CCRP SOCRA Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

21 CFR 54.4(b):Requires disclosureduring the study and for 1 year after completion.

After three years, no disclosure is required.

21 CFR 812.150(a)(4):Any deviation from investigational plan made to protect the life or physical well-being of a subject in an emergency must be reported to the sponsor and IRBwithin 5 working days.

Unanticipated adverse device effects have a 10-day reporting window.

Recruitment materials must be reviewed to protect subjects from misleading or coercive messaging.

21 CFR 56.111(a)(3):IRBs must ensure equitable subject selection.

ICH E6(R2) 3.1.2:IRBs safeguard rights, safety, and well-being, including review of recruitment strategies.

FDA and OHRP do not approve recruitment materials; responsibility lies withIRB/IEC.

Quality assurance (QA)is proactive and systematic, designed to prevent errors and ensure compliance.

ICH E6(R2) 1.46:Defines QA as “all those planned and systematic actions that are established to ensure that the trial is performed and the data are generated, documented, and reported in compliance with GCP and applicable regulatory requirements.”

Option A describes IRB responsibilities, Option C describesaudit, and Option D describes protocol approval processes. OnlyBaccurately matches the ICH definition of QA. QA is distinct fromquality control (QC), which is operational and focused on detection of issues during conduct.

Thus, the correct answer isB.

The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) specifies when sponsors must notify FDA of changes to investigational drug studies under 21 CFR 312.30. A protocol amendment is required if there is:

A change to the protocol (e.g., objectives, design, subject population, dosing, or procedures).

The addition of a new investigator.

A change in the chemistry, manufacturing, or controls (CMC) that could significantly affect product quality or safety.

Among the listed options, a change in the manufacturing site (D) directly falls under significant manufacturing changes, requiring FDA submission. Changes in investigator financial interests (B) are covered under 21 CFR 54 and reported separately, not as protocol amendments. Addition of a sub-investigator (C) does not require a formal amendment, only site-level documentation and delegation log update. Addition of a monitoring test (A) may affect the protocol, but not necessarily mandate an amendment unless it changes objectives or subject safety endpoints.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. This ensures FDA oversight of product safety, efficacy, and compliance with CMC standards before investigational use.

ICH E6(R2) 3.1.2 & FDA Recruitment Guidance (1998):Recruitment materials must be reviewed by IRB to ensure no coercion or misleading claims.

CRFs and storage plans are sponsor/site tools, not IRB-reviewed documents.

AnIndependent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC or DSMB)is a group of independent experts established to review accumulating safety and efficacy data during a trial. Their main role is to ensure subject protection and trial integrity.

ICH E6(R2) 5.5.1:“The sponsor may consider establishing anindependent data-monitoring committee (IDMC)to assess the progress of a clinical trial, including the safety data and the critical efficacy endpoints, and to recommend to the sponsor whether to continue, modify, or stop a trial.”

Thus, DSMBs/IDMCsdo not perform trial approvals (A),do not design trials (C), anddo not select investigators (D). Their authority is strictly advisory, providing recommendations to sponsors about safety and whether continuation of the study is ethically justified. The sponsor makes the final decision, but DSMB recommendations are highly influential.

Therefore, the correct answer isB (Recommendations to stop a trial).

ICH E6(R2) 5.6.1:“The sponsor should ensure agreement from the investigator/institution on the financial aspects of the trial.”This ensures transparency in compensation, reimbursement, and budget.

FDA regulations for investigational devices are found under 21 CFR 812. Risk classification determines whether a device is considered Significant Risk (SR) or Non-Significant Risk (NSR). The critical factor is how the device will be used in the specific study.

21 CFR 812.3(m): Defines a “significant risk device study” as one that “is intended as an implant, is purported or represented to be for a use in supporting or sustaining human life, or otherwise presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety, or welfare of a subject.”

Risk is judged within the context of the protocol — i.e., use of the device in that particular study (D).

Number of patients (A), device cost (B), or investigator experience (C) are irrelevant to FDA’s risk classification. For example, a stent used in an approved indication may be NSR, but if used in a new anatomical location, it may be SR.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. This ensures ethical review bodies and FDA assess safety in the intended clinical context rather than device attributes alone.

The IB must be updatedas new significant safety information emerges.

ICH E6(R2) 7.3:“The sponsor should revise the IB as soon as new, significant information becomes available.”

ICH E2A:Requires sponsors to reportSuspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reactions (SUSARs)in expedited reports and include them inIB updates or addenda.

A SUSAR report (B) represents new, unexpected, and serious safety information not previously documented, and therefore warrants inclusion as anIB addendumuntil the IB is formally updated.

Revised consent forms (A) are submitted to IRBs, not IBs. Site-specific SAE reports (C) remain at site/sponsor level, not in the IB. Product monograph updates (D) apply to approved products, not investigational ones.

Thus, the correct answer isB (SUSAR report).

When a physician investigates amedical device for a new use (off-label indication), FDA regulations classify this as aSignificant Risk Device Study, requiring anInvestigational Device Exemption (IDE)in addition to IRB approval.

21 CFR 812.20(a):“A sponsor shall submit an application to FDA for aninvestigational device exemption (IDE)if the device is to be used in a clinical investigation to determine safety and effectiveness.”

21 CFR 812.2(b):Significant Risk device studies requireboth FDA and IRB approvalbefore initiation.

An IND (B) applies to drugs and biologics, not devices. Manufacturer permission (A, D) is not a regulatory requirement, although collaboration may be necessary. OHRP approval is not applicable.

Thus, the correct answer isC (IRB/IEC approval and an FDA IDE).

21 CFR 56.115(a)(5):IRBs must retain records of IRB membership (names, qualifications, affiliations, occupations).

Other documents (contracts, enrollment logs, product labels) are site or sponsor responsibilities, not IRB’s.

21 CFR 11.100(a):Requires that electronic signatures be “unique to one individual and shall not be reused or reassigned to anyone else.”

This ensures accountability and audit trail integrity.

Even if a study does not involve drugs, devices, or biologics, it still involveshuman subjectsand therefore requiresethical review by an IRB/IEC.

45 CFR 46.109(a):“An IRB shall review and have authority to approve, require modifications in (to secure approval), or disapprove all research activities covered by this policy.”

ICH E6(R2) 3.1.2:“The IRB/IEC should safeguard the rights, safety, and well-being of all trial subjects.”

Quality-of-life (QOL) studies may involve surveys, interviews, or questionnaires, but since they involve human participants, they are subject to human research protection regulations. FDA involvement is not required unless drugs or devices are tested. Similarly, HHS approval is not required unless the study is federally funded.

Thus, the correct answer isC (The IRB/IEC).

The informed consent document (ICD) is a cornerstone of ethical clinical research, ensuring voluntary participation and protection of subject rights.

21 CFR 50.25(a):Requires the consent form to containall basic elements, including study purpose, risks, benefits, alternatives, confidentiality, compensation, and voluntariness.

ICH E6(R2) 4.8.10:Expands on these requirements, ensuring the ICD contains every mandated element without omission.

Thus, the correct statement is that the ICDmust include all applicable mandated basic elements(D). Options A and B confuse who signs—subjects or legally authorized representatives sign when applicable, not the IRB chair. Option C is incorrect because leaving out elements would violate compliance.

Correct answer:D.

For non–sponsor investigators, responsibilities are limited tosite-level conduct and product accountability.

ICH E6(R2) 4.6.1:“Responsibility for investigational product(s) accountability at the trial site rests with the investigator/institution.”

21 CFR 312.61:Requires the investigator to administer investigational drugs only to subjects under their supervision and maintain control.

Other responsibilities listed belong tosponsors:

A: Reporting SAEs to FDA is a sponsor duty (investigators report to sponsor, not directly to FDA).

B: Monitoring at all sites is a sponsor responsibility.

C: Disseminating safety updates is a sponsor’s role.

Correct answer:D (Maintaining control of IP).

Monitors verify compliance with protocol, sponsor SOPs, GCP, and regulations.

ICH E6(R2) 5.18.4:Outlines monitor responsibilities, including verifying informed consent, protocol compliance, investigational product accountability, and adherence to sponsor SOPs.

Monitors must also be familiar with subject-facing documents (A) and storage requirements for investigational product (B).

However,IRB/IEC requirements for reporting to regulatory authoritiesare outside a monitor’s scope. That responsibility lies with investigators and IRBs under21 CFR 56.108(b).

Thus, the correct answer isD.

Handling of investigational product (IP), including returns, is governed bysponsor’s written procedures.

ICH E6(R2) 4.6.3:“The investigator/institution should maintain records of the product’s delivery, the inventory, the use by each subject, and the return to the sponsor or alternative disposition.”

ICH E6(R2) 5.13.3:“The sponsor should ensure that written procedures include instructions for… the return or alternative disposition of unused product(s).”

The IB (A) describes pharmacology and safety, not IP logistics. CRO agreements (C) cover contractual duties, not product return processes. Local pharmacy policies (D) may apply operationally but do not override sponsor-required procedures.

Thus, the correct answer isB (The sponsor’s written procedures).