Are you preparing to take the CDT? Then you are going to want to read the replies to this CSI Community Connect Questions: “The testing window for the CDT just opened. What advice do you have for people taking the exam?”
Get the candidate handbook first and read it. It’s free and available on the CSI Store.
Also, find a copy of the PDPG second edition. Once you have it, don’t just study from the PDPG.
You will need to read some source documents like AIA A201 or EJCDC C-700. Once you have read them, read them again.
For extra credit, read up on some other standard agreements, like the B101 (Architect/Owner) and A101 (Contractor/Owner). These are all linked through the A201 general conditions. This will illustrate some of the reasons that Architects and Contractors do the things they do.
William Pena and Steven Parshall’s book "Problem Solving" is a great resource. Highly recommended.
Get the CDT Study Guide workbook from CSI. It’s available in the CSI online store and it's a great resource when paired with other source materials. My last group of students found this workbook very valuable.
You should find a local CDT study group if one is available. Many Chapters run study groups, and there are options for virtual classes as well. If you need help finding these resources, contact me by PM and I can point you in the right direction.
Most of all, be ready to learn how the work is supposed to be done. Getting this Certification will make you valuable, whether your bosses know it now or not. The CDT changed my career arc so dramatically, I can’t imagine where I’d be without having done it. Now, several years on, I’m sought out for technical and contract advice on projects, and I’m a leader in my firm (and also the youngest Associate).
Best of luck to all the candidates. I’ll support you however I can.
Cam Featherstonhaugh CSI, CDT, AIA
If I may add to the question, roughly how many weeks should one reserve to study for this exam? I know everyone is different, but I am trying to get a realistic plan put together. Thank you in advance.
Kathleen Laird CSI
That's a difficult question to answer, for exactly the reason you mention . . . Everyone is different.
What I can say is that the amount and complexity of material is roughly equivalent to one ARE exam. It overlaps much of the same material as the old (ARE 4.0) Construction Documents and Services exam.
I would reserve anywhere from 2 - 8 weeks, depending on your familiarity with this material, your experience in Construction Administration, and your comfort level with professional test taking. If you are unfamiliar, without experience, or uncomfortable with testing, consider more time for study.
I hope that helps you plan accordingly.
Cam Featherstonhaugh CSI, CDT, AIA
Keep in mind that this test is not an easy one. Do not rely solely on your experience at a firm or on a jobsite. If you do, you will fail. Get the current practice guide and learn about "The Tower". If you don't know what that is, you will. It's a diagram in most of CSI's practice guides that shows how construction documents and specs relate to each other. Sign up for the many study sessions that chapters offer. The Indianapolis Chapter alone has study classes on the Saturdays leading up to the exam windows. They also have webinars available as well. Also, learn the current AIA A201 and EJCDC C-700.
Edmund L. Brown, CSI, CCCA, Assoc. AIA
Ed brings up a great point.
Unfortunately, many Architects (and others) don't always operate “by the book.”
To get a CDT, you have to know how to operate “by the book.”
To pass the exam, you need to demonstrate that you understand how things are *supposed* to be done, not just how you have always done them.
Cam Featherstonhaugh CSI, CDT, AIA
Yes… Cam is correct. I was on the Cert. committee for a few years, and the most complaints we got were from “experienced professionals” who were too busy telling us what they did, and not what the manual said (and this experience is not limited to exams for CSI, either). One guy took the test five times and never passed, because he couldn't get out of his own way.
Anne Whitacre FCSI, CCS, CDT, LEED AP
I'm taken back to my first session as instructor for CDT prep in Dallas 1985. One of the participants raised his hand and said, “That's not the way we do it in my office.”
My reply: “The test is on the book, not the way your office does it.” I believe he passed the exam.
Ed Storer CSI, CDT