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Free CPIA Practice Questions

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

These 10 free CPIA questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the CPIA blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.

Domain 1: Regulatory Foundations, Historical Development, Government Oversight, and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care Programs 23% of exam

Question 1

A researcher proposes a study using purpose-bred laboratory mice (genus Mus) and domestically sourced rabbits. Regarding USDA Animal Welfare Act coverage, which of the following is correct?

  1. Both species are covered by the Animal Welfare Act and require annual USDA reporting regardless of funding source
  2. Neither species requires USDA coverage because both are purpose-bred for use in a registered research facility
  3. The rabbits are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, but the purpose-bred mice are not
  4. The mice are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, but rabbits are exempt if used solely for antibody production
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - The rabbits are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, but the purpose-bred mice are not

The 2002 Farm Bill amendment to the AWA explicitly excluded purpose-bred rats (Rattus) and mice (Mus) bred for use in research from USDA coverage. Rabbits, however, remain fully covered under the AWA and 9 CFR Part 3, Subpart C regardless of the intended use. Note that both species ARE covered by PHS Policy if the research is PHS-funded - this USDA/PHS species-coverage distinction is among the most tested concepts on the CPIA® exam.

Question 2

An institution's animal care and use program undergoes a site visit and the review team identifies a deficiency in the environmental enrichment program for nonhuman primates. The Council on Accreditation determines the program does not yet meet standards but shows clear progress. Which accreditation status is MOST likely to be assigned?

  1. Provisional Accreditation
  2. Full Accreditation with a Letter of Concern attached to the program record
  3. Accreditation Withheld until all deficiencies are resolved and verified at a follow-up visit
  4. Conditional Accreditation pending correction of the enrichment program within 90 days
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Provisional Accreditation

AAALAC International assigns Provisional Accreditation to programs - typically new applicants or those with correctable deficiencies - that do not yet fully meet standards but demonstrate commitment and progress. Full Accreditation is awarded when all standards are met without significant deficiencies. Accreditation Withheld applies when deficiencies are serious enough that accreditation cannot be granted. Neither 'Conditional Accreditation' nor 'Letter of Concern' are official AAALAC status designations - they are plausible-sounding terms but do not exist in the AAALAC framework.

Domain 2: Program Management, Requirements, Administration, and Responsibilities: Roles and Responsibilities for Institutional Animal Care and Use Programs. 27% of exam

Question 3

An institution receives PHS funding for animal research and is establishing its IACUC for the first time. To comply with PHS Policy, the committee must include, at minimum, which of the following combinations of members?

  1. A veterinarian, a practicing scientist, and one unaffiliated community member - three members total is sufficient under federal law
  2. A veterinarian, a scientist, a nonscientist, an unaffiliated member, and at least one additional member - five members minimum
  3. A veterinarian, a scientist, and two unaffiliated community members - four members minimum with dual community representation
  4. Five scientists with documented animal research experience, one of whom must hold a DVM degree
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - A veterinarian, a scientist, a nonscientist, an unaffiliated member, and at least one additional member - five members minimum

PHS Policy IV.A.3 requires a minimum of five IACUC members, including: (1) a DVM with training/experience in laboratory animal science, (2) a practicing scientist experienced in animal research, (3) a person whose primary concerns are in a nonscientific area, (4) an unaffiliated member with no institutional relationship, and (5) at least one additional member. USDA requires only three members - distractor A describes the USDA minimum, which is a common and dangerous source of confusion on the exam. Distractor D omits the nonscientist and unaffiliated requirements entirely.

Question 4

A principal investigator submits a protocol that the IACUC reviews and votes to withhold approval, citing inadequate justification for a Category E procedure. The PI disagrees and formally appeals to the Institutional Official. What authority does the IO have over the IACUC's decision?

  1. The IO may convene a second IACUC vote and invite external scientific consultants to provide additional input before a final decision is made
  2. The IO may approve the protocol over the IACUC's objection if the research has significant scientific merit and external peer-review support
  3. The IO may not override the IACUC's decision to withhold approval
  4. The IO may approve the protocol if the Attending Veterinarian and the department chair both provide written concurrence with the PI's justification
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - The IO may not override the IACUC's decision to withhold approval

Under both PHS Policy and USDA regulations, the IO may not override a decision by the IACUC to withhold approval of an activity. The IACUC's authority to withhold is final. The IO may, however, accept or decline to accept an approval that the IACUC has granted. This is a critical boundary - the IO has broad institutional authority, but it does not extend to approving protocols the IACUC has disapproved. Distractors B and D describe scenarios that are explicitly prohibited; distractor A describes a procedurally unsupported workaround that is not recognized under PHS Policy or USDA regulations.

Question 5

An IACUC has nine appointed members. At a scheduled full committee review meeting, five members are present. During review of a protocol, one member recuses due to a conflict of interest. How many affirmative votes are required to approve the protocol at this meeting?

  1. Five - a majority of the full IACUC membership must affirmatively approve any protocol regardless of attendance
  2. Three - a majority of the members present and eligible to vote after the recusal
  3. Four - based on the quorum originally established when the meeting was called to order
  4. Six - because any member recusal during a quorum meeting requires a supermajority of those present to proceed
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Three - a majority of the members present and eligible to vote after the recusal

Quorum is established when a majority of IACUC members are present - here, five of nine members constitutes a quorum (a majority of nine). When one member recuses due to conflict of interest, that member may not vote and does not count toward the quorum for that specific vote, leaving four eligible voting members. Approval requires a majority of those eligible to vote - a majority of four - meaning three affirmative votes are sufficient. USDA 9 CFR §2.31(d)(2) and PHS Policy IV.C.2 both require a majority vote of a quorum; neither requires a majority of the full membership nor a supermajority.

Domain 3: IACUC Functions, Content, and Process 32% of exam

Question 6

A protocol is distributed to all IACUC members for designated member review (DMR). On the third day of the review period, a member submits a written request for full committee review (FCR). Which of the following correctly describes what must happen next?

  1. The designated reviewer may complete the DMR if more than half the review period has already elapsed before the request was received
  2. The IACUC Chair must evaluate whether the requesting member has identified a substantive scientific or welfare concern before deciding how to proceed
  3. The protocol must be placed on the agenda for a convened full committee meeting regardless of the reason for the request
  4. Full committee review is only triggered if two or more members independently request it within the same review cycle
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - The protocol must be placed on the agenda for a convened full committee meeting regardless of the reason for the request

Under PHS Policy IV.C.2, any single IACUC member may request full committee review of any protocol submitted for DMR. This right is unconditional - the requesting member does not need to provide a justification, and the Chair has no authority to evaluate or override the request. Once any member calls for FCR, the protocol must be placed on the agenda for a convened meeting. Distractor A invents a timing exception; distractor B incorrectly gives the Chair a gatekeeping role; distractor D misrepresents the threshold as requiring multiple requesters.

Question 7

During the semiannual facility inspection, IACUC inspectors discover that the temperature in a rodent housing room has been consistently exceeding the upper recommended limit in the Guide for several weeks. Animal care staff are aware but have been waiting on a facilities work order. How should this finding be classified in the semiannual report to the IO?

  1. As an observation only, since staff are already aware and a corrective work order is pending through the appropriate administrative channel
  2. As a minor deficiency, because no animals have yet shown overt clinical signs of heat stress and the cause is a facilities management delay rather than a procedural failure
  3. As a significant deficiency, because the condition is or may be a threat to the health or safety of the animals
  4. As a program deficiency rather than a facility deficiency, since the root cause is an administrative breakdown in the work order system rather than inadequate facility design
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - As a significant deficiency, because the condition is or may be a threat to the health or safety of the animals

Under USDA 9 CFR §2.31(c)(3) and PHS Policy IV.B.3, a significant deficiency is defined as one that is, or may be, a threat to the health or safety of animals or personnel. Chronically elevated room temperatures directly threaten rodent welfare - the absence of overt clinical signs to date does not change the classification, as the ongoing risk is what matters. Significant deficiencies must be reported to the IO with a correction plan and a completion date not to exceed 30 days. Reclassifying based on administrative cause (distractor D), current absence of symptoms (distractor B), or pending corrective action (distractor A) is not supported by regulatory definitions.

Question 8

During a routine protocol audit, the IACUC administrator discovers that a PI has been performing blood collection on rodents at a volume significantly exceeding the approved protocol, without filing an amendment. After investigation, the IACUC determines the departure is serious. The study is PHS-funded. Which of the following actions is required?

  1. Issue the PI a formal written warning and require submission of a corrective amendment within 30 days before any further enforcement action is taken
  2. Vote to suspend the study by a majority of a quorum at a convened meeting, then notify the Institutional Official, who must report to OLAW
  3. Refer the matter to the Institutional Official, who has sole authority to determine whether suspension is warranted for a PHS-funded study
  4. Place the PI on a supervised research probation period and mandate re-training, which satisfies the PHS reporting obligation for serious noncompliance
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Vote to suspend the study by a majority of a quorum at a convened meeting, then notify the Institutional Official, who must report to OLAW

A serious, confirmed departure from an approved IACUC protocol constitutes serious noncompliance. Under PHS Policy IV.C.5, the IACUC may suspend an approved activity - but only by a majority vote of a quorum at a convened meeting. Following suspension of a PHS-funded activity, the IO must then notify OLAW. A written warning (distractor A) and probation (distractor D) are not regulatory mechanisms recognized for serious noncompliance under PHS Policy or USDA regulations. Referring to the IO for the final suspension determination (distractor C) reverses the IACUC's independent authority - the IACUC, not the IO, votes to suspend.

Question 9

A protocol proposes euthanasia of rats by rapid decapitation without prior sedation. The PI states this method is required to preserve brain tissue integrity for neurochemical assays and that any sedating agent would confound the results. Under the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2020), decapitation without prior sedation is listed as conditionally acceptable for rodents. What must the IACUC do before this protocol can be approved?

  1. Require the PI to administer carbon dioxide to induce unconsciousness immediately before decapitation, as CO2 pre-exposure is mandated by AVMA for all conditional methods
  2. Approve the method without any additional requirements, since AVMA has already classified it as an acceptable method for the rodent species proposed
  3. Refer the euthanasia method to the Attending Veterinarian, whose written approval gives the IACUC authority to include the method in the approved protocol
  4. Ensure the protocol contains documented scientific justification for not using prior sedation before approving the method
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Ensure the protocol contains documented scientific justification for not using prior sedation before approving the method

Under the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2020), decapitation without prior sedation is conditionally acceptable for rodents - meaning it may be used only when scientifically justified in the context of the study. The IACUC must verify that the protocol contains adequate documented scientific justification explaining why sedation cannot be used before the method can be approved. Distractor A incorrectly mandates CO2 as the only acceptable pre-step; distractor B is wrong because 'conditionally acceptable' means conditions must still be satisfied, not that approval is automatic; distractor C misassigns final approval authority solely to the AV - the AV advises, but the IACUC approves.

Domain 4: Shared Oversight Responsibilities and Ancillary Program Components 18% of exam

Question 10

An institution is onboarding a new graduate student who will be added to an approved protocol to perform rodent restraint and intraperitoneal injections. The student completed online regulatory training through the CITI Program two weeks ago. Before the student may begin working with animals, which additional requirement must be met?

  1. The IACUC must conduct a designated member review to formally approve adding the student as a named personnel member on the approved protocol
  2. The student must receive species-specific and procedure-specific training and have that training documented prior to any animal contact
  3. The student must be formally appointed as a non-voting observer on the IACUC for a minimum of 90 days to demonstrate familiarity with committee oversight
  4. No additional steps are required because completing an accredited CITI online course satisfies all federal training and documentation requirements for new personnel
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - The student must receive species-specific and procedure-specific training and have that training documented prior to any animal contact

USDA 9 CFR §2.32 and PHS Policy IV.C.1.f require that all personnel involved in animal care and use receive adequate training in the methods and procedures relevant to their specific activities - and that training must be documented before animal work begins. Online regulatory training (such as CITI) fulfills knowledge-based requirements but does not substitute for species-specific and hands-on procedural training. Distractor A describes an overly formal process not required by regulation for adding personnel; distractor C describes a non-existent IACUC requirement; distractor D is a common and consequential misconception that CITI alone satisfies all training obligations.

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