Program & Project Management
20%of exam
Cost Management
10%of exam
Estimating & BudgetingEarned Value MgmtGMPContingency
Time Management
10%of exam
Contract Administration
10%of exam
Quality Management
10%of exam
Safety Management
10%of exam
Risk Management
10%of exam
Professional Practice
10%of exam
Sustainability
5%of exam
Technology
5%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CCM
- Credential
- Certified Construction Manager
- Questions
- 175 total (150 scored)
- Time
- 240 min (4 hrs)
- Pass Score
- 72%
- Format
- CBT via PSI
- Level
- Advanced (RIC experience req.)
- Blueprint
- CMCI Handbook v4.1 (2021)
Delivery Method Risk Spectrum
DBB -> CMAR -> Design-Build -> IPD
DBB: most separationCMAR: CM joins earlyDB: single responsibilityIPD: shared risk and reward
CMAR vs Design-Build
CMAR
- CM at risk
- Separate designer contract
- GMP set after design
Design-Build
- Single combined contract
- Design and build merged
- One point of responsibility
Two contracts versus one
Delivery Method Picker
- Owner wants fixed price→DBB(Design finished first)
- Need speed and GMP control→CMAR(CM joins during design)
- Single point of responsibility→DB(One contract, one entity)
- Max collaboration and shared risk→IPD(Multi-party shared agreement)
- Owner self-manages trade contracts→Multi-Prime(Separate direct contracts)
Delivery Methods
- DBB
- Sequential design-bid-build
- DB
- Single design-build contract
- CMAR
- CM-at-risk with GMP
- CM Agency
- CM acts as agent
- IPD
- Shared risk and reward
- Multi-Prime
- Owner holds separate contracts
- DBOM
- Design-build-operate-maintain
Project Phases
- Pre-Design
- Feasibility and programming
- Schematic Design
- Early concept design
- Design Development
- Refine design details
- Construction Documents
- Bid-ready drawings and specs
- Procurement
- Bid and award
- Construction Phase
- Build and control
- Closeout
- Punch list and turnover
- Post-Occupancy
- Warranty and evaluation
Program and Stakeholder Mgmt
- Program Mgmt
- Multi-project oversight
- PMP
- Project management plan
- WBS
- Work breakdown structure
- Stakeholder Mgmt
- Engage all parties
- Owner's Rep
- Acts for owner
EVM Core Formulas
CV=EV-AC | SV=EV-PV | CPI=EV/AC | SPI=EV/PV
CV: cost varianceSV: schedule varianceCPI: cost efficiencySPI: schedule efficiency
CPI vs SPI
CPI
- Measures cost efficiency
- EV divided by AC
SPI
- Measures schedule efficiency
- EV divided by PV
Cost versus schedule
Cost Variance Response
- CPI below 1.0→Investigate cost overrun(Spending more than earned)
- SPI below 1.0→Investigate schedule slip(Behind planned progress)
- CPI and SPI both low→Escalate to owner(Recovery plan needed)
- EAC exceeds approved budget→Request change order(Reforecast completion cost)
Estimating and Budgeting
- ROM Estimate
- Rough order of magnitude
- Conceptual Estimate
- Early, low detail
- Detailed Estimate
- Quantity takeoff based
- GMP
- Guaranteed maximum price
- Contingency
- Reserve for unknowns
- Life-Cycle Cost
- Total ownership cost
Earned Value Management
- PV
- Planned value (BCWS)
- EV
- Earned value (BCWP)
- AC
- Actual cost (ACWP)
- CPI
- Cost performance index
- SPI
- Schedule performance index
- CV
- EV minus AC
- SV
- EV minus PV
- EAC
- Forecast final cost
Schedule Levels
Master -> Baseline -> Look-ahead -> Daily
Master: whole projectBaseline: approved planLook-ahead: two to six weeksDaily: field execution
Critical Path vs Float
Critical Path
- Zero float
- Longest duration path
- Delay delays whole project
Float
- Slack time available
- Can delay safely
- Non-critical activities only
No slack versus slack
Schedule Delay Response
- Owner-caused delay occurs→Time extension granted(Excusable and compensable)
- Contractor-caused delay occurs→No time extension(Non-excusable delay)
- Weather beyond normal range→Excusable, non-compensable delay(Time only, no cost)
- Need faster completion date→Crash or fast-track(Adds cost or risk)
CPM Scheduling
- CPM
- Critical path method
- Critical Path
- Longest, zero-float path
- Float
- Slack before delay
- Free Float
- Delay without successor impact
- Total Float
- Delay without finish impact
- Predecessor
- Must-precede activity
- Milestone
- Zero-duration marker
- Fast-Tracking
- Overlap sequential phases
- Crashing
- Add resources, shorten
Schedule Formats
- Gantt Chart
- Bar chart timeline
- PDM
- Precedence diagram method
- Look-Ahead Schedule
- Short-term 2-6 weeks
- Baseline Schedule
- Approved original plan
- Schedule Update
- Progress versus baseline
- Delay Analysis
- TIA or as-built
RFI vs Submittal
RFI
- Clarifies design intent
- A question, not approval
Submittal
- Shop drawings or product data
- Confirms spec compliance
Ask versus confirm
Contract Types
- Lump Sum
- Fixed total price
- Unit Price
- Price per unit
- Cost-Plus-Fee
- Cost plus fixed fee
- GMP Contract
- Cost-plus with a cap
- T&M
- Time and materials
Contract Administration
- RFI
- Request for information
- Submittal
- Shop drawing review
- Change Order
- Approved scope or cost change
- PCO
- Potential change order
- ASI
- Architect's supplemental instruction
- Notice to Proceed
- Start authorization
- Punch List
- Final defect list
- Retainage
- Withheld payment percent
QA vs QC
QA
- Process-focused
- Prevents defects
- Ongoing procedures
QC
- Product-focused
- Detects defects
- Inspection and testing
Prevent versus detect
QA and QC
- QA
- Process-focused prevention
- QC
- Product-focused inspection
- Mock-Up
- Sample for approval
- Commissioning
- Verify systems perform
- Non-Conformance
- Work fails specification
- ITP
- Inspection and test plan
Safety Program
- OSHA
- Federal safety regulator
- JHA
- Job hazard analysis
- Competent Person
- OSHA-authorized hazard identifier
- Toolbox Talk
- Daily safety briefing
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment
- OSHA 300 Log
- Injury and illness log
- Fall Protection
- Required above six feet
Risk Response Options
Avoid, Transfer, Mitigate, or Accept
Avoid: eliminate exposureTransfer: insurance or contractMitigate: reduce impactAccept: retain and monitor
Bid Bond vs Performance Bond
Bid Bond
- Guarantees bid is honored
- Protects before contract award
Performance Bond
- Guarantees full completion
- Protects after contract award
Before award versus after
Risk Response Selection
- Risk is high and avoidable→Avoidance(Eliminate the exposure)
- Risk transferable to third party→Transfer(Insurance or subcontract)
- Risk manageable in-house→Mitigation(Reduce likelihood and impact)
- Risk is low impact→Acceptance(Retain and monitor)
Risk Management Process
- Risk ID
- Find potential risks
- Risk Register
- Log of tracked risks
- Mitigation
- Reduce likelihood and impact
- Transfer
- Insurance or contract
- Avoidance
- Eliminate the exposure
- Acceptance
- Retain known risk
- Contingency Reserve
- Cost and time buffer
Insurance and Bonds
- Builder's Risk
- Property damage coverage
- GL Insurance
- General liability coverage
- Bid Bond
- Guarantees bid commitment
- Performance Bond
- Guarantees contract completion
- Payment Bond
- Guarantees sub and supplier pay
- Indemnification
- Shifts liability by contract
Ethics and Roles
- CCM Ethics
- Conditions and Conduct agreement
- RIC
- Responsible-in-charge experience
- Fiduciary Duty
- Act in owner's interest
- Standard of Care
- Reasonable professional skill level
- CMAA SOP
- Standards of Practice
Sustainability Practices
- LEED
- USGBC green building rating
- Life-Cycle Assessment
- Environmental impact review
- Commissioning Agent
- Verifies green performance
- Waste Mgmt Plan
- Reduce and recycle debris
- Energy Modeling
- Predicts building performance
CM Technology Tools
- BIM
- 3D model coordination
- Clash Detection
- Model conflict check
- CDE
- Common data environment
- PM Software
- Procore, e-Builder, etc.
- Drone Survey
- Aerial progress monitoring
- Digital Twin
- Virtual asset replica
Common Traps
QA ≠ QC
QA prevents defects proactively ≠ QC detects defects reactively
Float ≠ Critical Path
Float allows scheduling slack ≠ Critical path has zero slack
CMAR ≠ Design-Build
CMAR keeps designer separate ≠ Design-Build merges into one contract
RFI ≠ Submittal
RFI asks a question ≠ Submittal confirms spec compliance
Mitigation ≠ Avoidance
Mitigation reduces risk impact ≠ Avoidance eliminates risk entirely
CPI ≠ SPI
CPI measures cost performance ≠ SPI measures schedule performance
Bid Bond ≠ Performance Bond
Bid bond covers pre-award ≠ Performance bond covers post-award
Last Minute
- 1.Ten domains, PPM heaviest at 20%
- 2.175 questions total, 150 scored
- 3.240 minutes, 72% passing score
- 4.CBT delivered via PSI, not Prometric
- 5.CPI or SPI below 1.0 warns
- 6.Critical path activities have zero float
- 7.QA prevents; QC detects defects
- 8.CMAR joins early; Design-Build merges roles
- 9.RFI asks; submittal confirms compliance
- 10.Avoid, transfer, mitigate, or accept risk
- 11.Retainage withholds a payment percentage
- 12.CCM recertifies every three years
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