manual

Construction Project Management (reference text)

The project management reference: CPM scheduling, estimating practice, cost control, jobsite supervision, procurement, and documentation.

36 questions in our bank cite this reference.

The one thing to know

Scheduling math (float, forward/backward pass) must be done, not found — practice it until the lookup is just a formula check.

Your tab set

Florida exams allow pre-tabbed, highlighted references. Build these tabs before exam day, in book order.

1
CPM scheduling

Network logic, forward/backward pass, float, crashing — tab the worked example

2
Estimating & bidding

Estimate types and accuracy, markup application, bid strategy

3
Cost control / earned value

CPI, SPI, cost codes, cost reporting

4
Procurement & subcontracts

Buyout, purchase orders, expediting, submittal schedules

5
Site supervision & documentation

Daily reports, RFI and submittal logs, meetings, coordination

Highlight the question, underline the answer

Don't just tab your books — mark them as you practice. Every time a question sends you into a reference, leave a two-part mark behind: highlight the passage the question is about, and underline the exact words that answer it. Do this through your whole question bank and the book turns into a map of the tested material — so on exam day you recognize the spot, not just the section.

  1. 1

    Highlight what the question asks about

    When you look up a practice question, highlight the sentence or table the question turns on. That block is now a visual landmark you'll spot on a fast flip.

  2. 2

    Underline the exact answer

    Inside the highlight, underline the specific number, deadline, or phrase that is the answer — with a fine-tip pen. Highlight = the topic; underline = the fact.

  3. 3

    Color-code by what trips you up

    Use one highlighter color for deadlines and numbers, another for definitions, a third for the answers you got wrong twice. Your weak spots become the brightest marks in the book.

  4. 4

    Let your tabs and marks compound

    A tab gets you to the chapter; the highlight gets you to the paragraph; the underline gets you to the answer. Built up across a full question bank, that three-layer trail is the open-book skill the exam actually tests.

All marking must be done before you walk in — the rules allow pre-marked books but bar making any new marks (or bringing notes) during the exam.

Navigating under time pressure

  • CPM chapters: network logic → forward/backward pass → float → crashing, in that order. Tab the worked example and rebuild stalled problems from it.
  • Earned value (CPI/SPI) usually sits with the cost-control chapter.