ARE 5.0: CE study plan

Map the preconstruction workflow from owner programming through bidding/GMP, annotating where architect deliverables and owner approvals gate each step.

Differentiate bid packages, scope narratives, and general conditions, and write a one-paragraph example of a scope gap for each.

Level three fictitious bids into a comparison worksheet, normalizing alternates, allowances, and unit prices.

Explain the architect's preconstruction role in constructability review, value analysis, and schedule review, citing what the architect does and does not control.

Draft a memo presenting an owner's options when the low bid exceeds budget (scope reduction, alternates, rebid, negotiation) with the consequence of each.

Build a matrix of contract types (lump sum, GMP with shared savings, cost-plus-fee, T&M, design-build) showing risk allocation for scope, cost, and schedule.

Sequence the submittal chain from subcontractor to architect to consultant and state typical review durations and resubmittal cycles.

Work 30 scenario items on preconstruction and contract administration, then restate every miss as a rule in your own words.

Diagram the RFI, submittal, substitution, and change-order workflows, noting contractual or statutory time limits at each step.

Compare architect and contractor responsibility for site safety, means and methods, and temporary facilities, and identify the architect's duty to report unsafe conditions.

Explain the requirements for payment applications, retainage, lien waivers, and certification of substantial completion.

Author 10 original scenario items on administrative procedures with a correct answer and rationale for each.

Distinguish the architect's observation duties from supervision and from inspection, and identify the contractual source of each duty.

Build a field report template capturing date, weather, workforce by trade, work in place, and nonconforming work.

Document a nonconforming condition through the escalation chain: field note, field report, formal notice, and stop-work recommendation.

Review safety requirements relevant to site observation, including fall protection, PPE, and confined-space awareness.

Compare mockup, benchmark, and first-article review processes and specify when each applies.

Sequence special inspection and testing requirements for concrete, structural steel, soils, and fireproofing, naming the responsible party for each.

Analyze a 20-activity CPM schedule to identify the critical path, total float, and weather or seasonal risk exposure.

Work 30 observation-scenario items and rewrite each miss as a short field procedure.

Sequence the closeout process from substantial completion through final completion and final payment.

Enumerate the components of a complete closeout package: as-builts, O&M manuals, warranties, attic stock, commissioning reports, and final waivers.

Explain the punch list process, including timeframes for completion and who bears the cost of corrections.

Describe post-occupancy evaluation methods and how findings feed back into future project delivery.

Contrast substantial completion with final completion and state the legal and financial consequences of each, including warranty start dates.

Compute a final payment reconciliation starting from the original contract sum and applying change orders, retainage release, and liquidated damages.

Draft a warranty and post-occupancy follow-up schedule for a hypothetical project.

Work 40 items spanning construction observation and project closeout, log misses, and restate the underlying rule for each.

Complete two timed 75-item mock exams under test-like conditions with no interruptions.

Consolidate your error log into a one-page rule sheet organized by domain.

Re-drill every previously missed item until each is answered correctly twice on separate days.

Write a test-day strategy for the item types you miss most often, such as calculations, sequencing, and 'most appropriate action' scenarios.