CIPS L5M5 Exam - Topic 1 Question 7 Discussion

Actual exam question for CIPS's L5M5 exam

Question #: 7
Topic #: 1

[All L5M5 Questions]

Marge is reading a government-issued statement which helps a company decide which course of action to take but is not legally binding. What type of document is Marge reading?

ARegulation

BDirective

CStatute

DGuideline

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: D

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of Documents:

The L5M5 study guide (p.185) explains the distinction between regulatory documents. Guidelines are advisory documents providing best practice but are not legally binding. Regulations and statutes (A and C) are legally binding, and directives (B) are binding once incorporated into national legislation. Procurement professionals must be able to differentiate between binding legislation and advisory guidelines to ensure compliance. While guidelines help shape ethical practices, failure to follow them usually does not carry legal penalties.

Reference: Managing Ethical Procurement and Supply (L5M5) Study Guide, p.185

by Lyda at Nov 02, 2025, 12:22 AM

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Charolette

15 hours ago

I was leaning towards B) Directive, but guidelines make more sense.

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Chuck

6 days ago

Yeah, I agree! Not legally binding sounds like a guideline.

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Gerardo

11 days ago

I think it's D) Guideline. It fits the description.

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Laura

16 days ago

Totally agree, it's a guideline for sure!

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Lisha

21 days ago

Wait, is it really not legally binding?

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Elbert

26 days ago

I think it's more like a directive.

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Mitsue

1 month ago

I bet Marge is wishing she had a "Directive" to just ignore this whole thing and go back to watching TV.

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Aleta

1 month ago

Definitely D) Guideline. Anything else would be too much work for Marge on a Monday morning.

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Antonette

1 month ago

D) Guideline. Marge is probably reading it while sipping her morning coffee and wondering if it's legally binding or not.

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Cecil

2 months ago

I'm going with B) Directive. It just has a nice ring to it, you know?

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Brunilda

2 months ago

I thought a Statute was legally binding, so it can't be that. Maybe it's a Directive, but I'm not confident.

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Rory

2 months ago

I feel like this question is similar to one we practiced on regulations and guidelines. I lean towards Guideline for this one.

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Franklyn

2 months ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I remember something about Directives being more authoritative. Could it be that?

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Chantay

2 months ago

It's definitely a guideline.

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Kizzy

3 months ago

Guidelines are just recommendations, right?

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Lai

3 months ago

D) Guideline. That's the one that sounds the most like a non-binding government document.

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Mozell

3 months ago

I think Marge is reading a Guideline since it helps with decision-making but isn't legally binding.

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Wilda

3 months ago

I'm pretty confident the answer is Guideline. The key details are that it's not legally binding but helps with decision-making.

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Dwight

4 months ago

This seems straightforward. The document is providing guidance but not legally binding, so the answer has to be Guideline.

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Keena

4 months ago

Okay, I've got it. It's a Guideline - the question says it's not legally binding, so that rules out Regulation, Directive, and Statute.

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Domonique

4 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused. Is it a Directive or a Guideline? I'll need to think this through carefully.

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Yolande

4 months ago

I think this is a Guideline, since it's not legally binding but provides guidance on decision-making.

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Lawrence

2 months ago

I agree, it's definitely a Guideline.

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