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Free CBCP Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free CBCP practice test to study every exam domain.

Question 1

An online retailer can lose at most 15 minutes of transaction data in a disruption, but its order system may stay offline for up to 4 hours before the impact becomes serious. When configuring data replication, which objective should drive how frequently data is copied to the backup site?

  1. The Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
  2. The Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
  3. The Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD)
  4. The Minimum Business Continuity Objective (MBCO)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - The Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

Question 2

A critical system has a Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD) of 8 hours. Technical staff can restore the system in 6 hours, after which 3 hours of validation and reconfiguration (work recovery time) are required before the business can use it. What is the MOST accurate conclusion?

  1. The plan is adequate because the 6-hour technical recovery falls within the 8-hour MTD limit
  2. Only the recovery point objective needs to be shortened in order to resolve this particular issue
  3. Total downtime (9 hours) exceeds the MTD, so recovery capability must improve
  4. Work recovery time can be safely excluded when comparing actual downtime against the MTD
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Total downtime (9 hours) exceeds the MTD, so recovery capability must improve

Question 3

A function has a recovery time objective of roughly 24 hours and a limited budget. Which recovery site type is generally the MOST appropriate match?

  1. A warm site, balancing moderate recovery speed against cost
  2. A hot site, since it provides the fastest possible recovery
  3. An active/active dual data center for guaranteed zero downtime
  4. No alternate site, because a 24-hour RTO is easy to meet
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - A warm site, balancing moderate recovery speed against cost

Question 4

An organization has just finished writing its first business continuity plan and has never exercised it. Following accepted practice, which type of exercise should the team conduct FIRST?

  1. A full-interruption test that shifts live production to the recovery site
  2. A functional test that activates the recovery systems under realistic load
  3. A tabletop (structured walk-through) exercise to validate the plan as a group
  4. An unannounced full-scale exercise to capture a realistic baseline
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - A tabletop (structured walk-through) exercise to validate the plan as a group

Question 5

A fire breaks out in a data center during business hours while staff are still inside. In the incident response sequence, which objective takes ABSOLUTE priority?

  1. Backing up and protecting the organization's most critical business data
  2. Salvaging and securing high-value IT and data center equipment
  3. Notifying customers, regulators, and the media as quickly as possible
  4. Ensuring the safety of people and accounting for all personnel on site
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Ensuring the safety of people and accounting for all personnel on site

Question 6

After completing its risk assessment, a company purchases business interruption insurance to cover financial losses from a prolonged outage it cannot fully prevent. This decision is BEST classified as which risk treatment?

  1. Risk avoidance
  2. Risk transfer
  3. Risk mitigation
  4. Risk acceptance
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Risk transfer

Question 7

A new business continuity coordinator is unsure which activity belongs to the Business Impact Analysis rather than to the Risk Assessment. Which of the following is a primary purpose of the Business Impact Analysis?

  1. Identifying, analyzing, and ranking the threats the organization faces
  2. Evaluating whether existing security controls are working effectively
  3. Determining how disruption impact grows over time and prioritizing functions for recovery
  4. Selecting and approving the recovery strategies the organization will adopt
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Determining how disruption impact grows over time and prioritizing functions for recovery

Question 8

During a disruption, an employee believes the business continuity plan should be activated. According to sound plan design, who should hold the authority to formally declare a disaster and invoke the plan?

  1. Whoever first detects, reports, and escalates the incident internally
  2. Any available and qualified member of the designated recovery team
  3. A predefined individual or role with declaration authority
  4. The senior external emergency services commander present on scene
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - A predefined individual or role with declaration authority

Question 9

A company is finalizing its crisis communications plan. Why is it considered best practice to designate and train a single official spokesperson (with a trained backup) rather than letting each manager speak to the media independently?

  1. It noticeably reduces the overall cost of preparing the communications plan
  2. It ensures consistent, accurate messaging and avoids conflicting statements
  3. A law in most jurisdictions permits only one named person to speak in a crisis
  4. It removes the need to prepare holding statements and key messages in advance
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - It ensures consistent, accurate messaging and avoids conflicting statements

Question 10

A business continuity manager is establishing a steering committee made up of senior leaders from across the organization. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this committee?

  1. To write the detailed step-by-step recovery procedures for each department
  2. To carry out the hands-on technical restoration of systems during an incident
  3. To serve as the organization's primary media spokesperson during a crisis
  4. To provide governance, direction, and ongoing support for the program
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - To provide governance, direction, and ongoing support for the program

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