Under the CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) and CMMC 2.0 guidelines, assessors must gather objective evidence to validate that an organization meets the required security practices and processes. This evidence collection is performed through three primary assessment methods:
Examination – Reviewing documents, records, system configurations, and other artifacts.
Interviews – Speaking with personnel to verify processes, responsibilities, and understanding of security controls.
Testing – Observing system behavior, performing technical validation, and executing controls in real-time to verify effectiveness.
Why Option D is Correct
The CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) states that an assessor must use a combination of evidence-gathering methods (examinations, interviews, and tests) to determine compliance.
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 (Aligned with NIST SP 800-171) requires assessors to verify not only that policies and procedures exist but also that they are implemented and effective.
Solely relying on one method (like interviews in Option A) is insufficient.
Testing all practices or objectives (Option B) is unnecessary, as assessors follow scoping guidance to determine which objectives need deeper examination.
Testing only "certain" objectives (Option C) does not fully align with the requirement of gathering sufficient evidence from multiple methods.
CMMC 2.0 and Official Documentation References
CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) Guide, Section 3.5 – Assessment Methods explicitly defines the use of examinations, interviews, and tests as the foundation of an effective assessment.
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Practices and NIST SP 800-171 require assessors to validate the presence, implementation, and effectiveness of security controls.
CMMC Appendix E: Assessment Procedures states that an assessor should use multiple sources of evidence to determine compliance.
Final Verification
To ensure compliance with CMMC 2.0 guidelines and official documentation, an assessor must use examinations, interviews, and tests to gather evidence effectively, making Option D the correct answer.
