4Spec Forum Advice Flashcards
PageFormat
Developed by CSI, PageFormat™ defines the advantages to standardizing the way information is presented on a page.
A standard page format provides an orderly and uniform arrangement of text for each page of a specification section. The standard page format has three objectives:
- To present text clearly and at a density best suited for easy reading and rapid reference.
- To provide an acceptable standard suitable for use in specifications throughout the construction industry.
- To provide a flexible format compatible with most current production techniques and electronic software.
Uniformity of presentation eases the tasks of preparation, review, and publication and saves the specification user time and effort.
Learn how Division 01 is reflected in SectionFormat.
Study AIA Document A201 - General Terms and Conditions carefully.
Read the CSI Practice Guides at least once.
* CSEP slide deck
* PDPG 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions
* CSPG…
* CDT Study Workbook 2019 and 2020
* All the other CDT source material
* PRM
* AIA A101 and A201
* MasterFormat
* SectionFormat/PageFormat
* UniFormat
This come from https://www.csiresources.org/certification/ccs/ccs-source-materials
* C-700 documents
* A101
* C-520 Standard Agreement between the Owner and Contractor
AIA B101 Agreement between the Owner and Architect.
These additional standards show the actual contractual relationships between these “primary” entities and are (IMHO) critical to the development and coordination of the Contract Document that are to be developed.
Study bidding procedures, bonds, insurance.
LEARN AND KNOW SECTIONFORMAT
Know the articles, what they’re called, and in what order they appear. Basically, if you are given a one-page paragraph of jumbled up text, know how to unscramble the information and place each sentence in its respective article.
AIA Document A521/EJCDC 1910-16 - Uniform Location of Subject Matter
If you read the prescribed material only once, it will be a struggle to correctly answer enough questions to pass. Each time you re-read the material, however, you increase your chances of passing significantly.
Remember that the correct answers are right before your eyes. You simply have to select the most correct one from the choices given. Usually, one answer is correct, one or two are slightly flawed, and one is obviously wrong.
If you get stuck on a question, move on. Many times the correct answer to a previous question is revealed in a subsequent one.
An important piece of advice is common in several of the above posts: being well-rested before the test. Try to get at least 6-8 hours of good sleep the night before. But this is much easier said than done when you are anxious to attain certification.
Best of luck to all who are taking the exams this year!
Read the stem of the question with each answer as a true/false statement. The one that is true, based on the PRM, is the correct answer. Others may seem true, based on something you’ve seen or done in “real life”.
Memorize SectionFormat. Memorize MF04 to at least Level 2. Memorize that ceiling-fan-shaped chart that relates Division 1 to the other parts of the Contract Documents. (PRM figure 5.6A) If it’s a list or a chart, chances are good that memorizing it will help with your performance on the test. I can draw the line for you somewhere: I don’t think memorizing the entire A201 would help enough to be worth the pain.
PRM: of course, make sure you study this, over and over;
Delevery methods: know all of them, and the benefits and limitations fo each;
Uniformat: know it, not just first level, all levels and how to designate;
A201: Need to know more than just the names of the articles. Who is responible for what? Also, know your insurance requirements, again, who is respsonible for what; builders risk, property, etc.;
Set aside one hour per day to read. Immediately jot down 5 to 10 points and turn them into ‘exam’ questions. Record where the answers are to be found so you can go back to the source and reread anything that doesn’t make sense. You will probably have numerous questions about what seems to be conflicting information before you’re done.
Another good starting point may be to take whatever CDT practice exams you can find and expand on those.
Either way, as you know from teaching, you learn more from writing an exam than you do from studying for one.
If you can find others who are willing to do the same, trade questions as you go and try to answer each others exam questions. That way even if your schedules don’t line up you can still benefit from studying together.
