MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Standard Professional Practice Of Architects 5 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which project delivery method places the construction manager 'at risk,' meaning they guarantee a maximum price and bear cost overruns above that amount?
- Construction Manager as Advisor (CMA)
- Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) (Correct answer)
- Design-Bid-Build
- Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
Correct answer: Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR)
In CMAR, the construction manager provides a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and assumes financial risk for cost overruns beyond that figure.
Question 2: An architect is asked to provide a 'certificate of occupancy.' Who actually issues this document?
- The architect of record
- The general contractor after final inspection
- The local building department or authority having jurisdiction (Correct answer)
- The owner's insurance company
Correct answer: The local building department or authority having jurisdiction
A certificate of occupancy (CO) is issued by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) after inspections confirm the building meets code requirements for occupancy.
Question 3: In a multi-prime contract arrangement, the owner contracts separately with multiple prime contractors. The architect's coordination role becomes:
- Simpler because each contractor is independently responsible
- More complex because the architect must coordinate between primes without a general contractor managing the site (Correct answer)
- Identical to the standard single prime role
- Eliminated because owners manage multi-prime projects directly
Correct answer: More complex because the architect must coordinate between primes without a general contractor managing the site
With multiple prime contractors and no general contractor to manage interfaces, the architect's coordination and administration responsibilities substantially increase.
Question 4: Under US copyright law, who owns the copyright to architectural drawings created by an architect as an independent contractor for a client?
- The client, because they paid for the work
- The architect, unless a written agreement transfers rights (Correct answer)
- The government, because building plans are public records
- Copyright is shared equally between architect and client by default
Correct answer: The architect, unless a written agreement transfers rights
Independent contractors retain copyright in their work unless a written agreementâsuch as a 'work for hire' contractâexplicitly transfers ownership to the client.
Question 5: A licensed architect in State A wants to practice in State B without relocating. Which path most efficiently allows project-specific practice in State B?
- Full reciprocal licensure in State B
- A temporary permit or project authorization from State B's licensing board (Correct answer)
- Hiring a licensed State B architect to stamp the drawings
- Filing a federal interstate commerce waiver
Correct answer: A temporary permit or project authorization from State B's licensing board
Most state boards offer temporary permits or project-specific licenses allowing out-of-state architects to practice on a single project without full reciprocal licensure.
Question 6: Which AIA document series covers interiors and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) scope when an architect provides interior design services?
- AIA A-series (contractor agreements)
- AIA B-series supplemental scope agreements (e.g., B152) (Correct answer)
- AIA G-series (project forms)
- AIA C-series (consultant agreements)
Correct answer: AIA B-series supplemental scope agreements (e.g., B152)
AIA B-series documents include scope-specific agreements such as B152 for interior design services, expanding on the core B101 owner-architect agreement.
Question 7: Which term describes the architect's obligation to maintain the level of skill and care ordinarily exercised by reputable architects in the same community under similar circumstances?
- Fiduciary duty
- Standard of care (Correct answer)
- Duty of indemnification
- Strict liability
Correct answer: Standard of care
The standard of care is the professional benchmark by which an architect's performance is judged in negligence claimsânot perfection, but reasonable professional competence.
MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Standard Professional Practice Of Architects 5
Which project delivery method places the construction manager 'at risk,' meaning they guarantee a maximum price and bear cost overruns above that amount?