Quality Management
10% of the examQuality Management is 10% of the exam. The foundational distinction is QA versus QC: quality assurance is process-oriented — the systems and procedures that give confidence quality will be achieved — while quality control is product-oriented inspection and testing that detects whether it was. The Quality Management Plan is written in pre-construction, because systems established after work begins arrive too late.
The construction-phase machinery includes inspection and test plans with witness and hold points, submittal and shop-drawing review (which confirms design intent while leaving dimensions and means-and-methods responsibility with the contractor), special inspection of high-consequence work by independent inspectors, and nonconformance handling when a test fails.
Closeout is where quality management becomes contractual: substantial completion lets the owner take beneficial use and starts warranties; the punch list stands between substantial and final completion; O&M manuals and as-builts precede final payment. Commissioning verifies systems actually perform against the Owner's Project Requirements.
Key concepts
- QA (prevention, process) vs. QC (detection, product)
- QMP written during pre-construction
- ITPs: witness points vs. hold points
- Shop drawing review scope — and its limits
- Substantial completion → punch list → final completion
- Commissioning and the OPR
Exam tips
- Substantial completion triggers beneficial occupancy and warranty start — a favorite exam fact
- A failed test means: NCR, stop similar work, notify owner and designer — not automatic demolition
- Quality is defined against the owner's requirements and the contract documents, not perfection
47 practice questions in this domain
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