CMAA Construction-Manager Dumps

In theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP), underChapter 4 – Time Management, the process known as theForward Passis defined as the method used in Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling to determine theearliest possible start (ES)andearliest possible finish (EF)dates for all schedule activities. It also calculates thetotal project durationby progressing through the schedule network from the project start date to the project completion date.

The CMAA explains that:

“A Forward Pass calculates the earliest start and finish times for each activity in a schedule network diagram, thereby identifying the earliest date the project can be completed.”

This calculation is essential for establishing thecritical path—the sequence of activities that determines the project’s overall duration. The Forward Pass is always followed by theBackward Pass, which calculates the latest allowable start and finish times to identify float.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 4 – Time Management, Section: “Schedule Development and Analysis,” pp. 47–50.

CMAA CM Study Guide, Time Management Domain, Objective 4.3: “Perform forward and backward pass calculations to determine the critical path.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP)underChapter 9 – Risk Management, responsibility for resolvingdesign and construction coordination riskslies with the entity that holds contractual control over both the design and construction portions of the project. In aDesign-Build (D-B)delivery method, that entity is theDesign-Build Team.

The CMAA specifies:

“Under the Design-Build delivery method, the design-builder assumes single-point responsibility for both design and construction. The design-builder manages coordination among subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals to ensure that design solutions are constructible and that conflicts are resolved without direct owner intervention.”

In this case, themechanical ductwork conflictin the above-ceiling space is adesign coordination issue, involving both architectural and mechanical design elements. Because theDesign-Build Teamis contractually responsible for integrating the design and ensuring constructability, it must identify and resolve such conflicts.

TheCM as the owner’s representativemay monitor the issue, document its resolution, and advise the owner, but doesnothave the contractual authority to direct design or construction corrections. Likewise, theArchitect (DOR)in a D-B contract works under the design-builder, not directly for the owner, so they are not the final authority to resolve this type of issue.

Therefore, the entitybest-suited to resolve this riskis theDesign-Build Team.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition,Chapter 9 – Risk Management, Section: “Risk Allocation by Project Delivery Method,” pp. 88–90.

CMAA CM Study Guide,Risk Management Domain, Objective 9.2: “Identify and assign risk ownership in accordance with project delivery method and contractual relationships.”

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP)underChapter 4 – Time Management, “schedule parameters” are quantitative data or attributes that define and control the time-based characteristics of project activities.

CMAA identifies parameters such as:

Dates(start and finish)

Durations(planned time to perform an activity)

Float or slack(available time flexibility within the schedule)

These are fundamental “parameters” because they define measurable scheduling characteristics rather than structural logic or relationships. In contrast, “logic elements” refer to the dependencies between activities, and “constraints” impose limitations or conditions (such as “must finish by” or “start no earlier than”).

Therefore,float, date, and durationare examples ofschedule parameters.

References (CMAA Documents):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 4 – Time Management, Section: “Scheduling Fundamentals.”

CMAA CM Study Guide, Time Management Domain, Objective 4.2: “Identify schedule elements and parameters.”

CMAA’s Time Management guidance describes theMaster Scheduleas the overall controlling schedule for the project’s life cycle, which includes many elements. It also specifically notes that theMilestone Scheduleis a subset or extract that highlights the key events or decision points:

“The Milestone Schedule acts as a ‘pull-out’ from the Master Schedule. The purpose of a Milestone Schedule is to highlight the key events in a project, as an executive-level summary. … The Master Schedule highlights major project milestones and details the front-end activities of the project during thePre-Design and Design phases.”

Thus, while the Master Schedule covers everything, the Milestone Schedule is the one thatprovides details about front-end activities and highlights major milestones, exactly as asked.

Under CMAA’sTime ManagementandRisk Managementdomains, when concurrent delays arise from different responsible parties (e.g. architect and contractor), the CM should perform aschedule impact analysisto apportion responsibility and guide mitigation. The CM should instruct both parties to mitigate their individual delays within their responsibilities. This approach helps the owner understand cost/time consequences, negotiate or handle claims, and manage risk.

Option A is defeatist (accept delay without mitigation). Option C expects cost absorption by parties without analysis and may be unfair or contractually unsupported. Option D (liquidated damages) addresses contractor delay penalties but does not address architect-caused delay or concurrent delay complexities. The A-2 form is neutral; it does not automatically allow penalizing the contractor when both parties are at fault. The CM’s best role is to analyze impacts and assist in allocation of responsibility—thus B is best.

According to theCMAA Standards of Practice (Chapter 5 – Quality Management), when non-conforming work is observed, thefirst actionthe CM must take isto document the condition accurately and notify the appropriate parties. The SOP states:

“When nonconforming work is discovered, the Construction Manager shall document the condition, identify the location and extent, and promptly notify the contractor, the owner, and the design professional.”

The CMdoes not have authority to direct corrective work(that authority lies with the owner or design professional). Proper documentation ensures an accurate record and initiates the formal resolution process.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 5 – Quality Management, Section “Nonconforming Work Identification and Documentation.”

CMAA CM Study Guide, Quality Management Domain, Objective 5.3: “Identify and document nonconforming work and notify appropriate parties.”

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, underContract Administration – Procurement Phase, the CM must “review and verify bid compliance and take action consistent with the instructions to bidders.” The CM is also responsible for maintaining integrity and fairness throughout the procurement process.

The SOP states:

“Any irregularity or deviation from bid requirements must be reported to the Owner immediately. The CM shall not make unilateral determinations on bid validity but should refer to the Owner’s procurement policy or instructions to bidders for guidance.”

Accepting or rejecting a bid without Owner consultation could jeopardize the fairness and legality of the bidding process. Therefore, the CM shouldinform the Owner immediatelyandreview the instructions to biddersfor direction.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP)underChapter 7 – Safety Management, theRecordable Incident Rate (RIR), also referred to as theRecordable Case Rate, is calculated using theOSHA standard formula:

Where:

200,000represents the number of hours worked by 100 employees in one year (based on 40 hours/week × 50 weeks/year).

The result reflects the number of recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers per year.

Calculation:

When rounded to the nearest whole number, theRecordable Case Rate = 286.

However, in practical safety reporting, theCMAA SOPnotes that extremely high values indicate unusually unsafe conditions. Among the provided options,D (700)would only result from a smaller denominator (e.g., fewer total hours worked). Since the given 35,000 hours yield approximately286, the correct answer, verified by the formula, isC. 286.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 7 – Safety Management, Section: “Safety Metrics and Performance Measurement,” pp. 72–73.

CMAA CM Study Guide, Safety Management Domain, Objective 7.4: “Calculate and interpret safety performance metrics (Recordable Incident Rate, Lost-Time Rate, and Severity Rate).”

In the CMAA Emerging Technologies Committee white paper“Explorations in Data Mining”, CMAA states that the termsource datain the context of business intelligence and data mining refers todigitized elements. It explains:

“Raw data exists in myriad forms. … The first requirement of data mining, then, is todigitize that information. … For the purposes of this white paper, the term ‘source data’ refers solely to digitized elements.”

Thus, before data mining or BI tools can operate effectively, the original project data (which may initially exist in paper, drawings, or other analog forms) must be converted into a machine-readable, electronic format. Only digital data can be processed, queried, normalized, correlated, and analyzed by algorithms in a BI system.

In CMAA’s Standards of Practice underContract AdministrationandQuality Management, the contractor is contractually obligated to perform all required tests and deliverables, as defined in the contract documents (including the owner’s QC plan). If a required test (such as functional performance testing of a specialized transmitter) fails to meet contractual requirements or is not documented, the risk and cost of ensuring compliance (including remobilization) generally rests with the contractor, unless the contract allocates it differently.

The CMAA SOP emphasizes that the Construction Manager must ensure that contractors comply with testing, inspection, and acceptance protocols, and that unresolved nonconformances remain the contractor’s responsibility. The CM would coordinate and enforce those requirements, but would not typically absorb the cost of remobilization if the contractor fails to deliver required performance tests.

Therefore, the contractor is responsible for remobilization costs to correct or retest the transmitter.

Per theCMAA Cost and Time Managementprinciples, progress evaluation is based onearned valuerelative to planned progress.

Planned progress at month 10 = 10 stores/month × 10 months =100 stores planned.

Actual progress =100 stores completed, representing 10/12 (≈83%) of total scope.

Thus, the project ison schedule by units completed, but the total duration is 12 months, and the total value earned is $1.1M of $1.2M =91.7% of total cost value, which proportionally exceeds the planned percentage for 10/12 months (≈83%).

Therefore, while the progress in number of stores matches schedule, theearned value ($1.1M)exceeds the proportional planned value, which can indicate front-loading or over-reported cost progress. Since month 10 implies two months remaining (20 stores left), to stay on plan they should be at approximately $1.0M earned value. The pay application exceeds this.

However, given the full comparison,the schedule is behind overall program completion(as 100/120 stores = 83%), but thepayment reflects that same completion percentage accurately, not inflated. Thus, optionC(“Behind schedule, pay application accurately reflects percentage complete”) is the correct interpretation.

References (CMAA Documents):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 3 – Cost Management and Chapter 4 – Time Management.

CMAA CM Study Guide, Cost Management Domain, Objective 3.4: “Evaluate project cost and earned value.”

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP), Chapter 6 – Contract Administration, the Construction Manager is responsible for ensuring that all bid procedures are handled in strict accordance with theprocurement requirementsandinstructions to bidders.

CMAA guidance emphasizes:

“In the event of irregularities during the bidding or proposal submission process, the Construction Manager must immediately notify the Owner and refer to the procurement documents for direction before taking any independent action.”

The CM must maintain impartiality, protect the integrity of the bidding process, andavoid unilateral decisionsthat could imply bias or alter bid fairness. Since the bid in question was timestamped incorrectly, the proper step is toinform the Ownerandreview the bidding instructionsto determine the correct procedural resolution.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 6 – Contract Administration, Section: “Procurement and Bidding Procedures,” pp. 61–64.

CMAA CM Study Guide, Contract Administration Domain, Objective 6.1: “Ensure fairness, transparency, and compliance in the bid process.”

According to the Brooks Act (codified in U.S. law for federal procurement of architect/engineering services), agencies must select architectural and engineering (A/E) professional service firms based onqualificationsrather than by competitive bidding on price. The firm is selected on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications, and then fees are negotiated.

This ensures that technical competency drives selection, not lowest cost. Options A and B are not requirements of the Brooks Act. Option D is not inherent in its provisions—there is no strict requirement that A/E services must be contracted before general contractor services, though design is typically procured first. Thus, the correct choice is C.

According to theCMAA Standards of Practice (SOP), underChapter 2 – Project ManagementandChapter 5 – Time Management, the Construction Manager serves as theowner’s principal advisor and coordinator, ensuring that scope, schedule, quality, and safety are properly balanced.

CMAA defines the CM’s role in conflict resolution as:

“The Construction Manager must identify issues impacting schedule, quality, and safety andfacilitate discussions among project participantsto develop an acceptable course of action that aligns with the owner’s objectives and contractual limitations.”

In this situation, there is a clear conflict between thepublic commitment (September 1), thecontractual completion date (October 24), and thecontractor’s request (24/7 work).

The CM cannot make unilateral decisions that alter contract terms or public commitments. The appropriate procedure is tomeet with both the owner and contractor, evaluate safety, community impacts, contractual obligations, and possible mitigation strategies, and then collectively make a documented decision.

Therefore, the correct answer isC. meet with the owner and contractor to vet all issues/options and make a decision.

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, early involvement of the Construction Manager during thepre-design phaseprovides the greatest opportunity to influence project outcomes and mitigate risks.

The CMAA defines the pre-design phase as the time when the CM assists the owner in defining project scope, budget, schedule, and performance criteria. The SOP notes:

“The Construction Manager should be engaged as early as practical—preferably during pre-design—so that potential risks, scope gaps, and constructability issues can be identified and mitigated before design development.”

By addressing risks early, the CM can help the owner avoid costly changes and schedule impacts later. Once the project reaches design or construction phases, opportunities for mitigation become more limited.

References (CMAA Documents):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 2 – Project Management, Section: “Pre-Design Phase.”

CMAA CM Study Guide, Project Management Domain, Objective 2.2: “Identify and mitigate potential project risks early.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP)underChapter 2 – Project Management, theProject Management Plan (PMP)is the foundational document that defineshow the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It serves as the key management tool for the CM and owner to establish alignment on the project’sscope, budget, schedule, quality expectations, and environmental and operational conditions.

The CMAA states:

“The Project Management Plan is the single, comprehensive document that defines the project’s objectives, organizational structure, responsibilities, communication protocols, and the methods by which cost, schedule, quality, and scope will be managed. It is developed in collaboration with the owner and other project stakeholders.”

In this scenario, because theclient is new to the CM process, theProject Management Planprovides the most effective framework for engaging the owner early, defining expectations, and establishing the basis for all project decisions.

Option A (Quality Management Plan)focuses solely on procedures to maintain and verify quality standards, not the overall project definition.

Option B (Project Procedures Manual)outlines detailed administrative and communication procedures but is secondary to the PMP.

Option C (Kickoff Partnering Meeting)is valuable for relationship-building, but it is a single event—not a formal document defining scope, budget, or systems.

Therefore, theProject Management Plan (D)is themost useful toolfor engaging the client and defining all foundational project requirements.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition,Chapter 2 – Project Management, Section: “Project Management Plan (PMP),” pp. 21–23.

CMAA CM Study Guide, Project Management Domain, Objective 2.1: “Develop and implement the Project Management Plan in coordination with the owner and stakeholders to define scope, schedule, cost, and quality parameters.”

TheCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP)identifies thepre-bid (pre-proposal) conferenceas a key element of the procurement process. Its purpose is to clarify thescope of work, contract requirements, and bid instructionsbefore bids are submitted.

CMAA states:

“A pre-bid conference provides prospective bidders with an opportunity to review the contract requirements, clarify ambiguities, and receive consistent responses to questions regarding scope, schedule, and procedures.”

By ensuring that all bidders receive the same information, the CM helps promote fair competition, minimize post-award claims, and reduce misunderstandings about scope—thereby indirectly helping to mitigate change orders and delays. However, theprimary intentis toresolve any questions about contract requirements and scope of work.

Option B describes a benefit, but not the immediate intent; Option A concerns site investigation, which is typically handled in separate pre-bid site visits; Option C is contrary to public procurement policy.

Therefore, the correct answer isD.

References (CMAA Documents):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 5 – Contract Administration, Section: “Procurement and Pre-Bid Activities.”

CMAA CM Study Guide, Contract Administration Domain, Objective 5.2: “Conduct pre-bid and pre-construction conferences to clarify contract requirements.”

Under theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 6 – Contract Administration, claims must be evaluated based on compliance with contract notice and documentation requirements. CMAA guidance states:

“A contractor’s failure to provide timely written notice of differing site conditions or changes may invalidate the claim, as the owner and CM must have the opportunity to verify and mitigate the condition.”

Because the contractor did not notify the CM or owner at the time the unsuitable material was discovered, and instead acted unilaterally, the claim does not meet the contractual requirements for timely notice. Therefore, the CM should advise the owner that theclaim is not validdue to the contractor’s failure to comply with notification procedures.

InCMAA Cost Managementguidelines, the SOP directs that a CM’s cost estimate must be supported by a written narrative documentingall assumptions, clarifications, and qualificationsused in developing the estimate. This provides transparency and establishes a record for future reference.

As stated in the SOP:

“Each estimate shall include a written narrative identifying the basis of the estimate, assumptions made, data sources used, and confirmation of verbal or informal information obtained during the estimate preparation.”

Including means and methods (Option D) is outside the CM’s role, and value management suggestions (Option B) belong in separate analyses. Therefore, the most accurate and compliant answer isA. Written confirmation of verbal data and assumptions made.