CDT Exam Dumps - Construction Documents Technologist

CSI describes that during the construction phase, the contractor is responsible for maintaining a continuously updated set of record documents (often called record drawings or as-built drawings). These are a marked-up set of the contract drawings (and sometimes specifications) showing actual field conditions, including:

Changes in dimensions or locations of foundations and structural elements (e.g., pier depths).

Exact locations of underground and concealed utilities.

Adjustments made during construction that are not fully captured in formal design revisions.

Any other deviations between the original design intent and the actual constructed work that will affect future maintenance, alterations, or operations.

CSI’s guidance is that these markups are maintained continuously on site by the contractor and then turned over at closeout as part of the project record.

This is exactly what Option B – Record set refers to: a set of documents updated to reflect the actual constructed conditions.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Conformed setA conformed set is the contract documents updated by the design professional to incorporate all addenda and certain pre-award changes, forming a clean set for construction. It is not the running field record of what was actually built; it’s a “clean” version of what was contracted, not what was constructed.

C. Change order logThe change order log tracks formal contract modifications (change orders) – values, dates, brief descriptions. It does not typically contain detailed field information such as exact pier depths and utility locations. Those details belong on the record drawings/record set.

D. Request for information documentsRFIs (requests for information) are used for clarifications and questions during construction. While they may trigger changes or clarifications, RFIs are not the place where the contractor maintains the running graphic record of actual field conditions. The results of RFIs that change the work must still be reflected on the record set.

Key CSI Reference Titles (no links):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – Construction Phase, “Record Documents / As-Built Drawings.”

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – Division 01 sections on “Project Record Documents” and “Closeout Submittals.”

CDT Body of Knowledge – Construction Phase responsibilities of the contractor and record documentation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-based)

CSI distinguishes among several written formats, each with a specific purpose:

UniFormat – organizes information by systems and assemblies (elements) and is commonly used for:

Cost classification and early cost estimating,

Data organization in the programming, schematic design, and design development stages.

MasterFormat – organizes information by work results (trades/products) and is used for:

Project specifications,

Detailed cost information tied to specification sections,

Organizing procurement and construction information.

CSI’s practice guides clearly connect cost classification and data organization in early design with UniFormat, and detailed specifications and later-stage cost information with MasterFormat. Therefore, the correct pair is:

UniFormat and MasterFormat (Option B)

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. OmniClass and UniFormat – OmniClass is a broader classification system for the built environment, not the primary written format CSI assigns to “specifications.” UniFormat is used for cost and systems, but OmniClass is not the standard format for specs.

C. OmniClass and MasterFormat – Again, OmniClass is overarching; it does not replace UniFormat as the main element-based cost classification tool.

D. SectionFormat and MasterFormat – SectionFormat is the internal three-part structure of a specification section (Parts 1, 2, and 3) and is not the format used for cost classification and data organization; that role is assigned to UniFormat.

Relevant CSI references (paraphrased):

CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – descriptions of UniFormat use for system-based project descriptions and cost planning, and MasterFormat use for work result organization.

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – chapters on MasterFormat, UniFormat, and their roles in specifications and estimating.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract (CSI-based)

CSI defines a specification section as the document that:

Describes requirements for a specific portion of the Work (work results), and

Indicates how that portion relates and coordinates with other portions of the project.

In CSI’s Construction Specifications Practice Guide and SectionFormat guidance, a well-written specification section must:

Establish scope for that part of the work,

Define performance, products, and execution requirements, and

Address coordination and interface with other sections and with the work as a whole (for example, related sections, substrate preparation, connection to adjacent work, integration of components).

Thus, the specification section must indicate:

“The interrelationships that exist between the work of this section and the entire project” (Option C).

This is often handled in the “Related Sections,” “Summary,” or “Coordination” articles in Part 1 of the section, consistent with CSI’s SectionFormat.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. The building trade that will perform the installationCSI is clear that specifications should not assign work to specific trades or contractors. Contracting strategy and trade assignments are the contractor’s responsibility. Specs define requirements, not which trade performs them.

B. The likely anticipated cost of the specified productSpecifications do not state prices or cost; they describe quality and performance requirements. Cost estimating is a separate function (often using UniFormat/MasterFormat structures) and is not written into the specification text.

D. How the owner will be compensated if the specified item is unavailableCompensation, changes in cost, and substitutions are handled through contract conditions and change procedures (General Conditions, Supplementary Conditions, Division 01), not within individual specification sections as a general rule.

Relevant CSI references (paraphrased):

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – description of the purpose of a specification section and SectionFormat (Parts 1–3) and the need to define relationships to other work.

CSI CDT Study Materials – guidance on what specifications should and should not include (no trade assignments, no costs, focus on requirements and coordination).

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (CSI-aligned, paraphrased)

CSI has several coordinated formats, each with a specific purpose:

UniFormat® – organizes information by building systems and assemblies (e.g., substructure, superstructure, interiors), used for early design and cost models.

PPDFormat® (Preliminary Project Description Format) – organizes preliminary descriptions of the project using a system-based structure for early-phase documentation.

SectionFormat® – organizes the content of each specification section into three parts: Part 1 – General, Part 2 – Products, Part 3 – Execution.

PageFormat® – defines the layout and composition of information on the printed page of specifications, including margins, headers/footers, article arrangement, and typography conventions so that the document is easy to read and navigate quickly.

The question specifically asks for:

“the compositional format for standardizing the presentation of specification information on a printed page… easy to read and quick to navigate.”

That is exactly what PageFormat® is for, so the correct answer is:

C. PageFormat®

Why the others are incorrect in this context:

A. UniFormat® – classification system for systems / assemblies; it does not prescribe how the text is positioned on a printed page.

B. PPDFormat® – used for structuring preliminary project descriptions, not for page layout.

D. SectionFormat® – structures the logical content within a spec section (Part 1–3), but does not itself define margins, columns, headers, or the graphic layout of the printed page—that’s PageFormat’s role.

Key CSI-Related References (titles only):

CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – chapters on SectionFormat® and PageFormat®.

CSI MasterFormat / UniFormat / PPDFormat publications – introductions describing each standard’s purpose.

CSI CDT Study Materials – overview of CSI formats and how they interact.

CSI’s various classification and formatting standards serve different purposes, and CDT content draws clear distinctions between them:

The United States National CAD Standard (NCS) and the AIA CAD Layer Guidelines (now part of NCS) define graphic conventions, sheet organization, layering, and symbols for CAD drawings.

The CSI Uniform Drawing System (UDS) (now integrated into the NCS) provides consistent formats and conventions for construction drawings, including sheet organization, drawing set organization, schedules, notation, and symbols.

All three—NCS, AIA CAD Layer Guidelines, and CSI UDS—are associated with graphical and organizational standards for construction drawings.

By contrast:

MasterFormat® is CSI’s specification and work-results classification system, which organizes information primarily into Divisions and Sections for specifications and other written documents, not drawings. CDT materials repeatedly emphasize that MasterFormat is used to organize project manual content and other written construction information, not the graphical content of the drawings.

Therefore, the one item not used as a graphical format for organizing drawings is:

D. MasterFormat®

Why the other options are correct as “graphical” or drawing-related formats:

A. United States National CAD Standard – Provides a nationally coordinated standard for CAD drawing presentation, including layering, symbols, and sheet organization.

B. AIA CAD Layer Guidelines – Define standard layer naming and structure for CAD drawings; these are explicitly about how graphical information is organized in electronic drawings.

C. CSI Uniform Drawing System – Developed to standardize the organization and graphical conventions of drawings, later integrated into NCS.

Thus, from a CSI standpoint, MasterFormat® is the outlier here: it organizes written construction information, not graphical drawing formats, making Option D the correct choice.