1
DBIA EXAM WITH REVIEW QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS/ DBIA EXAM – DESIGN BUILD QS & AS
2026-27 LATEST VERSION
prior to bidding, owner undertakes a process to design the project
and all of its details to 100% complete plans and specs. the owner is
therefore responsible for success or failure of details of the design,
and warrants the sufficiency of design to the contractor. the owner is
therefore liable to the contractor for any gaps between plans and
specifications and owner's requirements for project performance -
ANSWER-design bid build paradigm
the owner should define its performance requirements and award
the contract on the basis of preliminary design; this makes the
design-builder responsible for completing the design in accordance
with the owner's performance
requirements. that also causes the design-builder to warrant the
sufficiency of the design to meet the owner's criteria and the
sufficiency of the design to subcontractors/suppliers that have no
design responsibility - ANSWER-design details responsibility
subdivides project by functional elements, focuses on systems and
assemblies, useful for preliminary information and early design
phases, aligns with BIM models and conceptual estimating -
ANSWER-uniformat
subdivides work by results/trades, focuses on building materials,
products, and activities, useful for detailed information during final
design and construction phases, and aligns with detailed estimating -
ANSWER-masterformat
,2
a specific business need or behavior as seen by an external user of the
system; describe what functions/operations the end product must
perform/accommodate; examples: regulatory, permitting, economic,
and
others that define functions and operational capability. "Build an
office building on my existing lot to provide office space for 1,000
workers" - ANSWER-
functional requirement
describes what product(s) components must do/achieve with a
measurement metric; challenges: developing objective and definable
standards to validate performance, tendency to drift to prescriptive
specs; examples: uniformat C10, interior construction. "Provide
durable, paintable interior walls between the
offices with STC 35 (min)" - ANSWER-performance requirement
describes in terms of exactly how the product and/or its components
must be built; cookbook approach; developed by the design builder
but used by owners in the RFP/bridging documents for operability or
maintenance needs and conditions of permits or third parties;
examples: uniformat C10, partitions.
"Install gypsum wallboard on 3-5/8" metal studs at 16" on center with
XX
acoustical insulation per YY standards." - ANSWER-prescriptive
requirement
takes the best of "qualified" teams; a key to design-build success; not
the same as prequalifying or pass/fail; keeping this small increases
interest among the best teams and minimizes procurement costs for
everyone including the owner
- ANSWER-shortlisting
owners define their goals and selection criteria, one or 2 phase
, 3
process if shortlisting is applicable, price is not a factor in
selection, award to most qualified proposer, negotiate to a fair
and reasonable price - ANSWER-competitive procurement
process
qualifications, experience and past performance of design build
team, qualifications of key personnel, capacity of design build team
to perform work, team experience in working together, deisgn-
builder's project management
DBIA EXAM WITH REVIEW QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS/ DBIA EXAM – DESIGN BUILD QS & AS
2026-27 LATEST VERSION
prior to bidding, owner undertakes a process to design the project
and all of its details to 100% complete plans and specs. the owner is
therefore responsible for success or failure of details of the design,
and warrants the sufficiency of design to the contractor. the owner is
therefore liable to the contractor for any gaps between plans and
specifications and owner's requirements for project performance -
ANSWER-design bid build paradigm
the owner should define its performance requirements and award
the contract on the basis of preliminary design; this makes the
design-builder responsible for completing the design in accordance
with the owner's performance
requirements. that also causes the design-builder to warrant the
sufficiency of the design to meet the owner's criteria and the
sufficiency of the design to subcontractors/suppliers that have no
design responsibility - ANSWER-design details responsibility
subdivides project by functional elements, focuses on systems and
assemblies, useful for preliminary information and early design
phases, aligns with BIM models and conceptual estimating -
ANSWER-uniformat
subdivides work by results/trades, focuses on building materials,
products, and activities, useful for detailed information during final
design and construction phases, and aligns with detailed estimating -
ANSWER-masterformat
,2
a specific business need or behavior as seen by an external user of the
system; describe what functions/operations the end product must
perform/accommodate; examples: regulatory, permitting, economic,
and
others that define functions and operational capability. "Build an
office building on my existing lot to provide office space for 1,000
workers" - ANSWER-
functional requirement
describes what product(s) components must do/achieve with a
measurement metric; challenges: developing objective and definable
standards to validate performance, tendency to drift to prescriptive
specs; examples: uniformat C10, interior construction. "Provide
durable, paintable interior walls between the
offices with STC 35 (min)" - ANSWER-performance requirement
describes in terms of exactly how the product and/or its components
must be built; cookbook approach; developed by the design builder
but used by owners in the RFP/bridging documents for operability or
maintenance needs and conditions of permits or third parties;
examples: uniformat C10, partitions.
"Install gypsum wallboard on 3-5/8" metal studs at 16" on center with
XX
acoustical insulation per YY standards." - ANSWER-prescriptive
requirement
takes the best of "qualified" teams; a key to design-build success; not
the same as prequalifying or pass/fail; keeping this small increases
interest among the best teams and minimizes procurement costs for
everyone including the owner
- ANSWER-shortlisting
owners define their goals and selection criteria, one or 2 phase
, 3
process if shortlisting is applicable, price is not a factor in
selection, award to most qualified proposer, negotiate to a fair
and reasonable price - ANSWER-competitive procurement
process
qualifications, experience and past performance of design build
team, qualifications of key personnel, capacity of design build team
to perform work, team experience in working together, deisgn-
builder's project management
