DBIA EXAM AND STUDY GUIDE NEWEST 2026 TEST
BANK| DESIGN-BUILD INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
CERTIFICATION EXAM PREP WITH COMPLETE 550
REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS/ ALREADY GRADED A+ (MOST RECENT!!)
What are the Guiding Principles of DBIA Best Practices? - ANSWER - -
Universal ethical conduct
- Demonstrated competence
- Sustainable professional development
- Supporting diversity
What is a project delivery system? - ANSWER - Identifies contractual
relationships between parties in a construction project. Defines when
and how each party will fulfill its responsibilities.
What is a procurement method? - ANSWER - Establishes how the
Owner will select the providers of design and construction services
needed to complete the project.
What are some examples of common procurement methods? - ANSWER
- - Best Value
- Qualifications Based Selection/Progressive Design Build
- Low Bid
- Negotiated
- Sole Source (Directly Selected)
pg. 1
,What is the contract format? - ANSWER - Designates the basis on
which the parties will be paid for performing the work of the project.
What are examples of common contract formats? - ANSWER - - Lump
Sum (Fixed Price)
- Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)
- Cost Plus Fee
- Target Price
- Unit Price
What does the owner need to establish during strategic project delivery
planning? - ANSWER - - Project delivery system
- Procurement method
- Contract format
What are the different types of project requirements? - ANSWER - -
Functional requirements
- Performance-based requirements
- Prescriptive requirements
What are functional requirements? - ANSWER - Owner describes top-
level functions, regulatory compliance requirements and operations the
project must perform or accommodate.
Non-engineering language is typically used here.
pg. 2
,What are prescriptive requirements? - ANSWER - Owner dictates
exactly how an element of the project is to be designed and constructed.
What type of requirements does DB advise using as a best practice?
What should be avoided? - ANSWER - Performance-based
requirements.
They should minimize the use of prescriptive requirements.
What are the DB benefits of using performance-based requirements? -
ANSWER - Empowers DB teams to optimize best value.
What is an owner advisor? - ANSWER - - a third party individual or
consulting firm retained by the owner to assist the owner's team in
fulfilling in a design-build project.
What are some other names for an owner advisor? - ANSWER - - AE1
- Technical representative
- Owner's representative
- Design-build consultant
- Program manager
- CM
What sort of procurement constraints should an owner should make sure
to understand? - ANSWER - Legislative, regulatory, or internal
requirements.
pg. 3
, During what phase should owners provide proposers with a draft of the
design-build contract? Why? - ANSWER - During the RFQ phase.
- informs proposers of contract terms and conditions being
contemplated. Helps them with go/no-go decision.
- Informs proposers of conditions how they will deliver their services
- proposers can propose making contract modifications
What is Course of Performance? - ANSWER - A way in which a court
can attempt to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering
what the parties do during the performance of this contract.
What is Course of Conduct? - ANSWER - A way in which a court can
attempt to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering what
the parties do during the performance of similar contracts.
What is Terms of Art? - ANSWER - A way in which a court can attempt
to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering what the use
of the word in a specific industry.
What are contract approaches? - ANSWER - How the design-builder is
paid
What is a lump sum contract approach? - ANSWER - - single price
regardless of actual cost
- no transparency
- owner has limited audit rights
- undisclosed contingencies
pg. 4
BANK| DESIGN-BUILD INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
CERTIFICATION EXAM PREP WITH COMPLETE 550
REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS/ ALREADY GRADED A+ (MOST RECENT!!)
What are the Guiding Principles of DBIA Best Practices? - ANSWER - -
Universal ethical conduct
- Demonstrated competence
- Sustainable professional development
- Supporting diversity
What is a project delivery system? - ANSWER - Identifies contractual
relationships between parties in a construction project. Defines when
and how each party will fulfill its responsibilities.
What is a procurement method? - ANSWER - Establishes how the
Owner will select the providers of design and construction services
needed to complete the project.
What are some examples of common procurement methods? - ANSWER
- - Best Value
- Qualifications Based Selection/Progressive Design Build
- Low Bid
- Negotiated
- Sole Source (Directly Selected)
pg. 1
,What is the contract format? - ANSWER - Designates the basis on
which the parties will be paid for performing the work of the project.
What are examples of common contract formats? - ANSWER - - Lump
Sum (Fixed Price)
- Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)
- Cost Plus Fee
- Target Price
- Unit Price
What does the owner need to establish during strategic project delivery
planning? - ANSWER - - Project delivery system
- Procurement method
- Contract format
What are the different types of project requirements? - ANSWER - -
Functional requirements
- Performance-based requirements
- Prescriptive requirements
What are functional requirements? - ANSWER - Owner describes top-
level functions, regulatory compliance requirements and operations the
project must perform or accommodate.
Non-engineering language is typically used here.
pg. 2
,What are prescriptive requirements? - ANSWER - Owner dictates
exactly how an element of the project is to be designed and constructed.
What type of requirements does DB advise using as a best practice?
What should be avoided? - ANSWER - Performance-based
requirements.
They should minimize the use of prescriptive requirements.
What are the DB benefits of using performance-based requirements? -
ANSWER - Empowers DB teams to optimize best value.
What is an owner advisor? - ANSWER - - a third party individual or
consulting firm retained by the owner to assist the owner's team in
fulfilling in a design-build project.
What are some other names for an owner advisor? - ANSWER - - AE1
- Technical representative
- Owner's representative
- Design-build consultant
- Program manager
- CM
What sort of procurement constraints should an owner should make sure
to understand? - ANSWER - Legislative, regulatory, or internal
requirements.
pg. 3
, During what phase should owners provide proposers with a draft of the
design-build contract? Why? - ANSWER - During the RFQ phase.
- informs proposers of contract terms and conditions being
contemplated. Helps them with go/no-go decision.
- Informs proposers of conditions how they will deliver their services
- proposers can propose making contract modifications
What is Course of Performance? - ANSWER - A way in which a court
can attempt to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering
what the parties do during the performance of this contract.
What is Course of Conduct? - ANSWER - A way in which a court can
attempt to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering what
the parties do during the performance of similar contracts.
What is Terms of Art? - ANSWER - A way in which a court can attempt
to interpret ambiguous contracts. In this case, considering what the use
of the word in a specific industry.
What are contract approaches? - ANSWER - How the design-builder is
paid
What is a lump sum contract approach? - ANSWER - - single price
regardless of actual cost
- no transparency
- owner has limited audit rights
- undisclosed contingencies
pg. 4
