PECB GDPR Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 22,2026- Exam Code: GDPR
- Exam Name: PECB Certified Data Protection Officer
- Certification Provider: PECB
- Latest update: Oct 22,2026
What can be included in a DPIA?
- A . Documented information on personal data transfers to third countries.
- B . The measures taken to protect the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of systems.
- C . Assessment of the risks to the rights and freedoms of data subjects.
- D . All of the above.
D
Explanation:
Under Article 35(7) of GDPR, a DPIA must include:
A description of processing activities and their purpose.
An assessment of necessity and proportionality.
An assessment of risks to individuals.
Planned measures to address risks.
Option D is correct because all these elements are essential for a DPIA.
Option A is correct because documenting cross-border data transfers is required under GDPR Article 35(7)(d).
Option B is correct because security measures must be described to mitigate risks.
Option C is correct because assessing risks to individuals is the core function of a DPIA.
Reference: GDPR Article 35(7) (DPIA requirements)
Recital 90 (DPIA helps controllers manage processing risks)
Scenario:
A financial institution collects biometric data of its clients, such as face recognition, to support a payment authentication process that they recently developed. The institution ensures that data subjects provide explicit consent for the processing of their biometric data for this specific purpose.
Question:
Based on this scenario, should the DPO advise the organization to conduct a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment)?
- A . Yes, because biometric data is considered special category personal data, and its processing is likely to involve high risk.
- B . No, because explicit consent has already been obtained from the data subjects.
- C . No, because DPIAs are only required when processing personal data on a large scale, which is not specified in this case.
- D . Yes, but only if the biometric data is stored for more than five years.
A
Explanation:
Under Article 35(3)(b) of GDPR, a DPIA is mandatory for processing that involves large-scale processing of special category data, including biometric data. Even if explicit consent is obtained, the risks associated with biometric processing require further evaluation.
Option A is correct because biometric data processing poses high risks to fundamental rights and freedoms, necessitating a DPIA.
Option B is incorrect because obtaining consent does not eliminate the requirement to conduct a DPIA.
Option C is incorrect because DPIAs are required for biometric processing regardless of scale if risks are present.
Option D is incorrect because storage duration is not a determining factor for DPIA requirements.
Reference: GDPR Article 35(3)(b) (DPIA requirement for special category data)
Recital 91 (Processing biometric data requires special safeguards)
Scenario 7: EduCCS is an online education platform based in Netherlands. EduCCS helps organizations find, manage, and deliver their corporate training. Most of EduCCS’s clients are EU residents. EduCCS is one of the few education organizations that have achieved GDPR compliance since 2019. Their DPO is a full-time employee who has been engaged in most data protection processes within the organization. In addition to facilitating GDPR compliance, the DPO acts as an intermediary point between EduCCS and other relevant interested parties. EduCCS’s users can benefit from the variety of up-to-date training library and the possibility of accessing it through their phones, tablets, or computers. EduCCS’s services are offered through two main platforms: online learning and digital training. To use one of these platforms, users should sign on EduCCS’s website by providing their personal information. Online learning is a platform in which employees of other organizations can search for and request the training they need. Through its digital training platform, on the other hand, EduCCS manages the entire training and education program for other organizations. Organizations that need this type of service need to provide information about their core activities and areas where training sessions are needed. This information is then analyzed by EduCCS and a customized training program is provided. In the beginning, all IT-related services were managed by two employees of EduCCS. However, after acquiring a large number of clients, managing these services became challenging That is why EduCCS decided to outsource the IT service function to X-Tech. X-Tech provides IT support and is responsible for ensuring the security of EduCCS’s network and systems. In addition, X-Tech stores and archives EduCCS’s information including their training programs and clients’ and employees’ data. Recently, X-Tech made headlines in the technology press for being a victim of a phishing attack. A group of three attackers hacked X-Tech’s systems via a phishing campaign which targeted the employees of the Marketing Department. By compromising X-Tech’s mail server, hackers were able to gain access to more than 200 computer systems. Consequently, access to the networks of EduCCS’s clients was also allowed. Using EduCCS’s employee accounts, attackers installed a remote access tool on EduCCS’s compromised systems. By doing so, they gained access to personal information of EduCCS’s clients, training programs, and other information stored in its online payment system. The attack was detected by X-Tech’s system administrator. After detecting unusual activity in X-Tech’s network, they immediately reported it to the incident management team of the company. One week after being notified about the personal data breach, EduCCS communicated the incident to the supervisory authority with a document that outlined the reasons for the delay revealing that due to the lack of regular testing or modification, their incident response plan was not adequately prepared to handle such an attack. Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
Question:
Based on scenario 7, did EduCCS comply with GDPR regarding data breach notification requirements?
- A . No, EduCCS’ notification to the supervisory authority after one week violates GDPR’s requirement for timely notification.
- B . Yes, EduCCS was not obligated to notify the supervisory authority about the breach, since it occurred at its IT service provider, X-Tech.
- C . Yes, EduCCS acted in compliance with GDPR by notifying the supervisory authority one week after the violation.
- D . No, EduCCS should have reported the breach directly to affected clients before informing the supervisory authority.
A
Explanation:
Under Article 33(1) of GDPR, controllers must report a personal data breach to the supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of it. EduCCS delayed notification beyond this timeframe, violating GDPR.
Option A is correct because EduCCS failed to notify the authority within 72 hours.
Option B is incorrect because EduCCS remains responsible for reporting the breach, even if it occurred at X-Tech.
Option C is incorrect because one-week delay violates GDPR’s 72-hour requirement.
Option D is incorrect because notifying the supervisory authority is required first, unless the breach is unlikely to impact data subjects.
Reference: GDPR Article 33(1) (72-hour breach notification)
Recital 85 (Timely response to data breaches)
Scenario 3:
COR Bank is an international banking group that operates in 31 countries. It was formed as the merger of two well-known investment banks in Germany. Their two main fields of business are retail and investment banking. COR Bank provides innovative solutions for services such as payments, cash management, savings, protection insurance, and real-estate services. COR Bank has a large number of clients and transactions. Therefore, they process large information, including clients’ personal data. Some of the data from the application processes of COR Bank, including archived data, is operated by Tibko, an IT services company located in Canada. To ensure compliance with the GDPR, COR Bank and Tibko have reached a data processing agreement Based on the agreement, the purpose and conditions of data processing are determined by COR Bank. However, Tibko is allowed to make technical decisions for storing the data based on its own expertise. COR Bank aims to remain a trustworthy bank and a long-term partner for its clients. Therefore, they devote special attention to legal compliance. They started the implementation process of a GDPR compliance program in 2018. The first step was to analyze the existing resources and procedures. Lisa was appointed as the data protection officer (DPO). Being the information security manager of COR Bank for many years, Lisa had knowledge of the organization’s core activities. She was previously involved in most of the processes related to information systems management and data protection. Lisa played a key role in achieving compliance to the GDPR by advising the company regarding data protection obligations and creating a data protection strategy. After obtaining evidence of the existing data protection policy, Lisa proposed to adapt the policy to specific requirements of GDPR. Then, Lisa implemented the updates of the policy within COR Bank. To ensure consistency between processes of different departments within the organization, Lisa has constantly communicated with all heads of GDPR. Then, Lisa implemented the updates of the policy within COR Bank. To ensure consistency between processes of different departments within the organization, Lisa has constantly communicated with all heads of departments. As the DPO, she had access to several departments, including HR and Accounting Department. This assured the organization that there was a continuous cooperation between them. The activities of some departments within COR Bank are closely related to data protection. Therefore, considering their expertise, Lisa was advised from the top management to take orders from the heads of those departments when taking decisions related to their field. Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
Question:
Based on scenario 3, Lisa was advised to take orders from the heads of other departments.
Is this acceptable under GDPR?
- A . Yes, only heads of departments within a financial institution are allowed to give orders to the DPO.
- B . Yes, the DPO shall take instructions and tasks from employee members if required by the organization.
- C . No, the organization should not influence, nor put pressure on the DPO for any decision taken.
- D . Yes, the DPO is responsible for following management directives while ensuring GDPR compliance.
C
Explanation:
Under Article 38(3) of GDPR, the DPO must operate independently, without receiving instructions regarding the execution of their tasks. A DPO should not be pressured or influenced by the organization when assessing data protection compliance.
Option C is correct because GDPR explicitly states that DPOs must act independently.
Option A is incorrect because no department heads should interfere with the DPO’s decisions.
Option B is incorrect because DPOs should not take orders on GDPR matters.
Option D is incorrect because DPOs must not be influenced by management, even if they provide general compliance guidance.
Reference: GDPR Article 38(3) (DPO independence)
Recital 97 (DPO’s autonomy and protection from pressure)
Scenario 9:
Soin is a French travel agency with the largest network of professional travel agents throughout Europe. They aim to create unique vacations for clients regardless of the destinations they seek. The company specializes in helping people find plane tickets, reservations at hotels, cruises, and other activities.
As any other industry, travel is no exception when it comes to GDPR compliance. Soin was directly affected by the enforcement of GDPR since its main activities require the collection and processing of customers’ data. Data collected by Soin includes customer’s ID or passport details, financial and payment information, and contact information. This type of data is defined as personal by the GDPR; hence, Soin’s data processing activities are built based on customer’s consent.
At the beginning, as for many other companies, GDPR compliance was a complicated issue for Soin. However, the process was completed within a few months and later on the company appointed a DPO. Last year, the supervisory authority of France, requested the conduct of a data protection
external audit in Soin without an early notice. To ensure GDPR compliance before an external audit was conducted, Soin organized an internal audit. The data protection internal audit was conducted by the DPO of the company. The audit was initiated by firstly confirming the accuracy of records related to all current Soin’s data processing activities. The DPO considered that verifying compliance to Article 30 of GDPR would help in defining the data protection internal audit scope. The DPO noticed that not all processing activities of Soin were documented as required by the GDPR. For example, processing activities records of the company did not include a description of transfers of personal data to third countries. In addition, there was no clear description of categories of personal data processed by the company. Other areas that were audited included content of data protection policy, data retention guidelines, how sensitive data is stored, and security policies and practices. The DPO conducted interviews with some employees at different levels of the company. During the audit, the DPO came across some emails sent by Soin’s clients claiming that they do not have access in their personal data stored by Soin. Soin’s Customer Service Department answered the emails saying that, based on Soin’s policies, a client cannot have access to personal data stored by the company. Based on the information gathered, the DPO concluded that there was a lack of employee awareness on the GDPR.
All these findings were documented in the audit report. Once the audit was completed, the DPO drafted action plans to resolve the nonconformities found. Firstly, the DPO created a new procedure which could ensure the right of access to clients. All employees were provided with GDPR compliance awareness sessions. Moreover, the DPO established a document which described the transfer of personal data to third countries and the applicability of safeguards when this transfer is done to an international organization.
Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
To whom should the DPO of Soin report the situations observed during the data protection internal audit?
- A . Soin’s top management
- B . Supervisory authority
- C . Soin’s internal auditor
A
Explanation:
Under GDPR Article 38(3), the DPO must report directly to the highest level of management. The DPO provides guidance and recommendations but does not report directly to the supervisory authority unless required under Article 58 (e.g., in case of noncompliance or high-risk processing activities). Internal auditors may be involved, but the primary responsibility for GDPR compliance lies with top management.
Scenario 9:
Soin is a French travel agency with the largest network of professional travel agents throughout Europe. They aim to create unique vacations for clients regardless of the destinations they seek. The company specializes in helping people find plane tickets, reservations at hotels, cruises, and other activities.
As any other industry, travel is no exception when it comes to GDPR compliance. Soin was directly affected by the enforcement of GDPR since its main activities require the collection and processing of customers’ data. Data collected by Soin includes customer’s ID or passport details, financial and payment information, and contact information. This type of data is defined as personal by the GDPR; hence, Soin’s data processing activities are built based on customer’s consent.
At the beginning, as for many other companies, GDPR compliance was a complicated issue for Soin. However, the process was completed within a few months and later on the company appointed a DPO. Last year, the supervisory authority of France, requested the conduct of a data protection
external audit in Soin without an early notice. To ensure GDPR compliance before an external audit was conducted, Soin organized an internal audit. The data protection internal audit was conducted by the DPO of the company. The audit was initiated by firstly confirming the accuracy of records related to all current Soin’s data processing activities. The DPO considered that verifying compliance to Article 30 of GDPR would help in defining the data protection internal audit scope. The DPO noticed that not all processing activities of Soin were documented as required by the GDPR. For example, processing activities records of the company did not include a description of transfers of personal data to third countries. In addition, there was no clear description of categories of personal data processed by the company. Other areas that were audited included content of data protection policy, data retention guidelines, how sensitive data is stored, and security policies and practices. The DPO conducted interviews with some employees at different levels of the company. During the audit, the DPO came across some emails sent by Soin’s clients claiming that they do not have access in their personal data stored by Soin. Soin’s Customer Service Department answered the emails saying that, based on Soin’s policies, a client cannot have access to personal data stored by the company. Based on the information gathered, the DPO concluded that there was a lack of employee awareness on the GDPR.
All these findings were documented in the audit report. Once the audit was completed, the DPO drafted action plans to resolve the nonconformities found. Firstly, the DPO created a new procedure which could ensure the right of access to clients. All employees were provided with GDPR compliance awareness sessions. Moreover, the DPO established a document which described the transfer of personal data to third countries and the applicability of safeguards when this transfer is done to an international organization.
Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
To whom should the DPO of Soin report the situations observed during the data protection internal audit?
- A . Soin’s top management
- B . Supervisory authority
- C . Soin’s internal auditor
A
Explanation:
Under GDPR Article 38(3), the DPO must report directly to the highest level of management. The DPO provides guidance and recommendations but does not report directly to the supervisory authority unless required under Article 58 (e.g., in case of noncompliance or high-risk processing activities). Internal auditors may be involved, but the primary responsibility for GDPR compliance lies with top management.
Scenario 1:
MED is a healthcare provider located in Norway. It provides high-quality and affordable healthcare services, including disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Founded in 1995, MED is one of the largest health organizations in the private sector. The company has constantly evolved in response to patients’ needs.
Patients that schedule an appointment in MED’s medical centers initially need to provide their personal information, including name, surname, address, phone number, and date of birth. Further checkups or admission require additional information, including previous medical history and genetic data. When providing their personal data, patients are informed that the data is used for personalizing treatments and improving communication with MED’s doctors. Medical data of patients, including children, are stored in the database of MED’s health information system. MED allows patients who
are at least 16 years old to use the system and provide their personal information independently. For children below the age of 16, MED requires consent from the holder of parental responsibility before processing their data.
MED uses a cloud-based application that allows patients and doctors to upload and access information. Patients can save all personal medical data, including test results, doctor visits, diagnosis history, and medicine prescriptions, as well as review and track them at any time. Doctors, on the other hand, can access their patients’ data through the application and can add information as needed.
Patients who decide to continue their treatment at another health institution can request MED to transfer their data. However, even if patients decide to continue their treatment elsewhere, their personal data is still used by MED. Patients’ requests to stop data processing are rejected. This decision was made by MED’s top management to retain the information of everyone registered in their databases.
The company also shares medical data with InsHealth, a health insurance company. MED’s data helps InsHealth create health insurance plans that meet the needs of individuals and families.
MED believes that it is its responsibility to ensure the security and accuracy of patients’ personal data. Based on the identified risks associated with data processing activities, MED has implemented appropriate security measures to ensure that data is securely stored and processed.
Since personal data of patients is stored and transmitted over the internet, MED uses encryption to avoid unauthorized processing, accidental loss, or destruction of data. The company has established a security policy to define the levels of protection required for each type of information and processing activity. MED has communicated the policy and other procedures to personnel and provided customized training to ensure proper handling of data processing.
Question:
Based on scenario 1, is the processing of children’s personal data performed by MED in compliance with GDPR?
- A . No, the processing of personal data of children below the age of 16 years is not in compliance with the GDPR, even if parental consent is provided.
- B . Yes, the processing of children’s personal data below the age of 16 years with parental consent is in compliance with GDPR.
- C . No, MED must obtain explicit consent from the child, regardless of parental consent, for the processing to be in compliance with GDPR.
- D . Yes, as long as the processing is conducted with industry-standard encryption.
B
Explanation:
Under Article 8 of the GDPR, the processing of personal data of children under 16 years is only lawful if parental or guardian consent is obtained. However, Member States can lower the age limit to 13 years if they choose.
In this scenario, MED requires parental consent for children below 16 years, which aligns with GDPR requirements. Therefore, Option B is correct.
Option A is incorrect because GDPR allows parental consent.
Option C is incorrect because GDPR does not require explicit consent from the child when parental consent is given.
Option D is incorrect because encryption alone does not determine compliance.
Reference: GDPR Article 8 (Conditions for children’s consent)
Recital 38 (Protection of children’s data)
Scenario 7: EduCCS is an online education platform based in Netherlands. EduCCS helps organizations find, manage, and deliver their corporate training. Most of EduCCS’s clients are EU residents. EduCCS is one of the few education organizations that have achieved GDPR compliance since 2019. Their DPO is a full-time employee who has been engaged in most data protection processes within the organization. In addition to facilitating GDPR compliance, the DPO acts as an intermediary point between EduCCS and other relevant interested parties. EduCCS’s users can benefit from the variety of up-to-date training library and the possibility of accessing it through their phones, tablets, or computers. EduCCS’s services are offered through two main platforms: online learning and digital training. To use one of these platforms, users should sign on EduCCS’s website by providing their personal information. Online learning is a platform in which employees of other organizations can search for and request the training they need. Through its digital training platform, on the other hand, EduCCS manages the entire training and education program for other organizations. Organizations that need this type of service need to provide information about their core activities and areas where training sessions are needed. This information is then analyzed by EduCCS and a customized training program is provided. In the beginning, all IT-related services were managed by two employees of EduCCS. However, after acquiring a large number of clients, managing these services became challenging That is why EduCCS decided to outsource the IT service function to X-Tech. X-Tech provides IT support and is responsible for ensuring the security of EduCCS’s network and systems. In addition, X-Tech stores and archives EduCCS’s information including their training programs and clients’ and employees’ data. Recently, X-Tech made headlines in the technology press for being a victim of a phishing attack. A group of three attackers hacked X-Tech’s systems via a phishing campaign which targeted the employees of the Marketing Department. By compromising X-Tech’s mail server, hackers were able to gain access to more than 200 computer systems. Consequently, access to the networks of EduCCS’s clients was also allowed. Using EduCCS’s employee accounts, attackers installed a remote access tool on EduCCS’s compromised systems. By doing so, they gained access to personal information of EduCCS’s clients, training programs, and other information stored in its online payment system. The attack was detected by X-Tech’s system administrator. After detecting unusual activity in X-Tech’s network, they immediately reported it to the incident management team of the company. One week after being notified about the personal data breach, EduCCS communicated the incident to the supervisory authority with a document that outlined the reasons for the delay revealing that due to the lack of regular testing or modification, their incident response plan was not adequately prepared to handle such an attack. Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
Question:
What is the role of EduCCS’ DPO in the situation described in scenario 7?
- A . The DPO should verify if EduCCS has adopted appropriate corrective measures to minimize the risk of similar future breaches.
- B . The DPO should respond to the personal data breach based on the breach response plan as defined by EduCCS.
- C . The DPO should document the personal data breach and notify the relevant parties about its occurrence.
- D . The DPO is responsible for contacting the affected data subjects and compensating them for any damages.
A
Explanation:
Under Article 39(1)(b) of GDPR, the DPO is responsible for monitoring compliance, including ensuring corrective actions are taken to prevent future breaches.
Option A is correct because DPOs must assess whether corrective actions were taken.
Option B is incorrect because the DPO does not execute the breach response plan but advises on compliance.
Option C is incorrect because documenting and reporting breaches is the responsibility of the controller, not solely the DPO.
Option D is incorrect because DPOs do not handle compensations―this is a legal issue determined by courts.
Reference: GDPR Article 39(1)(b) (DPO’s role in monitoring compliance)
Recital 97 (DPO’s advisory responsibilities)
Why should the controller implement appropriate technical and organizational measures?
- A . To enable the processor to create and improve security features
- B . To allow the data subject to monitor the processing of their personal data
- C . To maximize the processing of personal data
B
Explanation:
GDPR Article 25 requires controllers to implement appropriate measures ensuring data protection. This includes transparency measures that allow data subjects to monitor the processing of their personal data, fulfilling their rights under Articles 12-22.
Question:
According to the principle of data minimization, data must be:
- A . In a form which permits the identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary.
- B . Acquired only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes.
- C . Adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes of processing.
- D . Stored for no more than five years from the date of collection.
C
Explanation:
Under Article 5(1)(c) of GDPR, data minimization requires that personal data must be adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary for its intended purpose.
Option C is correct because it directly reflects the GDPR’s data minimization principle.
Option A is incorrect because storage limitation is a separate principle under Article 5(1)(e).
Option B is incorrect because purpose limitation (Article 5(1)(b)) is separate from data minimization.
Option D is incorrect because GDPR does not specify a fixed retention period (e.g., five years)― retention should be based on necessity.
Reference: GDPR Article 5(1)(c) (Data minimization principle)
Recital 39 (Controllers must collect only necessary data)