Quincy, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), is investigating a payroll fraud scheme.

CFE interviewing guidance distinguishes among open, closed, and leading questions used during the fact-gathering portion of an interview. Closed questions require a precise, specific answer— commonly “yes/no,” but also specifics such as dates, amounts, and times. The question “What year did you start working in the accounting department?” seeks a specific date-like fact (a particular year) rather than inviting a narrative explanation. That is the hallmark of a closed question: it restricts the response to a narrow factual point and does not encourage expansive detail. By contrast, open questions (e.g., “Please describe the procedures to me”) are designed to elicit a broader, more descriptive answer. Leading questions are framed to suggest the answer and are often used to confirm information already known, whereas Quincy’s question does not embed a suggested response—he is simply requesting a specific historical fact. Therefore, under CFE definitions, this question is most accurately classified as closed.