Free Construction Specifications Institute CDT Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 4

Under CSI’s project delivery framework and the typical General Conditions of the Contract, the contractor has primary responsibility for:

The means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures of construction.

Job site safety and security, including protection of workers, the public, and the work itself.

Controlling access to the site, securing materials and equipment, and complying with safety laws and regulations.

CSI’s CDT materials summarize the allocation of responsibilities this way (paraphrased):

The owner is responsible for providing information, funding, and overall project requirements; the owner does not direct day-to-day site operations or security.

The architect/engineer is responsible for design and contract administration functions such as reviewing submittals, certifying payments, and evaluating change requests—not for job site security or safety control.

The contractor (or construction manager acting as contractor, where applicable) is the party who controls the site and is therefore responsible for job site safety and security.

Even when a construction manager is involved (Option D), CSI and standard general conditions distinguish between a CM as advisor (who advises the owner) and a CM as constructor (who is essentially the contractor). For the exam-style question as written, “contractor” is the single correct generic answer for who is responsible for job site security.

Why the other options are not correct:

A. Owner – The owner does not direct means and methods or daily site activities; shifting site security responsibility to the owner would contradict the usual conditions of the contract.

B. Architect/engineer – The A/E does not control the job site and is not responsible for job site safety/security; this is a repeated CDT exam emphasis to avoid misallocating liability.

D. Construction manager – Only in specific project delivery methods where the CM is also the constructor (CM-at-Risk) does this role overlap with the contractor. The question’s general form points to the contractor as the standard answer in CSI’s framework.

Therefore, in accordance with CSI’s explanation of roles and responsibilities under standard conditions of the contract, the contractor is responsible for job site security, making Option C correct.

CSI distinguishes clearly between quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC):

Quality assurance focuses on procedures, planning, and processes established before and during the work to prevent defects and deficiencies. It’s proactive and process-oriented—things like qualifications, mock-ups, preinstallation conferences, submittal review, and establishing methods.

Quality control focuses on inspection, tests, and verification of completed or in-progress work to identify defects and verify that requirements are met. It is more reactive and product-oriented.

The question asks for the procedure for guarding against defects and deficiencies before and during execution of the work, which clearly points to quality assurance—the preventive system of checks and requirements set up in advance and applied as the work proceeds.

Therefore, Option A – Quality assurance is correct.

Why the other options are not correct:

B. Quality control – QC is about testing and inspection of the finished or in-progress work to detect defects, not primarily about guarding against them through advance procedures.

C. Quality management – This is an overarching concept that can include both QA and QC but is not the specific procedural term CSI uses in the documents and Division 01 sections.

D. Quality monitoring – Not a standard CSI technical term in the same formal sense as quality assurance and quality control.

Key CSI-Oriented References (titles only, no links):

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – sections on “Quality Requirements” and the distinction between QA and QC.

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Design and Construction Phase quality processes.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – “Quality Requirements in Division 01 and Technical Sections.”

Under CSI-based contract administration principles (which align with typical General Conditions such as AIA A201), site safety is primarily the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor:

Is solely responsible for construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures.

Must plan, maintain, and supervise all construction safety programs and precautions in connection with the work.

Must ensure that workers and the public are protected from hazards arising from construction operations.

The architect/engineer (A/E) is not responsible for construction safety; their role is limited to observing the work for general conformance with the contract documents, not directing means, methods, or safety programs. Likewise, OSHA sets safety regulations but does not manage project-specific safety programs; compliance and implementation rest with the Contractor.

Therefore, Option D – Contractor is correct.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Architect/engineer – The A/E does not control means and methods or safety programs; CSI and standard General Conditions explicitly state that the A/E’s services do not include responsibility for jobsite safety.

B. OSHA – OSHA establishes regulations and enforcement, but it does not plan or supervise each project’s safety measures; that duty is contractually on the Contractor.

C. Owner’s inspector – An owner’s representative/inspector may observe and report, but does not take over the Contractor’s legal responsibility for implementing and supervising safety.

Key CSI-Oriented References (titles only, no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – sections on Roles and Responsibilities during Construction.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – discussion of General Conditions and contractor responsibilities.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – “Construction Phase: Responsibilities of Owner, Contractor, and A/E.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

CSI distinguishes clearly between procurement-phase modifications and construction-phase changes:

During procurement (bidding/negotiation), the documents used for pricing and proposing work are called procurement documents (instructions to bidders, bid forms, drawings and specifications issued for bid, etc.).

If these need to be clarified, corrected, or modified before bids are received, the architect/engineer issues an addendum.

An addendum:

Is a written or graphic modification to the procurement documents issued before the execution of the contract.

Becomes part of the procurement documents and, once the contract is formed, part of the contract documents.

Must be issued to all known prospective bidders to maintain fairness and keep everyone pricing the same requirements.

By contrast:

Construction Change Directive (CCD) and Change Order are used after the contract is executed, to modify the contract documents during construction (scope, cost, or time).

An RFI response answers a bidder’s or contractor’s question, but if the answer changes the procurement/contract requirements, it must be formalized by addendum (before award) or change order/CCD (after award), not just left as an informal answer.

Therefore, the correct instrument during the bid period to modify procurement documents is:

A. Addenda

Key CSI-Related References (titles only, no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Procurement, Addenda, and pre-award communications.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Division 00 discussions of Instructions to Bidders and Addenda.

CSI CDT Study Materials – definitions of Addenda vs. Change Orders vs. Construction Change Directives.

CSI’s treatment of procurement and competitive bidding emphasizes that fairness and integrity in competitive bidding depends on one core principle:

All bidders must be provided the same information, at the same time, under the same conditions.

In CDT terminology, this is often expressed as ensuring that all bidders have identical bidding requirements, drawings, specifications, addenda, and time to prepare bids. When this principle is followed:

No bidder has an unfair informational advantage.

Prices are based on the same scope and conditions, allowing an “apples-to-apples” comparison.

The bidding process is considered fair, competitive, and defensible.

That is exactly what Option C states: “All bids are prepared based on identical conditions, information, and time constraints.” This is the fundamental fairness requirement in competitive bidding as taught in CSI’s CDT materials.

Why the other options are not correct in CSI’s framework:

A. Bid securities provide protection to all bidders for unfair practices of others.Bid security (bid bonds, certified checks, etc.) protects primarily the owner, not “all bidders,” against the risk that the selected bidder will refuse to enter into the contract or furnish required bonds. It is about contract assurance, not fairness among bidders.

B. The bid shopping process provides the most beneficial pricing to the owner.“Bid shopping” (where an owner or prime contractor uses one bidder’s price to pressure others into lowering their price after bids are opened) is explicitly recognized by CSI as an unethical and unfair practice. It undermines trust and is contrary to the fairness principle.

D. A minimum of three bids are required to assure sufficient competition.While owners often seek multiple bids, CSI does not define “three bids” as a fundamental fairness requirement. A fair bidding process could, in principle, have fewer bidders; the key is that each bidder is treated equally and given identical information and conditions.

Thus, in CSI’s description of competitive bidding, Option C captures the central fairness principle.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-based)

CSI distinguishes among several written formats, each with a specific purpose:

UniFormat – organizes information by systems and assemblies (elements) and is commonly used for:

Cost classification and early cost estimating,

Data organization in the programming, schematic design, and design development stages.

MasterFormat – organizes information by work results (trades/products) and is used for:

Project specifications,

Detailed cost information tied to specification sections,

Organizing procurement and construction information.

CSI’s practice guides clearly connect cost classification and data organization in early design with UniFormat, and detailed specifications and later-stage cost information with MasterFormat. Therefore, the correct pair is:

UniFormat and MasterFormat (Option B)

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. OmniClass and UniFormat – OmniClass is a broader classification system for the built environment, not the primary written format CSI assigns to “specifications.” UniFormat is used for cost and systems, but OmniClass is not the standard format for specs.

C. OmniClass and MasterFormat – Again, OmniClass is overarching; it does not replace UniFormat as the main element-based cost classification tool.

D. SectionFormat and MasterFormat – SectionFormat is the internal three-part structure of a specification section (Parts 1, 2, and 3) and is not the format used for cost classification and data organization; that role is assigned to UniFormat.

Relevant CSI references (paraphrased):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – descriptions of UniFormat use for system-based project descriptions and cost planning, and MasterFormat use for work result organization.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – chapters on MasterFormat, UniFormat, and their roles in specifications and estimating.