089. ARE Technical: Top 5 Tips for Construction & Evaluation (CE)

This episode of the ARE podcast gives five key tips for passing the ARE Construction & Evaluation (CE) exam. The focus is on thinking like an architect under the AIA contracts, emphasizing standard of care, observation vs. construction, administrative procedures, question-reading strategy, and performance-focused closeout/post-occupancy work. Throughout, they stress judgment, restraint, documentation, and staying within professional/contractual boundaries.

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Show Notes

Main Tips (1–5)

1. Answer from the Architect’s Contractual Role (Standard of Care)

• Always answer exam questions from the standpoint of the architect’s contractual role, not your personal or local practice.
• Think in terms of standard of care:
  

  What would any reasonably prudent architect do in this situation, based on the information given?

• Deep or specialized experience can hurt you on the exam if you override the “standard” approach with niche real-world habits.
• CE is a national, standardized test, not region-specific.
• Focus on:
  • Roles, responsibilities, and authority during construction.
  • Who has/produces/reviews which documents.
  • Who can stop the work, what “observe” means vs. “inspect,” etc.

2. Construction Observation (Architect as Observer, Not Builder)

• In CE/Contract Administration, the contractor’s job:
  Build in conformance with the contract documents.
• The architect’s job:
  Observe whether work conforms to the contract documents and report findings to the owner.
• Key boundaries:
  • Do not dictate means and methods—that’s the contractor’s domain.
  • Shop drawings:
    • Produced by the contractor, not by the architect.
    • Architect reviews them only for design/esthetic intent, not for how to build.
    • They are not part of the contract documents.
• Nonconforming work:
  • The owner has the right to accept nonconforming work (A201).
  • Architect must inform the owner of implications so they can make an informed decision.
• Field reports and site visits:
  • Document date, time, weather, observed conditions.
  • Not a guarantee or full inspection of all work.
  • Architect only visits as frequently as the contract requires, often at agreed milestones (e.g., foundation completion, framing completion).

3. Administrative Procedures (The “AIA Way”)

• CE is less about technical minutiae (e.g., OSB vs. plywood) and more about admin processes and AIA contracts.
• Critical procedures and documents:
  • Submittals & shop drawings
  • RFIs
  • Applications for payment
  • Lien release forms
  • Change Orders (COs)
  • Construction Change Directives (CCDs)
  • Project Manual
  • Substantial Completion & Project Closeout
• Core contracts:
  • A201 – General Conditions (owner/architect/contractor relationships and responsibilities).
  • B101 – Owner–Architect Agreement
  • A101 – Owner–Contractor Agreement
• Why the architect reviews applications for payment:
  • Owner is not expected to understand construction.
  • Since architect observes the work, they can verify claims like “50% framing complete.”
  • Also logical for architect to review lien waivers in relation to paid work.
• “There’s the right way, the wrong way, and the AIA way”:
  • For the exam, the AIA way is what matters, and it usually aligns with industry practice.
  • Deviating from it in practice can increase liability.

4. Reading Questions for Timing & Keywords (First / Best / Most Appropriate)

• Many wrong answers come from misreading or reacting too quickly, not from ignorance.
• Pay close attention to timing/context words:
  • “First” thing you should do
  • “Best” action
  • “Most appropriate” response
• Always ask:
  • What phase are we in? (Construction admin? Multi-phase project? Pre-bid?)
  • What logically happens next in the process?
• Exam traps:
  • Fake urgency: e.g., owner is on vacation and unreachable, contractor “needs” a decision.
    • Your roles and responsibilities do not change. If the owner hasn’t appointed a representative, you wait.
  • Multiple answers may be true statements, but:
    • You must pick the one that actually addresses the question asked and fits the given context and timing.
• In their coaching sessions, candidates rarely reach consensus on answers at first, showing how easily people:
  • Justify multiple answers as “true,” but
  • Miss what the question really asked.

5. Post-Occupancy Evaluation & Closeout – Focus on Performance, Not Blame

• Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), substantial completion walk-throughs, punch lists, and final closeout are about performance:
  • Does the building perform as intended?
  • Are systems functioning properly?
  • Are design goals (e.g., better test scores via daylight and ventilation) being met?
• It is not about blame or combative architect vs. contractor dynamics.
• POE is not part of the basic services in B101:
  • Basic services end when the architect signs the final application and certificate for payment (changed from “60 days after substantial completion” in 2007).
• Contracts (B101 and A101) are the framework:
  • They define what each party has promised to do.
  • Failure to perform can become a contractual/legal issue.

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Key Mindset & Professional Boundaries

• Think like a licensed architect:
  • Ground your decisions in contracts, standard of care, and professional boundaries.
• Respond, don’t react:
  • Stay calm about changes, delays, or change orders—these are normal, not crises.
• Scope and additional services:
  • Contract defines your scope.
  • When clients request items outside scope, treat them as additional services:
    • Explain calmly.
    • Provide cost implications and seek approval.
• Observe how experienced project managers and principals handle construction meetings:
  • They don’t blow up or panic; they manage, delegate, and document.
• Practical advice:
  • If you’re studying for CE, ask to join job-site meetings at your office to see real construction administration in action.

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Ultra-Concise Exam Takeaways

• Answer as an architect under AIA contracts, not as a contractor or local expert.
• You observe and report; you do not build or dictate means and methods.
• Know A201, B101, A101 and how submittals, pay apps, RFIs, COs, CCDs, and closeout flow between parties.
• Read the whole question carefully, paying attention to phase, timing, and words like first/best/most appropriate.
• View CE as testing your judgment, restraint, documentation, and professional boundaries, with a focus on performance rather than blame.

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