FCICA CIM study plan

Deconstruct a sample installation estimate into labor, material, equipment, and indirect cost line items, and explain how each line becomes a field cost code.

Calculate the burdened labor rate for three trades using base wage, fringe, insurance, and overhead percentages, and verify the result against a provided crew rate sheet.

Build a simple budget-vs-actual tracking template in a spreadsheet that maps estimate cost codes to actual field costs and computes variance and percent complete.

Identify at least five common causes of estimate-to-field cost drift and write a one-sentence prevention control for each.

Draft a job planning checklist that covers pre-installation site verification, material takeoff reconciliation, crew competency, and safety orientation.

Sequence a 10,000-square-foot flooring installation into a work breakdown structure with at least 12 tasks, dependencies, and duration estimates.

Assign crew sizes and skill levels to each task in the work breakdown structure, and justify the assignment logic in a short written rationale.

Create a resource-loaded schedule that shows daily labor hours and material deliveries for the first two weeks of the job.

Summarize the key contractual obligations of the installer, general contractor, and owner in a standard subcontract, including notice periods, lien rights, and warranty terms.

Compare the claim notice requirements for delay, disruption, and defective work across two common contract forms, and note the deadlines in a quick-reference table.

Draft a notice-of-claim letter for a hypothetical two-week delay caused by another trade, including dates, impacts, and a reservation of rights.

Explain the difference between a claim and a change order, and list the documentation needed to convert a field event into a formal claim.

Develop a site condition assessment form that records substrate moisture, temperature, flatness, and cleanliness before installation begins.

Write a material receiving and storage procedure that includes inspection, documentation of damage, and proper acclimation and protection requirements.

Create a daily site log template that captures weather, crew attendance, visitors, delays, and material usage.

Identify at least four on-site condition risks that can trigger change orders or claims, and pair each with a mitigation action.

Write a change order procedure that defines who can authorize work, how pricing is developed, and how approved changes are incorporated into the budget.

Prepare a change order request for a scope addition, including labor, material, equipment, and markup, and calculate the impact on the project budget.

Update the budget-vs-actual tracker from week 1 with actual costs from a sample change order and calculate the new cost variance.

Explain how to forecast cost at completion using earned value or percent complete, and apply the method to the sample job.

Reconcile a sample job cost report against the general ledger and identify at least three discrepancies with corrective actions.

Draft a claim documentation package that includes time impact analysis, cost buildup, and supporting daily logs for a disruption event.

Role-play a claim negotiation with a peer or study partner, and document the settlement rationale and agreed terms.

Calculate the financial impact of an unresolved claim on cash flow and bonding capacity using a provided scenario.

Assemble a closeout checklist that includes punch list management, final inspection, warranty documentation, as-built drawings, and final billing.

Create a punch list tracking log and simulate closing out 20 items with status updates and responsible parties.

Prepare a final job cost report that compares final actual costs to the original estimate and explains the major variances.

Write a lessons-learned memo that identifies at least five planning or execution improvements for future jobs.

Complete a timed 60-question practice exam covering all domains, and score at least 80 percent.

Review every missed question, categorize the error by domain, and write a corrective study note for each.

Revisit the two weakest domains from the practice exam and summarize the key concepts in a one-page study sheet per domain.

Finalize a personal exam-day strategy that includes time allocation per question, flagging approach, and a review checklist.