Construction-Manager Questions and Answers

According toCMAA Time Managementstandards,floatis defined as the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the overall project completion date. The SOP specifies:

“Float is a shared resource belonging to the project as a whole. It is not owned exclusively by any single party — owner, contractor, or construction manager.”

This principle ensures fair schedule management and prevents disputes. Both the CM and the contractor should work collaboratively to optimize float use for the benefit of the entire project. Contract documents (e.g., general conditions) may further define float management policies, but unless specified otherwise, float is treated asa project resource, not the property of any one participant.

Therefore, the correct answer isC. Project.

In CMAA’s Construction Management Standards of Practice (Safety Management chapter), a foundational principle for establishing a strong safety culture ismanagement commitment and leadership. The Standards emphasize that safety culture requires“buy-in” from ownership and senior management, meaning that the highest levels of the organization visibly support, fund, and enforce safety initiatives. Without top-down support, safety programs are less effective.

While prompt accident notification is an important procedural action in safety management, it is not a core cultural element. “Time is of the essence” and “maximizing profit” are not safety culture traits. The distinguishing characteristic of a mature safety culture is that management and ownership demonstrate continuous commitment, accountability, and prioritize safety across all project levels.

CMAA encourages the CM and owner to respond adaptively to changing conditions in the market rather than rigidly follow plans that become unrealistic. The owner and CM should continuously monitor external factors, such as contractor availability, market pricing escalation, and risk, and adapt the procurement and strategy accordingly. In a wildly different market, proceeding blindly (as in A or C) could lead to failed bids or cost overruns. Postponement (option B) may be an option, but doing so for a fixed period (one year) is inflexible and risky. The prudent option, consistent with CMAA’s advocacy for adaptable project management and risk mitigation, is toconsider the impacts of current market conditions and revise the project strategy.

Under the CM at Risk (CMAR) delivery method, the CM often assumes responsibilities similar to a general contractor during the construction phase, including coordination of schedule, means and methods, and sequence of work. The CM transitions from advisory role during design to performance role during construction, which involves enforcing construction coordination and methods. The CMAA “Owner’s Guide to Project Delivery Methods” explains that in CMAR, the CM “acts as consultant… during the design phases, but as the equivalent of a general contractor during the construction phase.”

Because in DBB or Multi-Prime, the general contractors or multiple contractors would handle means and methods, and in DB the design-builder handles those responsibilities. The CM at Risk is the form where schedule coordination and enforcement of means & methods is typically assigned to the CM.

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.”

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 Standards of Practice, lifecycle analysis (LCA) is most effective when appliedearly in project planning—specifically during the Pre-Design phase—because the ability to influence materials selection, building systems, and operational efficiency is at its highest before design decisions are finalized.

The CMAA defines lifecycle analysis as:

“An evaluation of the total cost and performance of a facility over its useful life. Lifecycle assessment is most effective when conducted during the Pre-Design phase, where project alternatives can be compared, and design direction can be influenced.”

During later phases, such as design or construction, changes have diminishing cost-benefit potential. Therefore, thePre-Designphase is where lifecycle analysis yields thegreatest impacton sustainability, cost, and performance outcomes.

TheCMAA Standards of Practice (Chapter 7 – Safety Management)states:

“While the contractor has primary responsibility for implementing and enforcing the safety program, the Construction Manager bears a professional and ethical obligation to monitor, coordinate, and promote a safe working environment.”

CMAA also clarifies that the CM is not responsible for enforcing the contractor’s safety plan or certifying compliance, but must:

Verify that required safety plans and documentation are submitted.

Participate in safety meetings and hazard analyses.

Advise the owner of unsafe conditions or practices.

This represents ashared professional responsibility, ensuring that all parties collaborate toward a safe jobsite without overlapping legal authority.

Therefore, the correct answer isB. a professional obligation shared with others.

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.”

In earned value or earned hours analysis, “earned hours” represent how much work hasactuallybeen completed (in units of schedule effort) compared to what was budgeted over time. If a contractor claims a significantly higher number of earned hours than budget expected at that point, that discrepancy often indicatesthe contractor is catching up for prior slippageorback-loading progressand may be masking a delay. In other words, the project is likely behind schedule: the contractor is accelerating or shifting resources to show a jump in performance, sometimes to avoid triggering delay claims or escalating scrutiny.

While CMAA’s formal SOP does not provide a one-sentence treatment of this particular scenario, standard earned value (EV) and schedule variance (SV) theory (used in CMAA’s time management domain) supports that an unexpected inflation in earned hours relative to budget can signal a retrospective correction for lagging progress, rather than true ahead-of-schedule condition.

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.”

TheCMAA Standards of Practice (Chapter 3 – Cost Management)identifiesAdd/Deduct Alternatesas a common strategy to manage potential budget fluctuations. The SOP explains:

“Alternates, both additive and deductive, provide flexibility to adjust project scope to available funding at the time of bid or negotiation.”

This allows the owner to maintain control over project cost while preserving key design intent.Time and material alternatesare not typical bid mechanisms, andphaseorschedule alternatesdo not directly address budget mitigation.

References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):

CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 3 – Cost Management, Section “Design Phase Cost Control and Alternates.”

CMAA CM Study Guide, Cost Management Domain, Objective 3.2: “Develop cost management strategies including alternates, allowances, and contingencies.”

TheCMAA Standards of Practice, Chapter 9 – Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship, explains that when project sustainability requirements change, the Construction Manager must ensure that contractual obligations remain clear and enforceable.

CMAA guidance provides:

“If the owner elects not to pursue formal LEED certification but retains the goal of equivalency, the CM should issue clarifying instructions to bidders maintaining the original sustainability requirements while noting the change in certification status.”

This ensures that all contractors understand that althoughformal LEED registrationis not being pursued,the sustainability specifications remain contractually binding.

Therefore, the CM issues bid instructions indicating that the project will not be registered for certification,but contract terms remain unchanged.

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.