Act) is the correct answeras per official legal guidance.

Control Reference: CA.L2-3.12.1

CA.L2-3.12.1: " Periodically assess the security controls in organizational systems to determine if the controls are effective in their application. "

This control is derived fromNIST SP 800-171, Requirement 3.12.1, which mandates organizations to performregular security control assessmentsto ensure compliance and effectiveness.

Assessment Criteria & Justification for the Correct Answer:

Evidence Review & Assessment Timeline:

The organization ' s procedureexplicitly statesthat security control assessments must be conductedquarterly(every three months).

Since the Lead Assessor only has access to thefirst-quarter report, the second-quarter report is missing at the time of assessment.

CMMC Audit Requirements:

For an assessor to rate a control asMET, sufficient evidence must bereadily availableat the time of evaluation.

Since the second-quarter report is missingat the time of assessment, the Lead Assessorcannot verify compliancewith the organization ' s own stated frequency of assessment.

Why the Answer is NOT A, C, or D:

A (Sufficient, MET)→Incorrect: The control assessment frequency is quarterly, but the evidence for Q2 is not available. Compliance cannot be confirmed.

C (Sufficient, and re-rate later)→Incorrect: If evidence is not available during the audit, the controlcannot be rated as MET initially. There is no provision in CMMC 2.0 to " conditionally " pass a control pending future evidence.

D (Insufficient, but re-rate later)→Incorrect: Once a control is ratedNOT MET, it staysNOT METuntil a re-assessment is conducted in a new audit cycle. The assessordoes not adjust ratings retroactivelybased on future evidence.

Official CMMC 2.0 References Supporting the Answer:

CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) Guide (2023):

" For a control to be rated as MET, the assessed organization must provide sufficient evidence at the time of the assessment. "

" If evidence is missing or incomplete, the finding shall be rated as NOT MET. "

NIST SP 800-171A (Security Requirement Assessment Guide):

" Evidence must be current, relevant, and sufficient to demonstrate compliance with stated periodicity requirements. "

Since the procedure mandatesquarterly assessments, missing evidence means compliancecannot be validated.

DoD CMMC Scoping Guidance:

" Assessors shall base their determination on the evidence provided at the time of assessment. If required evidence is not available, the control shall be rated as NOT MET. "

Final Conclusion:

Thecorrect answer is Bbecause the required evidence (the second-quarter report) is not availableat the time of assessment, making itinsufficientto validate compliance. The Lead Assessormust rate the control as NOT METin accordance with CMMC 2.0 assessment rules.

Understanding Configuration Management (CM) in CMMC Level 2

InCMMC Level 2, theConfiguration Management (CM) domainis critical for ensuring that systems aresecurely configured, maintained, and monitoredto prevent unauthorized changes. One key aspect of CM is managinguser-installed software, which can introducesecurity risksif not properly controlled.

The correct approach to managinguser-installed softwarealigns withCM.3.068fromNIST SP 800-171, which requires organizations to:

✅Establish and enforce configuration settingsto ensure security.

✅Monitor and control user-installed softwareto prevent unauthorized or insecure applications from running on organizational systems.

Why " Controlled and Monitored " is Correct?

The CCP (Certified CMMC Professional) conducting theinterviewshould focus on whether theuser-installed softwareiscontrolled and monitoredto align withCMMC Level 2 requirements. This means verifying:

Approval processesfor user-installed software.

Monitoring mechanisms(e.g., system logs, audits) to track software changes.

Policies that restrict unauthorized installationsto prevent security risks.

Breakdown of Answer Choices

Option

Description

Correct?

A. Controlled and monitored

✅Ensures compliance with CM.3.068, verifying that user-installed software ismanaged securely.

✅Correct

B. Removed from the system

Software isnot always removed—only unauthorized or risky software should be.

❌Incorrect

C. Scanned for malicious code

While scanning isimportant(covered in SI.3.218), it isnot the primary focusof Configuration Management.

❌Incorrect

D. Limited to mission-essential use only

While limiting software is useful,monitoring and controllingis the key security measure.

❌Incorrect

Official Reference from CMMC 2.0 Documentation

NIST SP 800-171, CM.3.068– " Control and monitor user-installed software. "

CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Requirements– Directly aligned withNIST SP 800-171 security controls.

Final Verification and Conclusion

The correct answer isA. Controlled and monitored, as perCM.3.068inNIST SP 800-171andCMMC 2.0documentation.