Selected CDT CDT Certification Questions Answers

In CSI and CDT terminology, the process of reaching out to potential or prequalified bidders to obtain bids or proposals is called “solicitation.”

The procurement (bidding) phase includes preparing procurement documents and then soliciting bids or proposals from interested or qualified firms.

“Solicitation” covers all methods used to notify and invite participation: advertisements, invitations to bid, requests for proposals (RFPs), and notices to prequalified bidders.

CSI’s Project Delivery Practice Guide and CDT study materials describe the sequence in the procurement stage roughly as:

Preparation of procurement documents (including Instructions to Bidders/Offerors, bid forms, proposed contract forms, etc.).

Solicitation of bids or proposals – announcement or direct issuance to prospective bidders.

Receipt, opening, and evaluation of bids/proposals.

Recommendation and award of contract.

Within that structure, “solicitation” is clearly identified as the step where the owner/AE issues the invitation to bid or request for proposals. The other answer choices refer to documents or requests that are part of the process, but not the process itself:

B. Instructions for Procurement – The CDT/CSI terminology is usually “Instructions to Bidders” or “Instructions to Offerors,” which are sections within the procurement documents explaining how to submit bids (time, place, format, required forms, etc.). They are not the act of announcing or inviting; they are a part of the documents used once solicitation has begun.

C. Instructions to Bidders – This is a specific document or section that sets the rules for bidding (bid security, withdrawal of bids, opening procedures, etc.). It is not the overall process of broadcasting the opportunity; instead it governs bidder behavior after solicitation has occurred.

D. Request for Scope of Work – This is not a standard CSI/CDT term. Scope of work is normally defined in the drawings, specifications, and sometimes in a statement of work, but “request for scope of work” is not used as the formal label for the invitation stage.

Because the question asks specifically for “the process of notifying prospective or qualified bidders requesting proposals for a specific project or an invitation to bid,” the correct CSI-aligned term is “Solicitation” (Option A).

Relevant CSI references (no URLs):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Procurement phase and terminology for solicitation of bids/proposals.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Sections on procurement and bidding documents.

CSI CDT Body of Knowledge – Topic: Procurement (solicitation and receipt of bids/proposals).

In the standard organization of the contract documents as taught in CSI’s CDT materials and practice guides, the General Conditions establish the baseline contractual rights, responsibilities, and relationships among the owner, contractor, and architect/engineer (A/E).

CSI explains that whenever there is a need to change or add to the standard provisions of the General Conditions (for example, to address project-specific insurance limits, bonding, liquidated damages, or local legal requirements), those changes are made in the Supplementary Conditions. The Supplementary Conditions are expressly written to modify, delete, or add to the printed General Conditions, and they do so by direct reference to specific articles or paragraphs.

The General Conditions set the standard, overall rules of the contract.

The Supplementary Conditions are the only document whose primary purpose is to modify those General Conditions for the specific project.

Other documents (Agreement, Division 01) must be consistent with the Conditions of the Contract but are not the formal instrument intended to “directly modify” the General Conditions.

Why the other options are not correct:

A. Division 01, General Requirements – Division 01 coordinates administrative and procedural requirements for the work and bridges from the Conditions of the Contract to the technical specifications. It may elaborate how procedures are implemented but it is not the document that directly amends the General Conditions.

C. Agreement – The Agreement (e.g., AIA A101) identifies parties, contract sum, contract time, and incorporates the Conditions, drawings, and specifications by reference. It relies on the General and Supplementary Conditions; it does not systematically edit their language.

D. Instructions to Bidders – These govern the procurement phase only (how to submit bids, qualifications, bid security, etc.) and cease to have effect once the Contract is executed. They do not modify the General Conditions of the construction contract.

CSI’s Project Delivery and Construction Specifications Practice Guides describe this hierarchy and emphasize that Supplementary Conditions are the proper instrument for project-specific modifications to the General Conditions, which makes Option B the correct answer.

CSI’s project delivery and ethical guidance (as reflected in CDT materials and standard practice) emphasize:

Known information that may affect cost, risk, or safety must be disclosed consistently and fairly to all bidders.

The design professional must act in a manner that is honest, transparent, and protective of public safety, even when data is incomplete.

The bid documents should not conceal information that could materially affect the work, even if its full extent is uncertain.

Applying those principles:

The design team has evidence (one contaminated boring) that contamination may exist onsite. Even if the extent is unknown, that fact is potentially material to bidders (cost of remediation, handling of contaminated soils, schedule impacts).

The best course is to disclose what is known and ensure all bidders have access to the same geotechnical information. This is exactly what Option B proposes:

Place a clear note or disclaimer in the contract documents stating that contaminants were encountered in at least one boring and may be present elsewhere.

Recommend that the owner make the geotechnical report available to all bidders, so every bidder can evaluate the risk and price accordingly.

Why the other options are inconsistent with CSI-aligned practice:

A. Withhold the information… – Concealing known contamination is unethical and undermines fair bidding. Even with unit prices for remediation, bidders would be pricing blindly without knowing that contamination has already been detected.

C. Insist the owner undertake additional investigation… – While the design team should recommend further investigation, it cannot “insist” beyond professional advice, especially where the owner has clearly stated financial constraints. Regardless, disclosure of existing data is still required.

D. Proceed with design as is… – Ignoring known contamination and calling it “statistically insignificant” is not defensible; even one contaminated boring is important information that must be shared.

So, the most appropriate and CSI-consistent choice is Option B: disclose the potential and share the geotechnical report so all bidders are equally informed.

CSI references (by name only, no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – sections on procurement, fair competition, and disclosure of information

CDT ethics and professional conduct principles regarding risk disclosure to bidders

Under CSI’s project delivery framework and the typical General Conditions of the Contract, the contractor has primary responsibility for:

The means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures of construction.

Job site safety and security, including protection of workers, the public, and the work itself.

Controlling access to the site, securing materials and equipment, and complying with safety laws and regulations.

CSI’s CDT materials summarize the allocation of responsibilities this way (paraphrased):

The owner is responsible for providing information, funding, and overall project requirements; the owner does not direct day-to-day site operations or security.

The architect/engineer is responsible for design and contract administration functions such as reviewing submittals, certifying payments, and evaluating change requests—not for job site security or safety control.

The contractor (or construction manager acting as contractor, where applicable) is the party who controls the site and is therefore responsible for job site safety and security.

Even when a construction manager is involved (Option D), CSI and standard general conditions distinguish between a CM as advisor (who advises the owner) and a CM as constructor (who is essentially the contractor). For the exam-style question as written, “contractor” is the single correct generic answer for who is responsible for job site security.

Why the other options are not correct:

A. Owner – The owner does not direct means and methods or daily site activities; shifting site security responsibility to the owner would contradict the usual conditions of the contract.

B. Architect/engineer – The A/E does not control the job site and is not responsible for job site safety/security; this is a repeated CDT exam emphasis to avoid misallocating liability.

D. Construction manager – Only in specific project delivery methods where the CM is also the constructor (CM-at-Risk) does this role overlap with the contractor. The question’s general form points to the contractor as the standard answer in CSI’s framework.

Therefore, in accordance with CSI’s explanation of roles and responsibilities under standard conditions of the contract, the contractor is responsible for job site security, making Option C correct.