CDT Certification CDT Book

CSI distinguishes clearly between quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC):

Quality assurance focuses on procedures, planning, and processes established before and during the work to prevent defects and deficiencies. It’s proactive and process-oriented—things like qualifications, mock-ups, preinstallation conferences, submittal review, and establishing methods.

Quality control focuses on inspection, tests, and verification of completed or in-progress work to identify defects and verify that requirements are met. It is more reactive and product-oriented.

The question asks for the procedure for guarding against defects and deficiencies before and during execution of the work, which clearly points to quality assurance—the preventive system of checks and requirements set up in advance and applied as the work proceeds.

Therefore, Option A – Quality assurance is correct.

Why the other options are not correct:

B. Quality control – QC is about testing and inspection of the finished or in-progress work to detect defects, not primarily about guarding against them through advance procedures.

C. Quality management – This is an overarching concept that can include both QA and QC but is not the specific procedural term CSI uses in the documents and Division 01 sections.

D. Quality monitoring – Not a standard CSI technical term in the same formal sense as quality assurance and quality control.

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

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – sections on “Quality Requirements” and the distinction between QA and QC.

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Design and Construction Phase quality processes.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – “Quality Requirements in Division 01 and Technical Sections.”

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.

From a CSI / CDT lifecycle perspective, the project does not end when construction is complete. CSI emphasizes the full facility life cycle, which includes:

Planning and design

Construction

Operation and maintenance

Eventual renovation, repurposing, or decommissioning

The phase during which a building is operated, maintained, and supported so that it continues to perform its intended function is typically referred to as facility management (or “facilities management”). CSI’s project delivery guidance characterizes facility management as including:

Allocating resources (staff, budget, utilities, maintenance contracts, equipment, etc.) to keep the facility functioning as intended

Planning and managing maintenance, repairs, replacements, and upgrades

Overseeing operations, safety, and performance of building systems

Coordinating with design and construction teams when future renovation or major maintenance projects are needed

Because the question specifically highlights “allocating resources for the continued performance of a building’s intended function”, this aligns directly with the responsibilities of facility management.

Why the other options do not fit this definition:

A. BudgetingBudgeting is the process of planning and assigning financial resources for a specific period or scope (project budgeting, department budgeting, etc.). It is a financial planning activity, not the overall ongoing process of managing and operating the facility to ensure it continues to function as intended.

B. CommissioningCommissioning is a quality-focused process performed around the end of construction and the start of operation to verify that building systems are planned, installed, tested, and capable of being operated and maintained in conformity with the design intent and owner’s project requirements. It is primarily a start-up and verification process, not the ongoing allocation of resources over the life of the facility.

D. Project closeoutProject closeout is the process of finishing all project work, completing punch lists, submitting record documents, warranties, training, and formally closing the contract. While closeout transitions the facility to the owner’s operations and facility management, it does not itself describe the ongoing management for continued performance.

In CSI’s project delivery model, once the project is closed out, the responsibility for keeping the building performing as intended shifts to facility management, making Option C the correct answer.

During the construction documents phase, CSI’s guidance emphasizes that coordination between the architect/engineer (A/E) and the various consulting disciplines (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.) is essential to produce consistent, coordinated, and complete contract documents (drawings, specifications, and project manual). Part of that coordination is a shared quality assurance (QA) effort among the design team members.

In CSI’s practice guides and CDT body of knowledge, the following principles are stressed (paraphrased to respect copyright):

The prime design professional is responsible for overall coordination of the construction documents, but each consultant is responsible for the technical accuracy and coordination of their own portions.

Coordination includes review of cross-references, matching terminology, alignment of requirements between drawings and specifications, and resolving conflicts before bid/issue.

Quality assurance during this phase is not done in isolation; it is a team activity. Consultants and the lead design firm review each other’s work where it interfaces (e.g., architectural and mechanical coordination of ceilings and diffusers; structural and architectural coordination of openings, etc.).

Therefore, “Quality assurance tasks shared between design and consulting teams” (Option D) correctly describes a standard component of project design team coordination during the construction documents phase.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Duplication of important information by each disciplineCSI stresses “say it once, in the right place” as a fundamental principle. Information should not be unnecessarily duplicated because duplication increases the risk of conflict and inconsistency (for example, a requirement shown in both drawings and multiple spec sections but updated in only one location). Coordination aims to avoid duplication, not to promote it.

B. Ensuring drawing note terminology is differentiated from specification terminologyCSI emphasizes consistent terminology across drawings, specifications, and other documents. The same items (e.g., “gypsum board,” “reinforcing steel,” “membrane roofing”) should be described using the same terms in both drawings and specifications to reduce ambiguity. Coordination meetings often include checking that terminology is aligned, not intentionally differentiated.

C. Requiring the owner to hire a third-party to write the Division 01 specifications independentlyDivision 01 – General Requirements – is typically prepared or controlled by the lead design professional or specifier, in coordination with the owner. CSI materials do not identify it as a standard or required coordination practice for the owner to hire an independent third party to write Division 01 separately from the design team. That may occur on some projects, but it is not a defined component of team coordination in CSI’s CDT framework.

In summary, CSI-based construction documentation practice defines coordination during the construction documents phase as a shared responsibility among the architect/engineer and all consultants, including joint quality assurance reviews, consistency checks, and cross-discipline coordination. This aligns directly with Option D.

Key CSI References (no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – chapters on Design Phase and Construction Documents coordination.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – sections on coordination between drawings and specifications and the role of Division 01.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – topics on roles and responsibilities of the design team and coordination of construction documents.