CMA Project Management & Collaboration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A master architect is managing a large civic project with multiple consultants. Which contract type best aligns consultant fees with project milestones and deliverables?
- Lump sum contract
- Cost-plus-percentage contract
- Milestone-based contract (Correct answer)
- Time-and-materials contract
Correct answer: Milestone-based contract
Milestone-based contracts tie consultant payments to completed deliverables, incentivizing timely performance and aligning fees with project progress.
Question 2: During design development, the structural engineer proposes a system that conflicts with the architect's aesthetic intent. What is the most effective first step?
- Override the engineer's recommendation unilaterally
- Schedule a joint coordination meeting to explore integrated solutions (Correct answer)
- Defer the decision to the owner
- Proceed with the architectural intent and document the conflict
Correct answer: Schedule a joint coordination meeting to explore integrated solutions
A joint coordination meeting allows all parties to collaboratively resolve technical and aesthetic conflicts before they become costly construction issues.
Question 3: Which earned value metric indicates whether a project is over or under budget relative to work completed?
- Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
- Cost Performance Index (CPI) (Correct answer)
- Planned Value (PV)
- Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Correct answer: Cost Performance Index (CPI)
The Cost Performance Index (CPI) compares earned value to actual cost, revealing budget efficiency; a CPI below 1.0 signals cost overrun.
Question 4: An architect discovers the general contractor is substituting a specified material without a formal substitution request. What is the correct protocol?
- Allow the substitution if it appears equivalent
- Issue a written notice of non-compliance and require a formal substitution request (Correct answer)
- Notify the owner verbally and continue monitoring
- Revise the specifications retroactively to match the substitution
Correct answer: Issue a written notice of non-compliance and require a formal substitution request
Unauthorized substitutions must be addressed in writing with a formal substitution request to preserve contract compliance and liability protections.
Question 5: When developing a project charter for a complex institutional project, which element is MOST critical to establish first?
- Detailed construction budget
- Project scope and objectives (Correct answer)
- Contractor prequalification criteria
- Sustainable design targets
Correct answer: Project scope and objectives
Clearly defining project scope and objectives provides the foundation upon which all other project decisions, budgets, and team responsibilities are built.
Question 6: A master architect leading a design-build team must balance design quality with the contractor's cost reduction proposals. Which approach best maintains design integrity?
- Reject all contractor cost-reduction proposals
- Establish design criteria and minimum quality standards at project outset (Correct answer)
- Allow the contractor full discretion on cost savings
- Escalate every disagreement to the owner
Correct answer: Establish design criteria and minimum quality standards at project outset
Pre-established design criteria and quality benchmarks give the contractor flexibility while protecting essential design intent and performance standards.
Question 7: Which communication tool is most appropriate for formally documenting decisions made during owner-architect-contractor (OAC) meetings?
- Email chain
- Meeting minutes distributed to all parties (Correct answer)
- Verbal confirmation at the meeting
- Architect's personal project log
Correct answer: Meeting minutes distributed to all parties
Formal meeting minutes distributed to all stakeholders create an official record of decisions, action items, and accountability.
CMA Project Management & Collaboration 2
A master architect is managing a large civic project with multiple consultants.
Which contract type best aligns consultant fees with project milestones and deliverables?