(May 28, 2026 @ 6pm ET) 40 Minutes of Competence CE Study Session: Problem Solving - An Expert’s Process for Answering ARE Questions

Join us for our interactive quiz-style 40 Minutes of Competence, where you'll compete against one of our team members to see who can answer the most ARE questions correctly. You may come away with helpful insights about these exams whether your answers are right or wrong.

These study sessions are free and open to all, not just Amber Book subscribers, so join us this Thursday at 6pm ET: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83922907346

You’ll take the first five minutes of class to answer this week's question alone, but if you would like to get a head-start on that, here is the assignment:

An owner has hired an architect to design a prison with the construction schedule as a priority. During construction phase services, the architect receives a shop drawing submittal directly from a subcontractor hired to fabricate stairs and railings. Code requires a landing length, perpendicular to the direction of travel, of at least the width of the stairway, which in this case is 44 inches long. This 44-inch minimum landing requirement was called out in the CD set drawings, but the architect would like to make sure that the 44-inch landing has been preserved and isn’t encroached upon by the fabricated stairs. The general contractor has offered the fabricator permission to submit directly to the architect, but the general contractor has not seen the shop drawings himself. Which is the best course of action for the architect?

 

A. At the next scheduled construction site inspection, confirm the fabricator’s measurements to ensure that the shop drawing allows for enough landing space

B. Confirm as soon as practicable with the drawings available that the landing depth dimensions have been maintained

C. Send the shop drawings back to the general contractor for the general contractor’s formal approval before proceeding with the architect’s approval process

D. The architect only reviews for design intent and it is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure the 44-inch depth called out in the plans is preserved; the architect should approve the shop drawings if they appear to meet the design intent