BCM Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield BCM facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A contractor submits a claim for additional compensation due to unforeseen site conditions. Under which clause is this typically addressed? → Differing Site Conditions clause
2. Which soil classification system is most commonly used in US construction and geotechnical engineering? → Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)
3. Which federal agency enforces workplace safety regulations on construction sites in the United States? → OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
4. The statute of limitations in construction defect claims refers to: → The time period within which a legal claim must be filed after discovery of a defect
5. What does the acronym 'RFI' stand for in construction project management? → Request for Information
6. Pick the false statement. → None of the above
7. What does LEED certification primarily evaluate in construction projects? → Environmental sustainability and green building performance
8. Which dispute resolution method is generally faster and less expensive than litigation in construction disputes? → Arbitration
9. What are any project's three main parts? → Time, Budget, Quality
10. Which project delivery method involves a single entity responsible for both design and construction under one contract? → Design-Build
11. As a guarantee of the tender, or ___, the contractor is obliged to deposit a certain sum with the department when submitting a bid. → Earnest money
12. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) identifies how many primary process groups? → 5
13. What is the purpose of a shop drawing in the construction process? → To detail how specific materials and systems will be fabricated and installed
14. Which scheduling technique uses probability distributions to model uncertainty in activity durations? → Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
15. What does Building Information Modeling (BIM) primarily enable in construction projects? → A digital 3D model integrating design, cost, and schedule data for all stakeholders
16. What does 'Total Float' represent in Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling? → The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion
17. A Notice to Proceed (NTP) in construction contracts signals: → The official authorization for the contractor to begin work on a specific date
18. The water-cement ratio (w/c ratio) in concrete mix design primarily affects: → Compressive strength and durability of the hardened concrete
19. Tensile strength is a structural weakness of concrete, which is why: → Steel reinforcing bars (rebar) are embedded in concrete to resist tension forces
20. Project closeout in construction typically includes all of the following EXCEPT: → Issuing the original project charter
21. A differing site condition (Type I) claim arises when: → Actual site conditions materially differ from what was indicated in the contract documents
22. Which type of respiratory protection provides the highest level of protection against airborne contaminants? → Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
23. CMU stands for which common masonry construction material? → Concrete Masonry Unit
24. Substantial completion in construction law is typically defined as the point when: → The project is sufficiently complete for the owner to use it for its intended purpose
25. A subcontractor's 'pay-when-paid' clause in a construction contract means: → The GC is not obligated to pay the sub until the GC receives payment from the owner
26. A conceptual (order-of-magnitude) estimate in construction typically has an accuracy range of: → -30% to +50%
27. The minimum distance construction workers must maintain from energized overhead power lines when using equipment (without special precautions) is: → 10 feet for lines up to 50 kV
28. In construction scheduling, what does 'float' (or slack) represent? → The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project
29. Which type of contract places the most financial risk on the owner? → Cost-plus contract
30. In construction cost control, a 'cost code' system is used to: → Organize and track actual expenditures by work category for comparison to the estimate