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
Question:
Under GDPR, the controller must demonstrate that data subjects have consented to the processing of their personal data, and the consent must be freely given.
What is the role of the DPO in ensuring compliance with this requirement?
- A . The DPO should ensure that the controller has informed data subjects about their right to withdraw consent.
- B . The DPO should ensure that the controller has implemented procedures to provide evidence that consent has been obtained for all relevant personal data.
- C . The DPO should personally record information such as who consented, when they consented, and how consent was given.
- D . The DPO should approve the legal basis for consent processing before the controller can collect personal data.
B
Explanation:
Under Article 7(1) of GDPR, controllers must be able to demonstrate that the data subject has given consent. The DPO advises on ensuring these procedures are in place but does not collect or approve consent directly.
Option B is correct because the DPO must verify that consent records exist and meet GDPR standards.
Option A is incorrect because informing data subjects about withdrawal rights is the controller’s duty, not the DPO’s.
Option C is incorrect because the DPO does not personally maintain consent logs.
Option D is incorrect because DPOs do not approve legal bases for processing―this is the controller’s responsibility.
Reference: GDPR Article 7(1) (Controller must demonstrate valid consent)
GDPR Article 39(1)(b) (DPO ensures compliance with data protection obligations)
Scenario:
An organization suffered a personal data breach due to a phishing email attack, which allowed attackers to access employee names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
Question:
What could the DPO do to prevent a similar breach from happening again?
- A . Provide training and awareness sessions on data protection within the organization.
- B . Classify incidents into categories and take decisions based on this categorization.
- C . Create a data breach response plan that includes information on how breaches should be handled.
- D . Both A and C.
D
Explanation:
Under Article 39(1)(b) and (d) of GDPR, the DPO is responsible for ensuring employee awareness and improving security measures to prevent breaches.
Option D is correct because both training and a breach response plan are essential for risk prevention.
Option A is correct because training employees on phishing and cybersecurity best practices reduces human errors.
Option B is incorrect because categorizing incidents alone does not prevent breaches.
Option C is correct because a breach response plan ensures an organization can quickly mitigate future incidents.
Reference: GDPR Article 39(1)(b) and (d) (DPO’s role in training and security improvements)
Recital 77 (Training employees strengthens compliance)
Scenario 8:
MA store is an online clothing retailer founded in 2010. They provide quality products at a reasonable cost. One thing that differentiates MA store from other online shopping sites is their excellent customer service.
MA store follows a customer-centered business approach. They have created a user-friendly website with well-organized content that is accessible to everyone. Through innovative ideas and services, MA store offers a seamless user experience for visitors while also attracting new customers. When visiting the website, customers can filter their search results by price, size, customer reviews, and other features. One of MA store’s strategies for providing, personalizing, and improving its products is data analytics. MA store tracks and analyzes the user actions on its website so it can create customized experience for visitors.
In order to understand their target audience, MA store analyzes shopping preferences of its customers based on their purchase history. The purchase history includes the product that was bought, shipping updates, and payment details. Clients’ personal data and other information related to MA store products included in the purchase history are stored in separate databases. Personal information, such as clients’ address or payment details, are encrypted using a public key. When analyzing the shopping preferences of customers, employees access only the information about the product while the identity of customers is removed from the data set and replaced with a common value, ensuring that customer identities are protected and cannot be retrieved.
Last year, MA store announced that they suffered a personal data breach where personal data of clients were leaked. The personal data breach was caused by an SQL injection attack which targeted MA store’s web application. The SQL injection was successful since no parameterized queries were used.
Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
How could MA store prevent the SQL attack described in scenario 8?
- A . Using security measures that support data protection at the database level, such as authorized queries
- B . Using cryptographic protocols such as TLS as encryption mechanisms instead of a public key encryption
- C . Processing only the data they actually need to achieve processing purposes in database and application servers
A
Explanation:
The SQL injection attack exploited vulnerabilities in the web application due to the lack of parameterized queries. GDPR mandates security measures under Article 32, which includes data integrity and confidentiality safeguards. Using parameterized queries and prepared statements at the database level would prevent attackers from injecting malicious SQL code. TLS encryption (option
B) is crucial for secure communication but does not directly address SQL injection threats. Similarly, data minimization (option C) is a general best practice but does not provide specific protection against SQL injection.
Scenario:
BookSt is an online bookshop that collects personal data before selling its products. Sarah signed up for an account, providing her name, email, and password. To purchase a book, Sarah was required to provide her shipping address and payment information, which is needed to calculate shipping costs and complete the transaction.
Question:
Does the company have a legal basis for processing Sarah’s data?
- A . No, the processing is not legally justified if it is only for sales purposes.
- B . Yes, the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party.
- C . No, the processing is legally justified only if it is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject.
- D . Yes, but only if Sarah provides explicit consent for her data to be processed.
B
Explanation:
Reference: GDPR Article 6(1)(b) (Processing necessary for contract performance)
Recital 44 (Contractual necessity as a legal basis)
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:
Lisa implemented the updates to the data protection policy.
Is she responsible for this under GDPR?
- A . No, the DPO is only responsible for proposing changes and obtaining evidence regarding specific GDPR requirements in the policy.
- B . No, the DPO is responsible for monitoring compliance with GDPR but not for implementing the GDPR compliance policies.
- C . Yes, the DPO is responsible for implementing GDPR policies, procedures, and processes, as well as ensuring compliance.
- D . Yes, the DPO is responsible for all security-related tasks, including updating GDPR policies.
B
Explanation:
Under Article 39(1)(b) of GDPR, the DPO’s role is advisory―they monitor compliance but do not actively implement policies.
Option B is correct because DPOs advise and monitor but do not execute policy updates.
Option A is incorrect because DPOs do more than just propose changes; they ensure compliance.
Option C is incorrect because implementation is the responsibility of the controller, not the DPO.
Option D is incorrect because DPOs do not handle general security responsibilities.
Reference: GDPR Article 39(1)(b) (DPO’s monitoring role)
Recital 97 (DPO’s independence and advisory function)
What is the role of the DPO in a DPIA?
- A . Conduct the DPIA.
- B . Determine if a DPIA is necessary.
- C . Record the DPIA outcomes.
- D . Approve the DPIA and ensure all risks are eliminated.
B
Explanation:
Under Article 39(1)(c) of GDPR, the DPO advises on the necessity of conducting a DPIA but does not conduct it themselves. The controller is responsible for carrying out the DPIA.
Option B is correct because the DPO must determine whether a DPIA is required and provide recommendations.
Option A is incorrect because conducting the DPIA is the responsibility of the controller, not the DPO.
Option C is incorrect because while the DPO can assist, DPIA documentation is the controller’s duty.
Option D is incorrect because DPOs advise but do not approve or eliminate all risks―risk management remains the responsibility of the controller.
Reference: GDPR Article 39(1)(c) (DPO advises on DPIA necessity)
Recital 97 (DPOs provide oversight, not execution)
Scenario: 2
Soyled is a retail company that sells a wide range of electronic products from top European brands. It primarily sells its products in its online platforms (which include customer reviews and ratings), despite using physical stores since 2015. Soyled’s website and mobile app are used by millions of customers. Soyled has employed various solutions to create a customer-focused ecosystem and facilitate growth. Soyled uses customer relationship management (CRM) software to analyze user data and administer the interaction with customers. The software allows the company to store customer information, identify sales opportunities, and manage marketing campaigns. It automatically obtains information about each user’s IP address and web browser cookies. Soyled also uses the software to collect behavioral data, such as users’ repeated actions and mouse movement information. Customers must create an account to buy from Soyled’s online platforms. To do so, they fill out a standard sign-up form of three mandatory boxes (name, surname, email address) and a non-mandatory one (phone number). When the user clicks the email address box, a pop-up message appears as follows: “Soyled needs your email address to grant you access to your account and contact you about any changes related to your account and our website. For further information, please read our privacy policy.’ When the user clicks the phone number box, the following message appears: “Soyled may use your phone number to provide text updates on the order status. The phone number may also be used by the shipping courier." Once the personal data is provided, customers create a username and password, which are used to access Soyled’s website or app. When customers want to make a purchase, they are also required to provide their bank account details. When the user finally creates the account, the following message appears: “Soyled collects only the personal data it needs for the following purposes: processing orders, managing accounts, and personalizing customers’ experience. The collected data is shared with our network and used for marketing purposes." Soyled uses personal data to promote sales and its brand. If a user decides to close the account, the personal data is still used for marketing purposes only. Last month, the company received an email from John, a customer, claiming that his personal data was being used for purposes other than those specified by the company. According to the email, Soyled was using the data for direct marketing purposes. John requested details on how his personal data was collected, stored, and processed. Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
Question:
When completing the sign-up form, the user gets a notification about the purpose for which Soyled collects their email address. Is Soyled required by the GDPR to do so?
- A . Yes, users must be informed of the purpose of collecting their personal data.
- B . No, Soyled should provide this information only when requested by users.
- C . No, Soyled only needs to inform users about how their data is collected, stored, or processed.
- D . Yes, but only if the email is used for communication purposes beyond account creation.
A
Explanation:
Under Article 13 of GDPR, controllers must inform data subjects at the time of data collection about the purpose of processing their personal data. This ensures transparency and accountability.
Soyled provides a pop-up message explaining why the email is collected, which aligns with GDPR’s transparency principles.
Option A is correct.
Option B is incorrect because GDPR requires notification at collection, not upon request.
Option C is incorrect as GDPR mandates disclosure of purpose, not just storage and processing methods.
Option D is misleading because the purpose must be disclosed regardless of communication intent.
Reference: GDPR Article 13(1)(c) (Obligation to inform data subjects about processing purposes)
Recital 60 (Transparency and accountability in data collection)
Bus Spot is one of the largest bus operators in Spain. The company operates in local transport and bus rental since 2009. The success of Bus Spot can be attributed to the digitization of the bus ticketing system, through which clients can easily book tickets and stay up to date on any changes to their arrival or departure time. In recent years, due to the large number of passengers transported daily. Bus Spot has dealt with different incidents including vandalism, assaults on staff, and fraudulent injury claims. Considering the severity of these incidents, the need for having strong security measures had become crucial. Last month, the company decided to install a CCTV system across its network of buses. This security measure was taken to monitor the behavior of the company’s employees and passengers, enabling crime prevention and ensuring safety and security. Following this decision, Bus Spot initiated a data protection impact assessment (DPIA).
The outcome of each step of the DPIA was documented as follows:
Step 1: In all 150 buses, two CCTV cameras will be installed. Only individuals authorized by Bus Spot will have access to the information generated by the CCTV system. CCTV cameras capture images only when the Bus Spot’s buses are being used. The CCTV cameras will record images and sound. The information is transmitted to a video recorder and stored for 20 days. In case of incidents, CCTV recordings may be stored for more than 40 days and disclosed to a law enforcement body. Data collected through the CCTV system will be processed bv another organization. The purpose of processing this tvoe of information is to increase the security and safety of individuals and prevent criminal activity.
Step 2: All employees of Bus Spot were informed for the installation of a CCTV system. As the data controller, Bus Spot will have the ultimate responsibility to conduct the DPIA. Appointing a DPO at that point was deemed unnecessary. However, the data processor’s suggestions regarding the CCTV installation were taken into account.
Step 3: Risk Likelihood (Unlikely, Possible, Likely) Severity (Moderate, Severe, Critical) Overall risk (Low, Medium, High) There is a risk that the principle of lawfulness, fairness, and transparency will be compromised since individuals might not be aware of the CCTV location and its field of view. Likely Moderate Low There is a risk that the principle of integrity and confidentiality may be compromised in case the CCTV system is not monitored and controlled with adequate security measures. Possible Severe Medium There is a risk related to the right of individuals to be informed regarding the installation of CCTV cameras. Possible Moderate Low
Step 4: Bus Spot will provide appropriate training to individuals that have access to the information generated by the CCTV system. In addition, it will ensure that the employees of the data processor are trained as well. In each entrance of the bus, a sign for the use of CCTV will be displayed. The sign will be visible and readable by all passengers. It will show other details such as the purpose of its use, the identity of Bus Spot, and its contact number in case there are any queries. Only two employees of Bus Spot will be authorized to access the CCTV system. They will continuously monitor it and report any unusual behavior of bus drivers or passengers to Bus Spot. The requests of individuals that are subject to a criminal activity for accessing the CCTV images will be evaluated only for a limited period of time. If the access is allowed, the CCTV images will be exported by the CCTV system to an appropriate file format. Bus Spot will use a file encryption software to encrypt data before transferring onto another file format.
Step 5: Bus Spot’s top management has evaluated the DPIA results for the processing of data through CCTV system. The actions suggested to address the identified risks have been approved and will be implemented based on best practices. This DPIA involves the analysis of the risks and impacts in only a group of buses located in the capital of Spain. Therefore, the DPIA will be reconducted for each of Bus Spot’s buses in Spain before installing the CCTV system. Based on this scenario, answer the following Question:
Question:
Is a DPIA necessary for Bus Spot?
- A . Yes, because the installation of a CCTV system in Bus Spot’s buses involves systematic monitoring of a large number of individuals.
- B . Yes, because the installation of a CCTV system in Bus Spot’s buses involves a systematic and extensive evaluation of personal aspects relating to natural persons based on automated processing.
- C . No, because the installation of a CCTV system in Bus Spot’s buses does not involve processing of data that is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of data subjects.
- D . No, because CCTV cameras used for security reasons are automatically exempt from GDPR requirements.
A
Explanation:
Under Article 35(3)(c) of GDPR, a DPIA is required when a large-scale systematic monitoring of public spaces is conducted. CCTV cameras in public transportation capture many individuals, making a DPIA mandatory.
Option A is correct because CCTV monitoring in public spaces is considered high-risk processing.
Option B is incorrect because CCTV processing does not involve automated decision-making or profiling.
Option C is incorrect because CCTV processing affects a large number of individuals, posing potential risks.
Option D is incorrect because security cameras are subject to GDPR unless used for purely household purposes (Recital 18).
Reference: GDPR Article 35(3)(c) (DPIA requirement for systematic monitoring)
Recital 91 (Use of DPIA in video surveillance)
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, which data subject right is NOT guaranteed by MED?
- A . Right to be informed
- B . Right to restriction of processing
- C . Right to data portability
- D . Right to rectification
B
Explanation:
Under Article 18 of GDPR, the right to restriction of processing allows data subjects to request that processing of their personal data be limited under certain conditions, such as when accuracy is contested or processing is unlawful but the data subject opposes erasure.
From the scenario, MED does not provide the option to restrict processing, as patients who request to stop processing are denied. This makes Option B correct.
Option A is incorrect because MED does inform patients about data collection purposes.
Option C is incorrect because medical data could be transferred to other institutions.
Option D is incorrect because rectification of inaccurate data is a standard obligation.
Reference: GDPR Article 18 (Right to restriction of processing)
GDPR Article 12 (Transparent communication with data subjects)
Question:
In which phase of the incident management plan should the process owner define the essential information needed for identifying and classifying security incidents, while the point of contact and response team conduct assessments and determine actions?
- A . Plan and prepare phase.
- B . Assessment and decision phase.
- C . Detection and reporting phase.
- D . Remediation and recovery phase.
B
Explanation:
The Assessment and Decision Phase is where potential security incidents are reviewed, classified, and appropriate response actions are determined.
Option B is correct because this phase focuses on analyzing threats and deciding how to mitigate risks.
Option A is incorrect because planning and preparation occur before an incident is detected.
Option C is incorrect because detection focuses on identifying possible breaches, not classifying them.
Option D is incorrect because remediation happens after decisions on response actions have been made.
Reference: ISO/IEC 27035-1:2016 (Incident management process stages)
GDPR Article 32(1)(d) (Security measures should ensure quick response to incidents)