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Open free CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam prep resources ↗Exam facts & prep options
CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam
CON 3990V is the single closed-book, 150-question, three-hour contracting certification examination delivered by Pearson VUE for the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Professional Certification; since the 2022 Back-to-Basics restructuring, Contracting has a single certification level (no more Level I/II/III tiers), and passing this one exam is the assessment requirement for the certification.
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Questions150 questions (one comprehensive exam; no pretest/unscored items are mentioned)
Testing time3-hour seat time, which includes the exam intro, tutorial, the 150-question exam, breaks, and any pre-submission review (course length listed as 3 hours over 1 day)
ScoringPass/fail grading with a minimum passing score of 70%
Exam feeNo candidate-paid fee — all exam fees are paid by the Department of War (USD 0 to the candidate); the Government is charged the full exam fee even for a no-show
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Study resources for CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- WarU (DAU)
- Category
- Civil Service
- Current version
- Current exam (PDS code B4A; first offering 2022-02-01); the CON certification program is in transition under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) — WarU published a Student FAQ (v1.8, 16 April 2026) on how the RFO affects certification exams, and DPCAP has posted a 'Contracting Certification Change for FY27' guidance memo (June 5, 2026)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE (third-party exam proctor service provider), under contract to WarU
- Format
- Computer-based and completely closed book (no subject material may be referenced); candidate chooses in-person delivery at a Pearson Professional Test Center (commercial location) or a military test center, or a virtual exam via OnVUE online proctoring (the OnVUE software add-on is typically blocked on government computers, so virtual candidates often need a personal computer)
- Availability
- By appointment year-round at Pearson Professional Centers, military test centers, or via OnVUE; a 90-day testing window starts when Pearson authorization is issued; appointments may be cancelled/rescheduled at least 48 hours in advance, as many times as needed within the 90-day window — an expired authorization requires a 30-day wait before re-applying through TAS
- Credential validity
- No exam-score expiration is published; the resulting certification is kept current through 80 hours of continuous learning every 2 years per DoDI 5000.66
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
One closed-book, comprehensive 150-question exam covering: the Contracting Common Technical Competencies and related job tasks from the DoD Contracting Competency Model; policy and guidance in the FAR and DFARS as they relate to those competencies; and the titles of FAR Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 31, 33, 42, 44, 46, and 49. Within the certification standard this exam is the Assessment component alongside Education (none required), Training (CON 1100, CON 1200V, CON 1300V, CON 1400V), and 12 months of experience.
Where rules vary
Federal (United States) DAWIA certification examination for the Contracting functional area, implemented under DoD Instruction 5000.66; not a state license — eligibility is limited to Department of War acquisition workforce members (GS-1102, 1103, 1105, or equivalent military specialties)
Eligibility
Restricted to Department of War acquisition workforce: candidates must be coded acquisition career field members, be in the GS-1102, 1103, 1105, or equivalent military specialties, and gain TAS authorization to test. The CON 3900V prep course is required only after failing a first attempt (CON 3900V/CON 3910 prep is merely recommended before the first attempt). The certification itself additionally requires CON 1100/1200V/1300V/1400V training and 12 months of contracting experience.
Retake policy
After a failed attempt: wait at least 30 days, reapply through the agency TAS, and the DoW component may require CON 3900V before retesting; only three attempts are permitted in any 12-month period