Advice on taking the CCS this Fall

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Author Message Priscilla Lee Senior Member Username: pjlee Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2019 Posted on Friday, August 14, 2020 - 11:58 am:    Hi everyone, I am planning to take the CCS exam in November. Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance! I went through the entire CCS Study Workbook 2014 (not the reading list yet since I just got the PDPG 1st edition, but I filled in all the blanks in the fill-in-the-blank exercises). I managed to buy a used copy of PDPG 1st edition because the reading lists did not list titles... I managed to convince Wiley to give me a pdf of the PDPG 1st edition, so I am able to do searches. (It took 2 hours to convince them, but they did give it to me even though it is not on their reading platform.) So, I have: * CSEP slide deck * PDPG 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions * CSPG... * CDT Study Workbook 2019 and 2020 * All the other CDT source material * PRM I've made flashcards for MasterFormat divisions and specs (a lot of Div. 01 ones), and I am planning to make some on SectionFormat. I was going to go through some articles in the American Bar Association on Construction to get some real life scenarios (in my head)... Sorry... I think I may have drank too much coffee this morning. :-) Have a great weekend! Pris ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1293 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Friday, August 14, 2020 - 12:12 pm:    Biggest items that I don't see on your list but I presume you're aware of are AIA A101 and A201, MasterFormat, SectionFormat/PageFormat, UniFormat. All of these are presumably big ticket items on the exam (at least they used to be). This come from https://www.csiresources.org/certification/ccs/ccs-source-materials Best of luck. Priscilla Lee Senior Member Username: pjlee Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2019 Posted on Friday, August 14, 2020 - 12:17 pm:    Yes. Thank you! G. Wade Bevier, FCSI, CCS, LEED-AP BD+C, SCIPa, USGBC Senior Member Username: wbevier Post Number: 65 Registered: 07-2004 Posted on Friday, August 14, 2020 - 03:02 pm:    I'm assuming that you are including the AIA and EJCDC standard documents in the "other CDT resource materials" Note though that in addition to the A201 and C-700 documents that the CCS also includes the A101 & C-520 Standard Agreement between the Owner and Contractor. I would also add another; the AIA B101 Agreement between the Owner and Architect. These additional standards show the actual contractual relationships between these "primary" entities and are (IMHO) critical to the development and coordination of the Contract Document that are to be developed. Priscilla Lee Senior Member Username: pjlee Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2019 Posted on Friday, August 14, 2020 - 09:49 pm:    Thank you! I appreciate the pointers! James Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 301 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Saturday, August 15, 2020 - 10:28 am:    Priscilla, just as important as what you study is how you study. Apparently you have passed the CDT exam so you are familiar with the test format and how questions are phrased. In my experience the CCS was very similar just more in-depth. This is for anyone preparing to take the CSI certification exams or any others that are similar in the amount of information that the exams cover: Slow and steady wins the race. I started studying about three months before I took the CCS and CCCA exams. I would find a quiet place (of course and probably a bigger challenge during the pandemic) and started with a couple of hours a night for two or three nights a week. As I became familiar with the material, I stepped up to more hours each day I reviewed the material and more days per week as my schedule permitted. As with the CDT the test is not about memorizing large amounts of information. It is about applying what you have learned to answer the question before you. Good luck. I know you will do well. Priscilla Lee Senior Member Username: pjlee Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2019 Posted on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 12:37 pm:    Thank you, James! Great advice.