Best CMAA Construction-Manager Exam Practice Material Updated on May 11, 2026
New Construction-Manager Actual Exam Dumps, CMAA Practice Test
NEW QUESTION # 34
A CM is providing support on a $150 million construction project. The agency has a well-developed safety program; however, the contractor is planning to use an innovative, high-risk method for constructing the project. To minimize the owner's risk, the CM should recommend that the owner
- A. modify the CM contract to include safety management to protect the owner's interests.
- B. ensure they have a contractor-controlled insurance program (CCIP) to cover the safety risk for the project.
- C. have the contractor submit a safety management plan for review and approval by the owner.
- D. provide a safety coordinator to perform the necessary project safety functions on behalf of the contractor.
Answer: C
Explanation:
In theCMAA Standards of Practice, Chapter 7 - Safety Management, the Construction Manager's responsibility is to ensure that the contractor provides aproject-specific safety planaddressing unique construction methods or risks.
CMAA guidance specifies:
"When special construction techniques or hazardous methods are proposed, the Construction Manager should require the contractor to submit a project safety plan for review and verification of compliance with contract and regulatory safety requirements." The CM's review confirms that the contractor's plan meets all contractual obligations and regulatory standards. The CM does not take responsibility for safety execution but ensures the plan's adequacy before work begins.
References:
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 7 - Safety Management, Section:
"Contractor Safety Planning and Review," pp. 69-70.
CMAA CM Study Guide, Safety Management Domain, Objective 7.3: "Ensure contractor provides and adheres to an approved safety plan for all high-risk activities."
NEW QUESTION # 35
A project in schematic design with sustainability goals will soon begin a value engineering study. Which of the following would ensure that the value engineering study will not harm the project's sustainability?
- A. Establish clear sustainability functional requirements.
- B. Hold a partnering workshop first.
- C. Add a LEED Silver requirement.
- D. Add a LEED Platinum requirement.
Answer: A
Explanation:
CMAA'sSustainability and Environmental Stewardshipguidance states that sustainable design objectives must befunctionally defined and integratedbefore performing value engineering (VE). Merely setting a certification level (LEED Silver or Platinum) does not ensure that sustainability objectives are protected during cost evaluation.
The CMAA explains that:
"During value engineering, sustainability goals should be documented as functional requirements so that proposed alternatives maintain environmental performance while achieving cost efficiency." Thus, optionB-establishing clear sustainability functional requirements-ensures that VE proposals respect the intended sustainability outcomes and do not degrade energy performance, materials reuse, or environmental targets.
References (CMAA Documents):
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 8 - Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship.
CMAA CM Study Guide, Sustainability Domain, Objective 8.3: "Ensure sustainability requirements are maintained through design and value engineering."
NEW QUESTION # 36
The current construction market is extremely busy, and the trade/sub-contractors are being very selective in the projects they bid on. What options do owners have when the marketplace is vastly different from when their project was a concept to when its ready to be advertised?
- A. Market conditions should not be a factor in when a project is advertised.
- B. Postpone advertising for one year.
- C. Advertise the project and award to lowest bidder.
- D. Consider the impacts of current market conditions and revise project strategy.
Answer: D
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 37
At what stage of the design phase shall the CM conduct a constructability review?
- A. Throughout the design process including 100% design documents
- B. 30% design stage
- C. 60% design stage
- D. 90% design stage
Answer: A
Explanation:
According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP),constructability reviews are to be performedcontinuously throughout the design phase, rather than at a single fixed milestone. The SOP states:
"Constructability reviews should be conducted during all phases of design development - from conceptual design through completion of the 100 percent design documents - to ensure that the project can be built efficiently, safely, and economically." The CM's role is to provide feedback at each design milestone (conceptual, schematic, design development, and construction documents). Performing reviews only at one stage (e.g., 30%, 60%, or 90%) limits the CM's ability to identify and correct potential design or coordination issues early.
Therefore, the correct answer isC. Throughout the design process including 100% design documents.
References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 3 - Quality Management, Section: "Constructability Review." CMAA CM Study Guide, Quality Management Domain, Objective 3.4: "Perform constructability reviews throughout design."
NEW QUESTION # 38
What are the basic responsibilities of an Agency CM related to safety on a construction project?
- A. To monitor the safety of the designer's personnel
- B. To execute safety requirements that are spelled out by the Agency CM's contract with the owner and statutes/laws
- C. To oversee the safety of the construction contractor's personnel
- D. To manage the safety of the construction contractor's personnel, the designer's personnel, and the Agency CM's personnel
Answer: B
Explanation:
TheCMAA Standards of Practice, Chapter 7 - Safety Managementclearly outlines that anAgency Construction Manager (Agency CM)does not assume direct responsibility for the contractor's or designer's safety programs. Instead, the CM must execute only those safety-related duties explicitly defined in thecontract with the ownerandapplicable laws or regulations.
CMAA states:
"The Construction Manager is responsible for implementing safety-related requirements as defined in the contract and as required by law. The contractor retains primary responsibility for the safety of its workforce." Therefore, the Agency CM's role islimited to monitoring, verifying compliance, and ensuring contractual obligations regarding safety are met-not to directly oversee or manage site safety.
References:
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 7 - Safety Management, Section: "Roles and Responsibilities," pp. 67-69.
CMAA CM Study Guide, Safety Management Domain, Objective 7.1: "Define CM safety responsibilities as limited by contract and applicable regulations."
NEW QUESTION # 39
It is ideal for the CM to assist in mitigating potential impacts and unforeseen issues that may develop as early as the
- A. pre-design phase.
- B. construction phase.
- C. post-construction phase.
- D. design phase.
Answer: A
Explanation:
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."
NEW QUESTION # 40
An agency CM is assigned to a new construction project using the CMAA A-2 Standard Form of Agreement between owner and contractor. The project is experiencing concurrent critical path delays caused by the contractor and the architect. What is the BEST guidance the agency CM could give the owner for dealing with these events?
- A. The architect and GC should be directed to add resources to mitigate each of their delays at no additional cost to the owner.
- B. The owner should charge the contractor daily liquidated damages.
- C. The owner should plan for delayed completion.
- D. Direct both the architect and GC to mitigate each delay and have the agency CM perform a schedule impact analysis to allocate delay responsibility.
Answer: D
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 41
As the owner's rep, a CM is providing on-site construction management services to a municipality for their new design-build city mall project.
The state requires a 40-hour value engineering workshop for all projects over $10 million. What are the key talking points about the VE process that the CM will highlight to the city's director of public works?
- A. Life cycle and maintenance costs should not be considered.
- B. Interface with the design-build team is not needed at this time.
- C. A multi-discipline review on functions and alternate solutions.
- D. Scope reduction will reduce overall project budget.
Answer: C
Explanation:
Value Engineering (VE) is intended to improve value by optimizing the relationship between function, cost, and life-cycle performance. The CM would emphasize that VE is amulti-discipline reviewof project functions and alternate design solutions to reduce cost without sacrificing essential performance. In a proper VE workshop, participants from multiple disciplines review function, identify alternatives, and propose changes.
The incorrect choices are:
A is wrong because life cycle and maintenance costsshouldbe considered - VE should look beyond initial cost to long-term costs.
C is simplistic: while scope reduction is one possible result, VE is not merely scope cutting but exploring alternatives to maintain functionality at lower cost.
D is incorrect, because interfacing with the design-build team is essential - VE must involve the DB team to ensure proposed changes are implementable and integrated.
NEW QUESTION # 42
The CM is tasked with analyzing the schedule variance of a project on a regular basis. The contractor's recent payment application includes a dramatic increase in earned hours than what was budgeted for the project. This MOST likely indicates
- A. the project is ahead of schedule.
- B. the contractor will be submitting change orders.
- C. the contractor is making more profit than anticipated.
- D. the project is behind schedule.
Answer: D
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 43
The chief estimator for a construction company is asked to provide an estimate based on known project characteristics, such as square footage and unit prices. The estimator will MOST likely be employing which technique?
- A. Parametric Estimating
- B. Analogous Estimating
- C. Conceptual Estimating
- D. Bottom Up Estimating
Answer: A
Explanation:
TheCMAA Cost Managementsection definesparametric estimatingas:
"A method of estimating in which the cost of a project or component is determined by applying cost parameters (such as cost per square foot, cost per unit, or cost per linear foot) to known quantities or measurable project characteristics." This approach is typically used during early design stages when only limited design information is available but project parameters (e.g., size, type, location) are known. It provides a reliable and repeatable estimating method for benchmarking or budgeting.
Conceptual estimatingrelies on very preliminary data or similar past projects, whilebottom-up estimating requires detailed quantity takeoffs and is used at later design stages.Analogous estimatinguses direct comparison with a completed project, not specific cost parameters.
Hence, the correct answer isB. Parametric Estimating.
References:
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 4 - Cost Management, Section: "Estimating Techniques." CMAA CM Study Guide, Cost Management Domain, Objective 4.2: "Apply parametric estimating techniques based on measurable parameters.
NEW QUESTION # 44
The contract documents normally require which party/parties to coordinate the transfer of spare parts and warranties to the owner?
- A. Designer
- B. CxA
- C. Regulatory agencies
- D. CM
Answer: D
Explanation:
According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP), withinContract AdministrationandProject Closeout, theConstruction Manager (CM)is responsible for coordinating all activities related to project turnover, including ensuring that spare parts, warranties, guarantees, and maintenance manuals are transferred properly to the owner.
CMAA states:
"The Construction Manager shall coordinate and verify that all deliverables required by the contract, including spare parts, warranties, record drawings, and operation and maintenance manuals, are received, reviewed, and transmitted to the Owner prior to project closeout." While thecontractoris responsible forprovidingthe spare parts and warranties per the contract, theCMis explicitly tasked withcoordinatingthe transfer and verifying completion. Regulatory agencies do not perform this function, commissioning authorities (CxA) focus on system performance, and the designer's role is typically limited to verification or approval of submittals-not physical coordination.
References (CMAA Documents):
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 5 - Contract Administration, Section: "Project Closeout and Turnover." CMAA CM Study Guide, Contract Administration Domain, Objective 5.6: "Coordinate turnover, documentation, and warranties."
NEW QUESTION # 45
Which of the following provides details about the front-end activities of the project during the pre-design and design phases, and highlights major project milestones such as substantial and final completion?
- A. Milestone Schedule
- B. Baseline Schedule
- C. Master Schedule
- D. As-Built Schedule
Answer: A
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 46
During the design phase, the CM should perform which of the following tasks?
- A. Review plans, final Right-of-Way (ROW) documents, and as-built submittals.
- B. Review cost estimate, schematic design, and scheduling conferences with regulatory agencies.
- C. Review contract milestones, payment procedures, and communication procedures.
- D. Review staffing assignments, labor affidavits, and historical trust.
Answer: B
Explanation:
In theCMAA Project Managementchapter, during theDesign Phase, the CM's duties focus on evaluatingdesign progress, cost control, and schedule integration.
The CMAA SOP specifies:
"During the design phase, the Construction Manager should review design submissions for compliance with budget, schedule, and program requirements; participate in cost estimating and design coordination meetings; and support permitting and regulatory agency coordination." OptionBcorrectly reflects these core design-phase responsibilities: reviewing cost estimates, schematic design development, and attending scheduling or coordination conferences with agencies.
The other options refer to administrative, construction-phase, or post-construction tasks, not design-phase CM functions.
References:
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 2 - Project Management, Section: "Design Phase Services," pp. 23-26.
CMAA Study Guide, Project Management Domain, Objective 2.3.
NEW QUESTION # 47
Industry best practice is to conduct a pre-bid conference. The intent of the pre-bid conference is to
- A. limit the number of bidders on the project.
- B. survey existing conditions and reveal unforeseen conditions.
- C. resolve any questions about contract requirements and scope of work.
- D. mitigate change orders and delays.
Answer: C
Explanation:
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."
NEW QUESTION # 48
What are the essential components of the Risk Management process?
- A. Avoiding, tracking, mitigation, transferring
- B. Avoiding, mitigating, transferring, accepting
- C. Communicating and reporting, assessing, mitigation, tracking
- D. Communicating and reporting, tracking, mitigation, resolution
Answer: B
Explanation:
According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 10 - Risk Management, the fundamental components of the risk management process include:
Avoidance- Eliminating the risk entirely by altering plans or scope.
Mitigation- Reducing the likelihood or impact of a risk.
Transfer- Shifting risk responsibility to another party, typically through insurance or contracts.
Acceptance- Recognizing the risk and planning to manage its consequences.
CMAA defines risk management as:
"A systematic process of identifying, analyzing, responding to, and monitoring risks to minimize their impact on project objectives." These four response strategies-avoid, mitigate, transfer, and accept-are universally recognized as the essential framework for construction risk management.
References:
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, Chapter 10 - Risk Management, Section: "Risk Identification and Response," pp. 96-99.
CMAA CM Study Guide, Risk Management Domain, Objective 10.3: "Develop and apply risk response strategies: avoid, mitigate, transfer, and accept."
NEW QUESTION # 49
A written safety program should include all applicable laws, codes, and regulations, and must
- A. meet the contractual requirements.
- B. be a shared responsibility with the project team.
- C. be approved by the Owner.
- D. be developed by the CM.
Answer: A
Explanation:
According to theCMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice (SOP), underChapter 7 - Safety Management, the written safety program is a required component of every construction project to ensure compliance and accountability. The CMAA specifies that:
"The contractor's safety program shall contain all necessary elements to administer and manage the program in accordance with the contract requirements. It must, at a minimum, demonstrate compliance with all applicable laws, codes, rules, and regulations related to worker and public safety." This statement emphasizes that while safety compliance with statutory regulations is essential, the written program must also be consistent with and satisfy the terms established in the contract documents. The Construction Manager (CM) oversees and monitors safety performance but does not develop or approve the contractor's written safety program. The contractor bears the responsibility for implementing and maintaining the program according to contractual obligations.
Therefore, the correct answer is that the written safety program must meet the contractual requirements.
References (CMAA Construction Manager Documents / Study Guide):
CMAA Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2010 Edition, Chapter 7 - Safety Management, Section: "Written Safety Program," pp. 68-70.
CMAA CM Study Guide, Safety Management Domain, Objective 7.2: "Ensure compliance with all contractual and statutory safety requirements."
NEW QUESTION # 50
When applying Business Intelligence (also known as data mining) to manage large volumes of construction project data, the source data must
- A. include advanced algorithms.
- B. first exist in digital format.
- C. include outliers and missing data.
- D. first exist in hard copy format.
Answer: B
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 51
An agency CM is representing the public owner of a large, complex project with numerous site challenges.
The owner has received numerous differing site condition claims on previous projects on this site. The agency CM has reviewed the bid documents and believes the site challenges are clearly and sufficiently detailed for bidders. This is a design-bid-build, lump sum procurement. The apparent low bid is more than 10% lower than the next lowest bid, and the owner is very concerned that the apparent low bidder has not included the cost of mitigating the site challenges in its bid. What should the agency CM do?
- A. Make the recommendation to the owner to reject all bids and re-advertise the project.
- B. Ask the designer to verify that the technical specifications describing the site challenges in sufficient detail.
- C. Conduct a post-bid conference to see if all bidders included the cost of mitigating the site challenges in their bids.
- D. Conduct a post-bid interview with the apparent low bidder to determine if the bidder has a clear understanding of the site challenges.
Answer: B
Explanation:
According to CMAA's recommendedOwners Risk Reduction Techniques(when using a CM for owner's risk control), one of the CM's roles is to help the owner ensure clarity of site conditions and contract documents especially when prior history on the site includes claims for differing site conditions. The CM should engage the design team to verify whether the contract documents properly capture the known site risks in adequate detail before awarding a bid.
In a design-bid-build, lump sum contract, the contractors rely on the documents and specifications as the basis of their bids. If the apparent low bid is significantly below others (e.g., >10% lower), that discrepancy raises suspicion that the low bidder may have omitted or under-priced site risk mitigation. The CM should not directly interrogate bidders or conduct post-bid interviews that might create unfairness or violate procurement rules. Rather, the correct approach is for the CM to consult with the designer to confirm whether the bid documents adequately and clearly described the site challenges. If deficiencies or ambiguities are found, the owner may need to issue clarifications, addenda, or consider re-advertising.
Thus, the prudent and contract-compliant first step is:A. Ask the designer to verify that the technical specifications describing the site challenges in sufficient detail.
NEW QUESTION # 52
Construction schedule coordination and enforcement means and methods techniques, and sequence of work are typically assigned to the construction manager under which delivery method?
- A. Multi-Prime
- B. Design-Bid-Build (DBB)
- C. CM at Risk(CMAR)
- D. Design-Build (DB)
Answer: C
Explanation:
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.
NEW QUESTION # 53
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