CPE Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CPE exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CPE Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CPE Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CPE Questions & Answers
1. An estimator's labor cost calculation should include which of the following in addition to base wages?
Labor burden adds payroll taxes, workers' compensation, health benefits, and other employer costs on top of the base wage rate.
2. A subcontractor's bid includes labor at $85,000. The general contractor applies a 10% markup on labor for supervision. The supervision cost added is:
Supervision markup = $85,000 × 10% = $8,500.
3. When soliciting bids from vendors, the estimator should include:
A complete vendor solicitation package with specifications, quantities, and schedule enables accurate and comparable vendor quotations.
4. On a lump-sum bid, the contractor assumes risk for which of the following?
In a lump-sum contract, the contractor bears the risk for all costs to complete the defined scope, regardless of actual quantities or conditions encountered.
5. What is the primary risk of using prior-year overhead rates without adjustment when bidding new work?
Prior-year rates can be distorted by one-time costs or volume levels that do not represent future conditions.
6. A project's concrete cost was $120,000 two years ago when the PPI for concrete was 185. The current PPI is 204. What is the inflation-adjusted current cost estimate?
Current cost = $120,000 × (204/185) = $120,000 × 1.1027 ≈ $132,324.