IAPP CIPM Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 22,2026- Exam Code: CIPM
- Exam Name: Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)
- Certification Provider: IAPP
- Latest update: Oct 22,2026
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Henry Home Furnishings has built high-end furniture for nearly forty years. However, the new owner, Anton, has found some degree of disorganization after touring the company headquarters. His uncle Henry had always focused on production C not data processing C and Anton is concerned. In several storage rooms, he has found paper files, disks, and old computers that appear to contain the personal data of current and former employees and customers. Anton knows that a single break-in could irrevocably damage the company’s relationship with its loyal customers. He intends to set a goal of guaranteed zero loss of personal information.
To this end, Anton originally planned to place restrictions on who was admitted to the physical premises of the company. However, Kenneth C his uncle’s vice president and longtime confidante C wants to hold off on Anton’s idea in favor of converting any paper records held at the company to electronic storage. Kenneth believes this process would only take one or two years. Anton likes this idea; he envisions a password- protected system that only he and Kenneth can access.
Anton also plans to divest the company of most of its subsidiaries. Not only will this make his job easier, but it will simplify the management of the stored data. The heads of subsidiaries like the art gallery and kitchenware store down the street will be responsible for their own information management. Then, any unneeded subsidiary data still in Anton’s possession can be destroyed within the next few years.
After learning of a recent security incident, Anton realizes that another crucial step will be notifying customers. Kenneth insists that two lost hard drives in Question are not cause for concern; all of the data was encrypted and not sensitive in nature. Anton does not want to take any chances, however. He intends on sending notice letters to all employees and customers to be safe.
Anton must also check for compliance with all legislative, regulatory, and market requirements related to privacy protection. Kenneth oversaw the development of the company’s online presence about ten years ago, but Anton is not confident about his understanding of recent online marketing laws. Anton is assigning another trusted employee with a law background the task of the compliance assessment. After a thorough analysis, Anton knows the company should be safe for another five years, at which time he can order another check.
Documentation of this analysis will show auditors due diligence.
Anton has started down a long road toward improved management of the company, but he knows the effort is worth it. Anton wants his uncle’s legacy to continue for many years to come.
To improve the facility’s system of data security, Anton should consider following through with the plan for which of the following?
- A . Customer communication.
- B . Employee access to electronic storage.
- C . Employee advisement regarding legal matters.
- D . Controlled access at the company headquarters.
What United States federal law requires financial institutions to declare their personal data collection practices?
- A . The Kennedy-Hatch Disclosure Act of 1997.
- B . The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.
- C . SUPCLA, or the federal Superprivacy Act of 2001.
- D . The Financial Portability and Accountability Act of 2006.
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
As they company’s new chief executive officer, Thomas Goddard wants to be known as a leader in data protection. Goddard recently served as the chief financial officer of Hoopy.com, a pioneer in online video viewing with millions of users around the world. Unfortunately, Hoopy is infamous within privacy protection circles for its ethically questionable practices, including unauthorized sales of personal data to marketers. Hoopy also was the target of credit card data theft that made headlines around the world, as at least two million credit card numbers were thought to have been pilfered despite the company’s claims that “appropriate” data protection safeguards were in place. The scandal affected the company’s business as competitors were quick to market an increased level of protection while offering similar entertainment and media content. Within three weeks after the scandal broke, Hoopy founder and CEO Maxwell Martin, Goddard’s mentor, was forced to step down.
Goddard, however, seems to have landed on his feet, securing the CEO position at your company, Medialite, which is just emerging from its start-up phase. He sold the company’s board and investors on his vision of Medialite building its brand partly on the basis of industry-leading data protection standards and procedures. He may have been a key part of a lapsed or even rogue organization in matters of privacy but now he claims to be reformed and a true believer in privacy protection. In his first week on the job, he calls you into his office and explains that your primary work responsibility is to bring his vision for privacy to life. But you also detect some reservations. “We want Medialite to have absolutely the highest standards,” he says. “In fact, I want us to be able to say that we are the clear industry leader in privacy and data protection. However, I also need to be a responsible steward of the company’s finances. So, while I want the best solutions across the board, they also need to be cost effective.”
You are told to report back in a week’s time with your recommendations. Charged with this ambiguous mission, you depart the executive suite, already considering your next steps.
You are charged with making sure that privacy safeguards are in place for new products and initiatives.
What is the best way to do this?
- A . Hold a meeting with stakeholders to create an interdepartmental protocol for new initiatives
- B . Institute Privacy by Design principles and practices across the organization
- C . Develop a plan for introducing privacy protections into the product development stage
- D . Conduct a gap analysis after deployment of new products, then mend any gaps that are revealed
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Your organization, the Chicago (U.S.)-based Society for Urban Greenspace, has used the same vendor to operate all aspects of an online store for several years. As a small nonprofit, the Society cannot afford the higher-priced options, but you have been relatively satisfied with this budget vendor, Shopping Cart Saver (SCS). Yes, there have been some issues. Twice, people who purchased items from the store have had their credit card information used fraudulently subsequent to transactions on your site, but in neither case did the investigation reveal with certainty that the Society’s store had been hacked. The thefts could have been employee-related.
Just as disconcerting was an incident where the organization discovered that SCS had sold information it had collected from customers to third parties. However, as Jason Roland, your SCS account representative, points out, it took only a phone call from you to clarify expectations and the “misunderstanding” has not occurred again.
As an information-technology program manager with the Society, the role of the privacy professional is only one of many you play. In all matters, however, you must consider the financial bottom line. While these problems with privacy protection have been significant, the additional revenues of sales of items such as shirts and coffee cups from the store have been significant. The Society’s operating budget is slim, and all sources of revenue are essential.
Now a new challenge has arisen. Jason called to say that starting in two weeks, the customer data from the store would now be stored on a data cloud. “The good news,” he says, “is that we have found a low-cost provider in Finland, where the data would also be held. So, while there may be a small charge to pass through to you, it won’t be exorbitant, especially considering the advantages of a cloud.”
Lately, you have been hearing about cloud computing and you know it’s fast becoming the new paradigm for various applications. However, you have heard mixed reviews about the potential impacts on privacy protection. You begin to research and discover that a number of the leading cloud service providers have signed a letter of intent to work together on shared conventions and technologies for privacy protection. You make a note to find out if Jason’s Finnish provider is signing on.
After conducting research, you discover a primary data protection issue with cloud computing.
Which of the following should be your biggest concern?
- A . An open programming model that results in easy access
- B . An unwillingness of cloud providers to provide security information
- C . A lack of vendors in the cloud computing market
- D . A reduced resilience of data structures that may lead to data loss.
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
Perhaps Jack Kelly should have stayed in the U.S. He enjoys a formidable reputation inside the company, Special Handling Shipping, for his work in reforming certain "rogue" offices. Last year, news broke that a police sting operation had revealed a drug ring operating in the Providence, Rhode Island office in the United States. Video from the office’s video surveillance cameras leaked to news operations showed a drug exchange between Special Handling staff and undercover officers.
In the wake of this incident, Kelly had been sent to Providence to change the "hands off" culture that upper management believed had let the criminal elements conduct their illicit transactions. After a few weeks under Kelly’s direction, the office became a model of efficiency and customer service. Kelly monitored his workers’ activities using the same cameras that had recorded the illegal conduct of their former co-workers.
Now Kelly has been charged with turning around the office in Cork, Ireland, another trouble spot. The company has received numerous reports of the staff leaving the office unattended. When Kelly arrived, he found that even when present, the staff often spent their days socializing or conducting personal business on their mobile phones. Again, he observed their behaviors using surveillance cameras. He issued written reprimands to six staff members based on the first day of video alone.
Much to Kelly’s surprise and chagrin, he and the company are now under investigation by the Data Protection Commissioner of Ireland for allegedly violating the privacy rights of employees. Kelly was told that the company’s license for the cameras listed facility security as their main use, but he does not know why this matters. He has pointed out to his superiors that the company’s training programs on privacy protection and data collection mention nothing about surveillance video.
You are a privacy protection consultant, hired by the company to assess this incident, report on the
legal and compliance issues, and recommend next steps.
What should you advise this company regarding the status of security cameras at their offices in the United States?
- A . Add security cameras at facilities that are now without them.
- B . Set policies about the purpose and use of the security cameras.
- C . Reduce the number of security cameras located inside the building.
- D . Restrict access to surveillance video taken by the security cameras and destroy the recordings after a designated period of time.
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:
For 15 years, Albert has worked at Treasure Box C a mail order company in the United States (U.S.) that used to sell decorative candles around the world, but has recently decided to limit its shipments to customers in the 48 contiguous states. Despite his years of experience, Albert is often overlooked for managerial positions. His frustration about not being promoted, coupled with his recent interest in issues of privacy protection, have motivated Albert to be an agent of positive change.
He will soon interview for a newly advertised position, and during the interview, Albert plans on making executives aware of lapses in the company’s privacy program. He feels certain he will be rewarded with a promotion for preventing negative consequences resulting from the company’s outdated policies and procedures.
For example, Albert has learned about the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountans)/CICA (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants) Privacy Maturity Model (PMM). Albert thinks the model is a useful way to measure Treasure Box’s ability to protect personal data. Albert has noticed that Treasure Box fails to meet the requirements of the highest level of maturity of this model; at his interview, Albert will pledge to assist the company with meeting this level in order to provide customers with the most rigorous security available.
Albert does want to show a positive outlook during his interview. He intends to praise the company’s commitment to the security of customer and employee personal data against external threats. However, Albert worries about the high turnover rate within the company, particularly in the area of direct phone marketing. He sees many unfamiliar faces every day who are hired to do the marketing, and he often hears complaints in the lunch room regarding long hours and low pay, as well as what seems to be flagrant disregard for company procedures.
In addition, Treasure Box has had two recent security incidents. The company has responded to the incidents with internal audits and updates to security safeguards. However, profits still seem to be affected and anecdotal evidence indicates that many people still harbor mistrust. Albert wants to help the company recover. He knows there is at least one incident the public in unaware of, although Albert does not know the details. He believes the company’s insistence on keeping the incident a secret could be a further detriment to its reputation. One further way that Albert wants to help Treasure Box regain its stature is by creating a toll-free number for customers, as well as a more efficient procedure for responding to customer concerns by postal mail.
In addition to his suggestions for improvement, Albert believes that his knowledge of the company’s recent business maneuvers will also impress the interviewers. For example, Albert is aware of the company’s intention to acquire a medical supply company in the coming weeks.
With his forward thinking, Albert hopes to convince the managers who will be interviewing him that he is right for the job.
The company may start to earn back the trust of its customer base by following Albert’s suggestion regarding which handling procedure?
- A . Access
- B . Correction
- C . Escalation
- D . Data Integrity
Read the following steps:
Perform frequent data back-ups.
Perform test restorations to verify integrity of backed-up data.
Maintain backed-up data offline or on separate servers.
These steps can help an organization recover from what?
- A . Phishing attacks
- B . Authorization errors
- C . Ransomware attacks
- D . Stolen encryption keys
All of the following would be recommended for effective identity access management (IAM) EXCEPT?
- A . User responsibility.
- B . Demographics.
- C . Biometrics.
- D . Credentials.
Which of the following is NOT typically a function of a Privacy Officer?
- A . Managing an organization’s information security infrastructure.
- B . Serving as an interdepartmental liaison for privacy concerns.
- C . Monitoring an organization’s compliance with privacy laws.
- D . Responding to information access requests from the public.
“Collection”, “access” and “destruction” are aspects of what privacy management process?
- A . The data governance strategy
- B . The breach response plan
- C . The metric life cycle
- D . The business case