CSI CDT study plan
CSI CDT · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Construction documentation development and administration
Map the full construction documentation lifecycle from schematic design through closeout, listing which documents are produced at each phase and who issues them
Identify the standard drawing sheet organization conventions (general, plan, elevation, section, detail, schedule sheets) and explain what each sheet type communicates
Define the roles of owner, architect/engineer, contractor, and construction manager in producing and administering contract documents
Build a personal glossary of at least 30 documentation terms with a one-line definition and an example of where each appears in a project
Your checkpoint
A one-page documentation lifecycle map plus a 30-term glossary, both self-quizzed once without notes
Construction documentation development and administration & Specification writing and enforcement
Trace how a design decision becomes a drawing note, a specification section, and a contractual requirement, and identify where gaps between them cause claims
Explain the division structure of a master specification (Division 00 through Division 49) and state what belongs in each division you are likely to encounter
Distinguish drawings from specifications in terms of legal precedence and describe how conflicts between them are typically resolved
Practice reading a sample specification section to locate the submittal requirements, quality assurance, and execution parts
Your checkpoint
A written comparison table of drawings versus specifications covering content, authorship, precedence, and change procedure
Specification writing and enforcement
Identify the three-part SectionFormat structure (General, Products, Execution) and label the purpose of each article within a sample section
Apply the rules of specifying by reference to standards and organizations, and explain why proprietary versus descriptive versus performance specifying changes the bidder pool
Draft a complete specification section for a simple product using correct article numbering, submittal requirements, and execution language
Recognize common specification defects such as contradictory requirements, unenforceable language, and orphaned references
Your checkpoint
A self-authored, correctly formatted specification section of roughly two pages for a simple building product
Specification writing and enforcement & Product research and sourcing
Explain the submittal review cycle including shop drawings, product data, samples, and mockups, and state the reviewer's authority to accept, reject, or return for resubmittal
Describe how substitutions and value engineering requests are evaluated against the basis-of-design and what documentation a substitution request must contain
Identify the major standards and certification bodies relevant to product evaluation (for example ASTM, ANSI, UL, FM, NSF, LEED-related programs) and what each mark actually verifies
Outline the product research workflow from performance requirement to candidate list to verification of test data
Your checkpoint
A substitution request evaluation checklist and a five-product comparison matrix scored against stated performance criteria
Product research and sourcing
Conduct structured product research for two product categories, gathering manufacturer data, test reports, warranty terms, and installation requirements
Evaluate sustainability and code-compliance attributes of products and distinguish verified claims from marketing language
Compare products on life-cycle cost, availability, lead time, and compatibility with adjacent assemblies
Document sourcing risks such as sole-source specifications, long lead times, and discontinued products, and propose mitigations
Your checkpoint
A two-category product research report with a recommendation and a stated rationale for each category
Product research and sourcing & Communication with the design and contracting teams
Explain the RFI process end to end, including who may issue, required content, response timelines, and how responses become part of the contract documents
Draft a clear RFI that states the question, references the exact drawing or specification location, and proposes a resolution
Describe the meeting types in a project (preconstruction, progress, owner-architect-contractor, closeout) and the documentation each produces
Practice writing a field observation or site visit report that separates observation from instruction
Your checkpoint
Two complete mock RFIs with proposed resolutions plus one formatted field observation report
Communication with the design and contracting teams & Construction documentation development and administration
Explain the change order process including proposal request, cost and time breakdown, approval authority, and record keeping
Describe how construction documentation is updated and distributed after a change, and why version control and revision tracking matter
Identify communication failures that commonly lead to disputes and describe the documentation practice that prevents each
Practice writing a concise memo that communicates a technical decision to a non-technical owner audience
Your checkpoint
A mock change order package with cost and time justification plus a one-page owner memo explaining the impact
Construction documentation development and administration & Specification writing and enforcement & Product research and sourcing & Communication with the design and contracting teams
Complete timed practice sets weighted toward the two heaviest domains, then review every missed item and record the underlying knowledge gap
Re-derive from memory the documentation lifecycle, SectionFormat structure, submittal cycle, and RFI and change order flows
Review the personal glossary and error log, closing any term or concept that is still unclear
Simulate exam-day pacing and confirm logistics, reference familiarity, and question-reading strategy
Your checkpoint
A final error log with every gap resolved or flagged, plus two full timed practice runs scored and reviewed
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, how a design decision flows into drawings, specifications, and contract requirements, and where conflicts are resolved
Week 4: Has authored a complete specification section and can walk through the submittal and substitution review cycles from memory
Week 6: Has completed product research in two categories and produced RFIs and a field report that a reviewer would accept as professionally usable
Week 8: Scores consistently above target on timed practice weighted to Domains 1 and 2, with a clean error log and no unresolved flagged topics