Poor practice exam question or am I missing something?
In the practice exam case study, there is a question regarding additional compensation. To me, there is not enough information given in the question to discern whether it should be option B or C; both have citable backing in B101 contract. Am I missing something here?
Even AI gets it wrong:
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See excerpt from B101 4.2.1 below:
I would also caution you from relying on AI to be "correct" about these answers. It synthesized that meetings and reviews are considered for additional services incorrectly. How will the owner authorize the additional services if they're unaware of it? As the architect, it's your responsibility to notify the owner when additional services are required. Option A jumps the gun and Option C assumes the owner is aware of the cost already. Option B gives a clear communication from the architect to the owner regarding the added cost to obtain approvals.
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I get the nuance and what NCARB is looking for. Thanks for the explanation. I still think the wording is tricky because notifying the owner that a task requires additional services doesn't mean the architect will receive them. To receive add services (what the question is asking) and start work while under contractual protection, you need written confirmation from the owner. In general, I have been leaning towards protecting the architect in my answers.
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The wording and questions can be difficult to dissect at first. Once you start getting into more of the exams and reading more, you start to accustom to the flow of questions, the primary topic, the main ask, and what factors to consider or not consider for the situation at hand.
Like pds said, that "first" is the primary objective to tackle. In the grand scheme, you'll notify of additional services, receive authorization (or be rejected and have to tackle that in a different way), and submit the itemized bill to the owner, in that order. But understanding what needs to be done first to set this into motion is critical.
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All,
This is a really classic standardized-test type question - words like "first", "before proceeding" - anything that indicates the question writer is asking for a step at a specific point in the sequence - should always raise a flag to you. Ignore them at your peril! As abruno & pds have noted, "first" is really really important.
Yes, the Architect is looking to receive payment for additional services, but the question asks what the first step the architect has to do after identifying the add. service need is - you're never going to receive written authorization from an owner to do something they'll owe you more money for unless you first notify them that there's a need for an additional service - your AI's answer even gets that right, listing notifying the owner as step one, even though it ultimately answers the question asking what the first step is incorrectly!
Best,
Ralph, the Amber Book Team
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