CPC Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CPC facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. In construction quality management, what does 'acceptance sampling' involve? → Testing a statistical subset of materials to infer overall batch quality
2. What is the role of labor costs in construction estimating? → To account for wages, productivity, and hours worked
3. Which concrete curing method involves covering freshly placed concrete with wet burlap or curing blankets? → Wet curing
4. A contractor uses a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram during a quality investigation. What is the primary purpose of this tool? → Identifying root causes of a defect
5. What quality management concept describes the total cost of preventing, detecting, and correcting defective work? → Cost of Quality (COQ)
6. Why is personal protective equipment (PPE) important in construction? → To reduce construction costs
7. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502, what is the minimum height at which fall protection is required for construction workers on walking/working surfaces? → 6 feet
8. What is the role of a project manager in cost control? → To ensure costs are tracked, managed, and adjusted
9. In steel construction, what does the term 'camber' refer to? → Intentional upward curvature built into a beam
10. During concrete placement, a slump test result exceeds the specification maximum. According to quality management best practices, the CORRECT action is to: → Reject the load and document a nonconformance report
11. Which of the following best describes the 'quantity takeoff' process in construction estimating? → Measuring and listing all materials and work items from project drawings
12. What is the purpose of a 'shoring' system in below-grade construction? → Temporarily support loads above while permanent structure is built below
13. A 'load moment indicator' (LMI) on a mobile crane is designed to: → Warn the operator when the load approaches or exceeds the crane's rated capacity
14. How is 'overhead' typically allocated to individual construction projects in job costing? → Distributed as a percentage of direct labor costs, revenue, or total direct costs
15. A 'no damage for delay' clause in a construction contract generally: → Limits contractor recovery to time extensions only, not monetary damages, for delays
16. What is quality control in construction? → To ensure work meets quality standards
17. Which estimating method involves calculating the total cost per square foot of a building based on its floor area? → Square-foot estimating
18. In earned value management, if the Estimate at Completion (EAC) is greater than the Budget at Completion (BAC), what does this indicate? → The project is projected to exceed its original budget
19. How does a project manager ensure the project is completed on time? → By focusing on quality
20. What statistical quality control tool plots the percentage of defective items over time to reveal trends and special causes of variation? → p-chart
21. The process of comparing bid prices received against the engineer's estimate is primarily done to: → Verify bid completeness and identify potential errors or scope gaps
22. Which method of project delivery places design and construction responsibility under a single contract with one entity? → Design-Build (DB)
23. Which confined space classification under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 requires a permit, attendant, and entrant training before entry? → Permit-required confined space
24. What is the primary purpose of 'knee bracing' in a falsework (shoring) tower? → Provide diagonal lateral stability to resist horizontal forces and racking
25. What is the standard slump range for normal structural concrete used in columns and walls? → 2–4 inches
26. What is the purpose of a 'turbidity curtain' installed in a waterway adjacent to a construction project? → Contain suspended sediment within a defined area to protect water quality
27. Under OSHA's Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standard (29 CFR 1910.147), what must occur before an authorized employee performs maintenance on energized equipment? → All hazardous energy sources must be isolated and verified at zero energy state
28. When preparing a bid, a contractor includes an amount for 'escalation.' What does this cover? → Anticipated increases in material and labor costs over the project duration
29. Which cost estimating technique uses historical data from similar completed projects to predict the cost of a new project? → Analogous estimating
30. A project manager notices that the project's Cost Performance Index (CPI) is 0.85. What does this indicate? → The project is delivering $0.85 of value for every $1.00 spent