DBIA EXAM 1 NEWEST 2026 ACTUAL EXAM
COMPLETE
Section 1: Foundations & History
1. The core principle of the design-build delivery method is:
A) Design and construction are performed by separate entities under different
contracts.
B) A single entity is responsible for both design and construction under one
contract.
C) The owner retains all design responsibility.
D) Construction begins only after design completion.
Answer: B
Rationale: The fundamental characteristic that legally defines design-build is the
single-source responsibility. By holding one entity (the Design-Builder)
contractually liable for both the design and construction, the owner eliminates the
traditional adversarial split between designer and builder.
2. The "Master Builder" concept is a historical precedent for design-build. Which
figure is often cited as the quintessential Design-Builder?
A) Vitruvius
B) Alberti
C) Hammurabi
D) Brunelleschi
Answer: D
Rationale: Filippo Brunelleschi (architect-engineer of the Florence Cathedral
dome) is the quintessential Master Builder because he personally directed the
design, invented new construction machinery, and managed the entire build.
,Vitruvius wrote theory, Alberti began the separation of professions, and
Hammurabi wrote laws.
3. Who was responsible for the earliest known body of laws that included codes
for builders?
A) Vitruvius
B) Brunelleschi
C) Hammurabi
D) Alberti
Answer: C
Rationale: The Code of Hammurabi (~1754 BC) is the earliest written legal code. It
contained specific provisions holding builders strictly liable for structural failures
(e.g., if a house collapsed and killed the owner, the builder was executed).
4. Which federal law mandates that the federal government select
architects/engineers based on qualifications, not price?
A) Miller Act
B) Brooks Act
C) Clinger-Cohen Act
D) Davis-Bacon Act
Answer: B
Rationale: The Brooks Act (1972) requires federal agencies to negotiate contracts
for design services based on demonstrated competence and qualifications, with
price negotiated only after a firm is selected. This is a QBS (Qualifications-Based
Selection) law.
5. Which federal law formally authorized the use of design-build for federal
sector construction projects?
A) Miller Act
, B) Brooks Act
C) Clinger-Cohen Act
D) Spearin Doctrine
Answer: C
Rationale: The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 explicitly granted federal agencies the
authority to use the design-build delivery method. Prior to this, federal projects
were heavily restricted to the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) method.
6. Compared to Design-Bid-Build (DBB), design-build primarily reduces:
A) Owner control.
B) Quality.
C) Schedule and cost risk for the owner.
D) Transparency.
Answer: C
Rationale: Because design and construction overlap (fast-tracking) and there is a
single point of responsibility, design-build significantly reduces the owner's
exposure to schedule delays and cost overruns. While the owner may give up
some control, that is a trade-off, not the primary reduction.
7. What is the primary differentiator between Design-Build (DB) and
Construction Manager at Risk (CM@R)?
A) DB uses low-bid selection, while CM@R uses best value.
B) DB integrates design and construction under one contract, while CM@R holds
separate contracts.
C) DB requires a construction manager, while CM@R does not.
D) DB is only for public projects.
Answer: B
Rationale: In DB, the owner holds ONE contract with the Design-Builder. In
CM@R, the owner holds SEPARATE contracts with the designer and the CM,
COMPLETE
Section 1: Foundations & History
1. The core principle of the design-build delivery method is:
A) Design and construction are performed by separate entities under different
contracts.
B) A single entity is responsible for both design and construction under one
contract.
C) The owner retains all design responsibility.
D) Construction begins only after design completion.
Answer: B
Rationale: The fundamental characteristic that legally defines design-build is the
single-source responsibility. By holding one entity (the Design-Builder)
contractually liable for both the design and construction, the owner eliminates the
traditional adversarial split between designer and builder.
2. The "Master Builder" concept is a historical precedent for design-build. Which
figure is often cited as the quintessential Design-Builder?
A) Vitruvius
B) Alberti
C) Hammurabi
D) Brunelleschi
Answer: D
Rationale: Filippo Brunelleschi (architect-engineer of the Florence Cathedral
dome) is the quintessential Master Builder because he personally directed the
design, invented new construction machinery, and managed the entire build.
,Vitruvius wrote theory, Alberti began the separation of professions, and
Hammurabi wrote laws.
3. Who was responsible for the earliest known body of laws that included codes
for builders?
A) Vitruvius
B) Brunelleschi
C) Hammurabi
D) Alberti
Answer: C
Rationale: The Code of Hammurabi (~1754 BC) is the earliest written legal code. It
contained specific provisions holding builders strictly liable for structural failures
(e.g., if a house collapsed and killed the owner, the builder was executed).
4. Which federal law mandates that the federal government select
architects/engineers based on qualifications, not price?
A) Miller Act
B) Brooks Act
C) Clinger-Cohen Act
D) Davis-Bacon Act
Answer: B
Rationale: The Brooks Act (1972) requires federal agencies to negotiate contracts
for design services based on demonstrated competence and qualifications, with
price negotiated only after a firm is selected. This is a QBS (Qualifications-Based
Selection) law.
5. Which federal law formally authorized the use of design-build for federal
sector construction projects?
A) Miller Act
, B) Brooks Act
C) Clinger-Cohen Act
D) Spearin Doctrine
Answer: C
Rationale: The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 explicitly granted federal agencies the
authority to use the design-build delivery method. Prior to this, federal projects
were heavily restricted to the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) method.
6. Compared to Design-Bid-Build (DBB), design-build primarily reduces:
A) Owner control.
B) Quality.
C) Schedule and cost risk for the owner.
D) Transparency.
Answer: C
Rationale: Because design and construction overlap (fast-tracking) and there is a
single point of responsibility, design-build significantly reduces the owner's
exposure to schedule delays and cost overruns. While the owner may give up
some control, that is a trade-off, not the primary reduction.
7. What is the primary differentiator between Design-Build (DB) and
Construction Manager at Risk (CM@R)?
A) DB uses low-bid selection, while CM@R uses best value.
B) DB integrates design and construction under one contract, while CM@R holds
separate contracts.
C) DB requires a construction manager, while CM@R does not.
D) DB is only for public projects.
Answer: B
Rationale: In DB, the owner holds ONE contract with the Design-Builder. In
CM@R, the owner holds SEPARATE contracts with the designer and the CM,
