CDT Exam Dumps - Construction Specifications Institute CDT Certification Questions and Answers

The MasterFormat® system, maintained by CSI and CSC, organizes work results into a numbered and titled hierarchical structure (Divisions, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4). Included with MasterFormat is a keyword index.

CSI describes the MasterFormat keyword index as a tool that:

Lists common keywords and subject terms used in construction (e.g., “gypsum board,” “elevators,” “unit masonry”).

Cross-references each keyword to the appropriate MasterFormat section number and title.

Helps specifiers and project team members find where a product, system, or topic belongs when writing or organizing sections.

Therefore, the keyword index is used for:

Locating subject titles and numbers – Option C.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Identifying Level 4 sectionsWhile the keyword index may point to Level 4 numbers, its purpose is not specifically to “identify Level 4 sections” but to locate the correct section number and title (at any level) based on subject words.

B. Identifying specification formatSpecification format (such as SectionFormat and PageFormat) is addressed in separate CSI standards, not by the MasterFormat keyword index.

D. Specifying correct word usageThe keyword index is not a language or style guide; it does not prescribe grammar or “correct word usage” in that sense. It is an indexing and locating tool for section numbers and titles.

Relevant CSI-aligned references (no URLs):

CSI / CSC MasterFormat® publication – introduction and explanation of keyword index function.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – discussion of using MasterFormat and its indexes to organize specifications.

CSI CDT Study materials – overview of MasterFormat and how to use the keyword index to locate topics.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

In CSI’s MasterFormat® (2004 and later), the divisions are grouped approximately as:

Division 01 – General Requirements

Divisions 02–19 – Facility Construction Subgroup (sitework and building construction trades: existing conditions, concrete, masonry, metals, wood, finishes, etc.)

Divisions 20–29 – Facility Services Subgroup (mechanical, electrical, communications, fire suppression, etc.)

Divisions 30–39 – Site and Infrastructure (utilities, site improvements, transportation, etc.)

Divisions 40–49 – Process Equipment and related categories (where applicable)

The question asks what is not included in Divisions 02–49.

Concrete – is in Division 03 (in 02–49).

Finishes – are in Division 09 (in 02–49).

Utilities – are addressed in the 30s divisions such as Division 33 – Utilities and similar, clearly within 02–49.

However:

General Requirements – by CSI definition, belong to Division 01, which is outside the 02–49 range. Division 01 covers administrative and procedural requirements that apply across the technical sections.

Therefore, the item not included in Divisions 02–49 is:

A. General requirements

Key CSI-Related References (titles only):

CSI MasterFormat® publication – division list and grouping.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – explanation of Division 01 vs. technical divisions (02–49).

CSI CDT Study Materials – MasterFormat division breakdown and use.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), as described in CSI’s project delivery materials, is a collaborative project delivery method that:

Involves key project participants early in the project,

Uses shared risk and reward, and

Promotes integration of people, systems, business structures, and practices into a process that optimizes project results.

CSI’s discussion of IPD identifies the core IPD team as typically including:

The Owner

The Architect/Engineer (Design Professional)

The Contractor (often a general contractor or construction manager at risk)

In IPD, the contractor is deliberately brought into the project early, often during conceptual or schematic design, to:

Provide constructability input

Contribute cost estimating and scheduling

Help optimize means and methods and coordinate with major trades

Among the choices given, the participant that is clearly recognized as a primary IPD participant in CSI-oriented explanation of IPD is the:

C. Contractor

Why the other options are not the best answer:

A. Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)The AHJ (e.g., building department, fire marshal) is always involved in permitting and inspections, regardless of delivery method. However, they are not part of the project’s contractual IPD team, nor do they share in IPD contractual risk/reward structures.

B. Commissioning agentA commissioning agent (or authority) may participate in IPD projects, but is not a mandatory or defining core party. Commissioning can be part of many delivery methods (Design-Bid-Build, CM at Risk, Design-Build, IPD). CSI’s general description of IPD focuses on owner–designer–contractor integration.

D. InspectorInspectors (code inspectors, special inspectors) are similar to the AHJ functions—important to the project but external to the project’s contractual structure and not specific to IPD. They serve regulatory and quality verification roles across all delivery methods.

Thus, in the context of CSI’s explanation of Integrated Project Delivery, the clearly correct answer is Option C – Contractor.

Key CSI-Related References (titles only):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Project Delivery Methods and Integrated Project Delivery.

CSI CDT Study Materials – comparisons of Design-Bid-Build, CM at Risk, Design-Build, and IPD, including team composition.

CSI presentations and educational modules on collaborative and integrated delivery methods.

In CSI-based drawing organization, the cover sheet (sometimes called the title sheet) is the primary identification sheet of the drawing set. It typically includes:

Project name and project number

Owner’s name

Architect/engineer’s name and logo

Names of key consultants (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.)

General project data (site address, legal description, gross area, etc.)

A location map or vicinity map

Sometimes a sheet index, code summary, and other global project information

CSI’s guidance for construction documents describes the cover sheet as the place where the project is formally identified and the major parties are listed so that anyone picking up the drawing set immediately knows what project it is, who the participants are, and where the project is located. This is exactly what the question is asking about.

Why the others are not correct in CSI’s sense:

A. Sheet index – A sheet index is usually a list of drawing sheets (by discipline and sheet number) and may be placed on the cover sheet or on a separate index sheet, but it does not normally carry the full set of project identification data, consultant names, and location map by itself.

C. General notes – General notes are used to provide global instructions or clarifications applicable to the drawings (e.g., dimensional conventions, typical construction requirements). They are not the primary location for listing the owner, A/E, consultants, or site location map.

D. Building code summary – A building code summary focuses on code-related data: occupancy classification, construction type, fire-resistance ratings, egress calculations, etc. While it may appear on the cover sheet or nearby sheets, it is not where CSI expects all of the names and general project data to be grouped.

So, per CSI’s standard organization of construction drawings and project manuals, the cover sheet is the correct answer.

According to CSI and standard General Conditions (such as AIA A201 and EJCDC C-700, both referenced in CSI’s CDT materials), the contractor has a duty to review the contract documents for coordination and constructability, and if any errors, inconsistencies, or code violations are discovered, the contractor must promptly notify the architect/engineer (A/E) in writing before proceeding.

This requirement exists because:

The A/E is responsible for design compliance with codes.

The contractor must not proceed with work known to be contrary to applicable laws or regulations without clarification.

The contractor’s written notice triggers the A/E’s responsibility to issue clarification, correction, or instruction to maintain compliance.

Therefore, the proper action is Option A — Notify the architect/engineer in writing.

Why others are incorrect:

B. Proceed with the work – would expose both the contractor and owner to risk of code violation; explicitly prohibited by standard conditions.

C. Request a variance – is not the contractor’s responsibility; this rests with the owner or A/E.

D. Stop all work – not authorized unless directed; the contractor must first notify the A/E.

CSI Reference:

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide, “Construction Phase — Communications and Responsibilities”; Construction Specifications Practice Guide, “General Conditions Responsibilities — Compliance with Codes.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

CSI distinguishes clearly between procurement-phase modifications and construction-phase changes:

During procurement (bidding/negotiation), the documents used for pricing and proposing work are called procurement documents (instructions to bidders, bid forms, drawings and specifications issued for bid, etc.).

If these need to be clarified, corrected, or modified before bids are received, the architect/engineer issues an addendum.

An addendum:

Is a written or graphic modification to the procurement documents issued before the execution of the contract.

Becomes part of the procurement documents and, once the contract is formed, part of the contract documents.

Must be issued to all known prospective bidders to maintain fairness and keep everyone pricing the same requirements.

By contrast:

Construction Change Directive (CCD) and Change Order are used after the contract is executed, to modify the contract documents during construction (scope, cost, or time).

An RFI response answers a bidder’s or contractor’s question, but if the answer changes the procurement/contract requirements, it must be formalized by addendum (before award) or change order/CCD (after award), not just left as an informal answer.

Therefore, the correct instrument during the bid period to modify procurement documents is:

A. Addenda

Key CSI-Related References (titles only, no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Procurement, Addenda, and pre-award communications.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Division 00 discussions of Instructions to Bidders and Addenda.

CSI CDT Study Materials – definitions of Addenda vs. Change Orders vs. Construction Change Directives.