CORB Study Guide-Ques ons and answers | updated
2026
You receive a customer's procurement package. In it, the PWS addresses key personnel
required. The customer wants to evaluate the availability and commitment of the proposed key
personnel when evalua"ng offers. What would you recommend the customer include in the
instruc"ons to offerors for proposal submission requirements and evalua"on factors?
I would recommend that the customer include a requirement for commitment le%ers from all
vendors and state in the solicita"on that key personnel with also be evaluated by both their
qualifica"ons and by evalua"ng their commitment le%er. Sec"on L - Instruc"ons, Condi"ons and
No"ces to Bidders, Sec"on M - Evalua"on Factors for Award.
Why is inspec"on and acceptance important to the Government?
FAR 46.5 Risk of loss of or damage to supplies shall remain with the contractor un"l, and shall
pass to the Government upon Delivery or Acceptance. A6er 30 days without rejec"on, it is
considered accepted by the GOV. The KO wants to ensure the COR inspects all received supplies
and services to ensure we get what we ordered and are good stewards of the taxpayers money.
To prevent fraud, waste and abuse. It is part of the quality assurance.
Explain the difference between an offeror's experience and an offeror's past performance
Experience details work that the contractor has done in scale and scope. Past performance is a
report of how well they did. Performance can be obtained by CPARS, Past Performance Retrieval
System (PPIRS), and surveys.
How would you define depth and breadth of an offeror's experience to be included in a
solicita"on/evalua"on?
Breadth of experience reflects the Offeror's experience in performing the full range/all of the
efforts required. Depth of experience reflects the magnitude, significance, and
applicability/relevance of the Offeror's experience in performing each of the efforts required. An
offeror's past performance should only be included if it is similar in nature to the new
solicita"on that is being evaluated. It could be the qualifica"ons/cer"fica"on that the offeror
has or previous/relevant work that the offeror had completed.
A legally binding contract must contain what elements?
,An offer and an acceptance. 1. Component Par"es (capacity, competence, and Authority) 2.
Mutual Assent (binding offer, valid acceptance, and mee"ng of the minds) 3. Considera"on (the
bargained for legal value of the deal) 4. Certainty of terms (the contract must be unambiguous)
5. Lawful purpose (Viola"ons of the law will not be enforced)
Explain the "Bona Fide Needs" rule.
It is a rule of appropria"ons law. It mandates that a fiscal year's appropria"ons only be obligated
to meet a legi"mate—or bona fide—need arising in (or some"mes before) the fiscal year for
which the appropria"on was made. Penalty is Job, 2 years in Jail and $5K fine or both.
What is the order of precedence for a solicita"on or contract in accordance with FAR 52.215-8?
For example, the specifica"ons require a different item than is stated in the Schedule (Sec"on
B). What does the contractor use?
Order of precedence Rule: UCF: a "ebreaker based on where the argument is in the contract
and not in the contract itself.
(a) The Schedule (excluding the specifica"ons).
(b) Representa"ons and other instruc"ons.
(c) Contract clauses.
(d) Other documents, exhibits, and a%achments.
(e) The specifica"ons.
Once all receivables have been delivered/completed and verified by the customer/COR, the ACO
or KO reviews the contract files for remaining closeout ac"ons. Why is contract closeout so
important? What ac"ons need to be taken in closeout? Closeouts is required per FAR 4.804, it is
necessary to ensure all ac"ons under contract are complete, final payment is processed, and
le6-over funds are deobligated.
1. Required deliveries completed and accepted by the GOV.
2. All services performed and accepted by GOV.
3. All op"on provisions if any expired.
4. GOV gives the contractor no"ce. Past performance evalua"on (if required). Comple"on
se%lement and final voucher submi%ed. Second, release of claims signed. DD 1594 Contract
Comple"on Statement and 1597.
On a full and open compe""ve nego"ated acquisi"on, you have received five proposals and
determined that discussions are needed, what is the process of determining which offerors are
in the compe""ve range for these discussions?
If the Contrac"ng Officer decides that an offeror's proposal should no longer be included in the
compe""ve range, the proposal will be eliminated from further considera"on for award. The
, Contrac"ng Officer must provide wri%en no"ce of this decision to unsuccessful offerors in
accordance with FAR Part 15.503(a). The no"ce to each offeror must state (1) the basis for
excluding/elimina"ng its offer, (2) the basis for the determina"on, and (3) that a revision of its
proposal will not be considered.
The Contrac"ng Officer must prepare a wri%en compe""ve range determina"on based on all
evalua"on factors, including a complete ra"onale for decisions to include or exclude specific
proposals from the compe""ve range. This document is the Compe""ve Range Determina"on
memorandum.
If you have a compe""ve requirement, how will you determine the Best Value Approach to use
in regards to choosing LPTA or Tradeoff? Also, give at least one example when each is
appropriate.
LPTA is when price is the most important factor. Lowest price, no tradeoff. Tradeoff is when
other factors outweigh cost. It is the most flexible. We always consider cost. Evalua"on of
factors in mandatory on contracts exceeding $1MIL. (Price, quality or technical, Past
Performance). Tradeoff would usually be used in more complicated requirements where certain
quali"es are more important to the customer than others. LPTA would be used for simpler
supply buys.
How would you mentor a new Contract Specialist (recent intern graduate) that has been
assigned to your team? What tools would you provide to your specialist in accomplishing their
du"es? What tools do you use in accomplishing your du"es?
Conduct an Ini"al counseling that covers du"es and expecta"ons. Set goals and priori"es.
Review and approve their Individual Development Plan (IDP), Assign a coach and mentor. I
would mentor a new CS assigned to my team by helping them through a common SAT purchase,
explaining the steps and procedures involved. I would show them local SOPs, Policy Le%ers, PCF,
SAM, FARsite, and WAWF.
What is an unauthorized commitment? What steps do you take in evalua"ng, processing and
approving an unauthorized commitment?
An unauthorized commitment is $$ commi%ed by an individual who did not have the authority
to obligate the $$. To approve a UC, you will need to go through the ra"fica"on process.
Unauthorized commitments violate federal law, federal regula"ons, and the Government-wide
Standards of Conduct for Federal Employees, and the DFARS. Ra"fica"on. Cases that cannot be
ra"fied under FAR 1.602-3 may be subject to resolu"on as authorized by FAR Subpart 33.2,
Disputes and Appeals.
2026
You receive a customer's procurement package. In it, the PWS addresses key personnel
required. The customer wants to evaluate the availability and commitment of the proposed key
personnel when evalua"ng offers. What would you recommend the customer include in the
instruc"ons to offerors for proposal submission requirements and evalua"on factors?
I would recommend that the customer include a requirement for commitment le%ers from all
vendors and state in the solicita"on that key personnel with also be evaluated by both their
qualifica"ons and by evalua"ng their commitment le%er. Sec"on L - Instruc"ons, Condi"ons and
No"ces to Bidders, Sec"on M - Evalua"on Factors for Award.
Why is inspec"on and acceptance important to the Government?
FAR 46.5 Risk of loss of or damage to supplies shall remain with the contractor un"l, and shall
pass to the Government upon Delivery or Acceptance. A6er 30 days without rejec"on, it is
considered accepted by the GOV. The KO wants to ensure the COR inspects all received supplies
and services to ensure we get what we ordered and are good stewards of the taxpayers money.
To prevent fraud, waste and abuse. It is part of the quality assurance.
Explain the difference between an offeror's experience and an offeror's past performance
Experience details work that the contractor has done in scale and scope. Past performance is a
report of how well they did. Performance can be obtained by CPARS, Past Performance Retrieval
System (PPIRS), and surveys.
How would you define depth and breadth of an offeror's experience to be included in a
solicita"on/evalua"on?
Breadth of experience reflects the Offeror's experience in performing the full range/all of the
efforts required. Depth of experience reflects the magnitude, significance, and
applicability/relevance of the Offeror's experience in performing each of the efforts required. An
offeror's past performance should only be included if it is similar in nature to the new
solicita"on that is being evaluated. It could be the qualifica"ons/cer"fica"on that the offeror
has or previous/relevant work that the offeror had completed.
A legally binding contract must contain what elements?
,An offer and an acceptance. 1. Component Par"es (capacity, competence, and Authority) 2.
Mutual Assent (binding offer, valid acceptance, and mee"ng of the minds) 3. Considera"on (the
bargained for legal value of the deal) 4. Certainty of terms (the contract must be unambiguous)
5. Lawful purpose (Viola"ons of the law will not be enforced)
Explain the "Bona Fide Needs" rule.
It is a rule of appropria"ons law. It mandates that a fiscal year's appropria"ons only be obligated
to meet a legi"mate—or bona fide—need arising in (or some"mes before) the fiscal year for
which the appropria"on was made. Penalty is Job, 2 years in Jail and $5K fine or both.
What is the order of precedence for a solicita"on or contract in accordance with FAR 52.215-8?
For example, the specifica"ons require a different item than is stated in the Schedule (Sec"on
B). What does the contractor use?
Order of precedence Rule: UCF: a "ebreaker based on where the argument is in the contract
and not in the contract itself.
(a) The Schedule (excluding the specifica"ons).
(b) Representa"ons and other instruc"ons.
(c) Contract clauses.
(d) Other documents, exhibits, and a%achments.
(e) The specifica"ons.
Once all receivables have been delivered/completed and verified by the customer/COR, the ACO
or KO reviews the contract files for remaining closeout ac"ons. Why is contract closeout so
important? What ac"ons need to be taken in closeout? Closeouts is required per FAR 4.804, it is
necessary to ensure all ac"ons under contract are complete, final payment is processed, and
le6-over funds are deobligated.
1. Required deliveries completed and accepted by the GOV.
2. All services performed and accepted by GOV.
3. All op"on provisions if any expired.
4. GOV gives the contractor no"ce. Past performance evalua"on (if required). Comple"on
se%lement and final voucher submi%ed. Second, release of claims signed. DD 1594 Contract
Comple"on Statement and 1597.
On a full and open compe""ve nego"ated acquisi"on, you have received five proposals and
determined that discussions are needed, what is the process of determining which offerors are
in the compe""ve range for these discussions?
If the Contrac"ng Officer decides that an offeror's proposal should no longer be included in the
compe""ve range, the proposal will be eliminated from further considera"on for award. The
, Contrac"ng Officer must provide wri%en no"ce of this decision to unsuccessful offerors in
accordance with FAR Part 15.503(a). The no"ce to each offeror must state (1) the basis for
excluding/elimina"ng its offer, (2) the basis for the determina"on, and (3) that a revision of its
proposal will not be considered.
The Contrac"ng Officer must prepare a wri%en compe""ve range determina"on based on all
evalua"on factors, including a complete ra"onale for decisions to include or exclude specific
proposals from the compe""ve range. This document is the Compe""ve Range Determina"on
memorandum.
If you have a compe""ve requirement, how will you determine the Best Value Approach to use
in regards to choosing LPTA or Tradeoff? Also, give at least one example when each is
appropriate.
LPTA is when price is the most important factor. Lowest price, no tradeoff. Tradeoff is when
other factors outweigh cost. It is the most flexible. We always consider cost. Evalua"on of
factors in mandatory on contracts exceeding $1MIL. (Price, quality or technical, Past
Performance). Tradeoff would usually be used in more complicated requirements where certain
quali"es are more important to the customer than others. LPTA would be used for simpler
supply buys.
How would you mentor a new Contract Specialist (recent intern graduate) that has been
assigned to your team? What tools would you provide to your specialist in accomplishing their
du"es? What tools do you use in accomplishing your du"es?
Conduct an Ini"al counseling that covers du"es and expecta"ons. Set goals and priori"es.
Review and approve their Individual Development Plan (IDP), Assign a coach and mentor. I
would mentor a new CS assigned to my team by helping them through a common SAT purchase,
explaining the steps and procedures involved. I would show them local SOPs, Policy Le%ers, PCF,
SAM, FARsite, and WAWF.
What is an unauthorized commitment? What steps do you take in evalua"ng, processing and
approving an unauthorized commitment?
An unauthorized commitment is $$ commi%ed by an individual who did not have the authority
to obligate the $$. To approve a UC, you will need to go through the ra"fica"on process.
Unauthorized commitments violate federal law, federal regula"ons, and the Government-wide
Standards of Conduct for Federal Employees, and the DFARS. Ra"fica"on. Cases that cannot be
ra"fied under FAR 1.602-3 may be subject to resolu"on as authorized by FAR Subpart 33.2,
Disputes and Appeals.
