examination.

If your employer will support this

effort or you are willing to personally pay for the
seminar, you can get some concentrated learning.
The local university or college may have a course in
a particular subject that you need. The two-day
AACE skills seminar (referred to earlier) does not
cover all the subjects; there is not time in a two-day
seminar, but it will help you with some subjects and
will also help you to plan for further study in areas in
which you feel weak.
A number of the local sections have arranged
tutoring sessions for those members interested in
certifying. The tutors are CCCs, CCE or someone
expert in a particular area. Others have arranged
study sessions with all candidates together with an
instructor. Some sections have formal courses for
those preparing for the exam. You need to
investigate your local area and your section to find
the mechanism that is best for you.
If there is much material in your "new" category,
this ought to be attacked first. This allows for some
absorption time before you take the exam.
Obviously, you ought to set a date for taking the
exam as soon as you have put the material in the
three categories of "new, relearn, and know." Don't
say that you will take the exam when you have
finished studying; that won't get the job done. Set a
date and plan your studying accordingly. A PERT,
CPM, or precedence diagram serves a very useful
purpose as part of your planning. As we all know
the diagram may be modified but you won't be
prepared unless you set a goal.

HOW TO STUDY FOR THE
CERTIFICATION
EXAMINATION

by Dr. Aaron Rose
You have made a major decision to become
certified. It is not only recognition by your peers but
should also be recognized by your employer. The
question is: "How do I get ready for the
examination?" You have been working as a cost
engineer but like many of your peers, particularly
those working for a large company, you have
become specialized.
You have obtained information for the exam.
A list of exam topics indicates that you must know
more than what your present job entails. If the
material is not new, it may have been covered in
your college courses, but it has been some time since
you studied that material. The idea of certification is
that you must be knowledgeable in all aspects of cost
engineering.
What should you do now? You should take
the outline and designate those items that you know
well. This material will require only a cursory
review probably a short time before the exam. The
remainder of the material ought to be divided in two:
the material that has been covered in your college
class or in a continuing education course and a
second category of new material. At this point, it is
important to take stock of how best you learn or
relearn new skills, ideas, etc. Some of us learn easily
on an individual basis with a text and sample
problems. Others learn best through a formal
education program or short course. For this group
the skills seminar offered each year at the annual
meeting and during the month of January, ought to
be investigated. A third group learns best in a small
group where there is a lot of give-and-take and an
opportunity to ask and answer questions. This
introspection and evaluation period when you decide
how best you learn is very important. This can save
you time and, probably, money because you can then
plan your study campaign.
At this point, you should consult the "Required
Skills and Knowledge of a Cost Engineer."
Although not divided in exactly the same way as the
outline for the exam, the material is all there. This
information can help you focus on what must be
learned.
There are literally hundreds of specialized
seminars available to cover the various parts of the


AACE INTERNATIONAL RECOMMENDED PRACTICE NO. 11R-88
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF A COST ENGINEER
Prepared by the AACE Education Board; January 1999


SECTION 1 -- SUPPORTING SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Engineering Economics
Terminology
Computers
Statistics and Probability
Optimization
Productivity Management
Human Relations-Behavioral Science
Organizational Structures
Measurements
SECTION II -- COST ESTIMATING
Estimating Basics
Contractor's Costs
Owners Costs
SECTION III -- COST CONTROL
Work Breakdown Structure and Code of Accounts
Earned Value (also Achieved and Accomplished Value)
Key Cost Control Techniques
SECTION IV -- PLANNING AND SCHEDULING
Planning Basics
Scheduling Basics
Schedule Control
SECTION V -- CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
Contracting Arrangement
Contract Administration
SECTION VI -- ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS PLANNING
Budgeting and Cash Flow
Value Engineering

AACE International Certification Exam

Introduction
Certification as a Certified Cost Consultant or Certified Cost Engineer requires passage of a written examination including preparation
and acceptance of a professional paper on a Cost Engineering subject. This document provides guidance for preparing to meet these
requirements.

The Written Examination

Exam Basis

The purpose of any professional certification or licensing program is to provide a mechanism to officially and publicly recognize the
capabilities of an individual in a professional area. Certification as a Certified Cost Consultant or Certified Cost Engineer recognized
holders of those certificates as having capabilities encompassing the functions incorporated within the definition of Cost Engineering.
Specifically:

Cost Engineering is that area of engineering practice where engineering judgment and experience are utilized in the application of
scientific principles and techniques to problems of cost estimation; cost control; business planning and management science;
profitability analysis; and project management, planning and scheduling.

It is this definition of Cost Engineering that provides the basis for certification exam design -- the exam must test proficiency across
these areas. The definition of Cost Engineering and the Required Skills and Knowledge of A Cost Engineer document are the basic
"scope" documents for the certification exam. In recognition of this, at least 70% of the questions will relate directly to the basic skills
document; the remainder will explore more advanced areas.

Exam Schedule
There is a 2nd Quarter and a 4th Quarter exam. The 2nd Quarter exam is always given on the Saturday preceding the Annual Meeting
at the meeting site and then two weeks later at different sections. The 4th Quarter exam is held the first Saturday in December at
different sections. This information is updated regularly on the website at: www.aacei.org.

Exam Format
The exam is totally multiple-choice questions. Two parts are open book and two parts are closed book. The broad subject areas
included within each part are listed below. Obviously, not all subjects are covered in each exam. New exams are prepared for each
examination.

Part I (open book) - Supporting Skills and Knowledge Part III (closed book) - Project Management
Computer Operations Organizational Structures
Operations Research Management Theories, Behavioral Science, and motivational Management
Probability and Statistics Planning and Scheduling
Basic Business and Finance Cost Management
Metric - English Conversion Quality Management
Inflation Resource Management
Productivity Management
Part II (closed book) - Cost Estimating and Control Contracting and Contract Administration
Elements of Cost Societal/Legal Issues of Management
Costing and Pricing Constructability Analysis
Capital Cost Estimating
Operating/Manufacturing Cost Part IV (open book) - Economic Analysis
Cost Indices and Escalation Factors Value Engineering
Estimating Data Sources Depreciation
Contingency Comparative Economic Studies
Budgeting and Cash Flow Profitability
Capital Equipment Purchase, Lease, and Rental Life Cycle Costs
Time Value of Money
Forecasting

Recognizing that there are many fields of interest within the profession -- Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Process, Mining,
Utilities, Transportation, Aerospace, Environmental and Government - you can expect questions in any of these settings. However, as
a practical matter, no one is expected to be conversant in all areas and the exam is designed to take this into account through its
multiple option format and extensive use of questions of general applicability.

Part I of the exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. Parts II, III and IV consist of two sections each. The first section has five
compound questions which contain 7 multiple-choice questions each. You will choose to answer only TWO of these compound
questions, resulting in answering only 14 multiple-choice questions for the first section of each part. The second section of each part
consists of 20 multiple choice questions of which all must be answered. (Sample questions attached)

Preparation Guidance

To assist in your preparation for the exam, you should study the list of the Required Skills and Knowledge of a Cost Engineer since it
outlines much of what you need to know. You also have a number of other options. There are training workshops:

In conjunction with the AACE Annual Meeting, a Foundations for Enhancing Competency in Cost Engineering seminar is
held. This is one of several continuing education courses available at extra cost in conjunction with the annual meeting. This
seminar is also offered in January each year at a different location.

At most annual meetings there is a Skills and Knowledge track within the Technical Program on basic or advanced subjects in
Cost Engineering. A typical track consists of 12-17 one-hour blocks of instruction. Attendance at any or all of these sessions
is open to any meeting registrant. Specific subjects are listed on the Technical Program and described in its accompanying
book of abstracts issued before each annual meeting.

A number of local sections of AACE sponsor formal workshops on Cost Engineering, some specifically intended to assist
candidates in exam preparation. If your section does not have such a workshop, start the ball rolling. Even if no formal
workshop is available, consider a "bootstrap" style workshop wherein you and other candidates meet regularly to teach each
other.

Then there are written reference materials. The following two publications are most recommended - all are available from AACE.

AACE International Certification Study Guide, 2nd edition. and Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering, 4th edition.

The following publications are also recommended:

Jelen's Cost and Optimization Engineering, 3rd edition and Project Management: A Reference for Professionals, written by R.
Kimmons and J. Lowree

There are many other publications on the market that can prove helpful also. You can find many of these by visiting AACE's website
bookstore.

The Professional Paper

The professional paper, a pass/fail component submitted as half of the examination, must be of a quality suitable for presentation at an
AACE annual, regional or section meeting; or acceptable for publication in Cost Engineering magazine. You may be able to submit a
recently published article for which you were the primary author also.

Now for specific guidance:

A common mistake among inexperienced writers is to choose too broad a subject area. A paper of 2500 words minimum is
not that long. So, chose a narrow topic area and give it good coverage.

If the paper involves a subject requiring employer review and approval, make certain your bosses know you intend to write on
the subject and get their blessing up front so you won't waste time.

Unless you are an experienced writer, you will need to allow considerable time to develop your subject into a polished
document - a good rule-of-thumb is to make a rough estimate of the time you think you will need and multiply by three.

Think about your paper when you're playing golf, traveling or otherwise have time just to think. You'll be surprised how
ideas suddenly come to you. But, make certain you have some means to jot those ideas down before you forget them.

You should expect to go through several drafts before the final one. If you or your typist have access to a modern word
processor, this process will be greatly simplified. After you complete each draft, set it aside for a couple days, then come
back and review it to see if it makes sense and further refine it.

Keep a copy of the latest draft in your briefcase so you can review it when traveling or at other opportune times. Of course, it
is always helpful to get an outside opinion or two on the paper both for content and presentation.

Most guide books on writing will tell you to outline your subject and then expand from the outline. This is fine, but often
leads to "writer's block" since the writer feels compelled to write the abstract, introduction, main body, etc. in sequence and
can't find the words to get started. some authors, having faced this situation, have found that the best way to get going is to
start the paper anywhere you feel comfortable, usually somewhere in the main body, and work from there. Initially, you don't
even need to document your thoughts in any logical sequence - just write them down as they come to you. With modern word
processors you can readily organize, add, delete, and move text around to provide orderly coverage. Using this approach, you
will probably find that your paper evolves to be somewhat different than originally planned. This leads to the last bit of
advice - wait until the main body is complete before writing your introduction and abstract. Had you written them first, they
probably would no longer fit the paper anyway.

The paper can be given to proctors at the time of the examination or can be mailed directly to AACE Headquarters before the
exam date. Failure to submit a paper on time can result in failing the examination.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING COST ENGINEERING PAPERS


Submitting a paper is an important
requirement for becoming a certified cost
consultant or certified cost engineer
(CCC/CCE). The primary purpose is to judge
the prospective certified const consultant's or
engineer's ability to communicate a
professional topic clearly and effectively.
The prospective CCC/CCE must be the
primary author (preferably the sole author) of
the paper, and the body of the paper (excluding
graphs, illustrations, tables, and appendices)
must be at least 2500 words to be acceptable.
If the paper is co-authored, it must be
accompanied by a statement from all authors
indicating that the prospective CCC/CCE has
contributed the majority of ideas and most of
the effort for the paper. Once the authorship
and length criteria are verified, the paper will
be evaluated for its qualities as a professional
document by the AACE Certification Board.
Depending on the presentation styles,
professional environment, and nature of the
material, a paper may be composed and
organized in many different ways. The paper is
expected to be typewritten in English. If it is
written in another language, it must be
accompanied by a translation. The following
guidelines are to be used as a first
approximation and a general guideline in
compiling and editing the paper.
1. TITLE PAGE
Include: title (about 7 to 12 words), author's
ID number, date of authorship.
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Include: chapter title, page number, section
title, page number, subsection title, page
number
3. LIST OF TABLES
Include: table title, page number
4. LIST OF GRAPHS
& ILLUSTRATIONS
Include: graph or illustration title, page
number
5. ABSTRACT
The abstract should be about 200 to 300
words and highlight three important facets of
the paper in three separate paragraphs.
Paragraph one: summarize introduction;
highlight the previous papers and future
possible applications of the paper; what are the
areas of implementation of the ideas presented
and possible benefits of such implementation.
Paragraph two: summarize the body of the
report; specific objectives of the paper,
procedural details, topics of discussion,
methods of development, and highlights of the
results.
Paragraph three: summarize major conclu-
sions of this paper and recommendations for
future work in subject area.

11. INTRODUCTION
Considering a broad point of view, what
are the relevance and advantages of similar
considerations to the national and/or
international economy, economy/ technology,
regional and local industries, etc.? What
prompted you to choose this specific topic?
What are the possible applications of the results
of similar work? What are the benefits of such
implementations (about 300 words)?
Further, it may be helpful to the reader to
understand the background of the writer and
how the report evolved. Statements such as,
The author was a member of a team assigned
to study cost information flows and reporting
procedures for the ABCD Power Company.
This report is a condensed version of the study
results, will always make a good impression.
The author has drawn fully and freely on his
personal knowledge of the subject of this
dissertation obtained while per-forming the
duties of cost engineer for ACME Construction
Ltd, weakens the presentation and should be
avoided.
12. BODY OF THE PAPER
Describe the procedures for data collection,
idea development, observations, survey or
whatever forms the basis of your paper.
In your own words, present and discuss the
more interesting data pertaining to the area of
your paper. Divide all the relevant material
into logical topics and subtopics. In your own
words, discuss each topic and subtopic clearly.
All statements of fact should have a reference
number from the list of references showing
where they can be found in detail. Do not use
telegraphic language or shop talk. Demerits
will be applied to incorrect facts, improper
causes and effects, emotional statements, and
philosophical observations. If there are any
illustrations in the paper, be sure to refer to
them at the appropriate place in the text and
indicate clearly what the illustration is meant to
show.
An important facet of the paper is to
highlight your own contribution to the
organization, arrangement, and analysis of the
data. Include techniques, flow charts,
computer programs, organizational charts, and
other material that you may have developed or
modified, as part of this independent paper.
Describe all processes, procedures,
equipment, and theories very clearly. Pay
attention to spelling and syntax.
Generally, short and concise sentences and
paragraphs contribute to clarity. Using the
logical structure of your paper as a guide,
develop and label each section of the paper.
The label should describe the contents of that
segment of the paper. Further, sections should
be grouped into chapters and labeled
accordingly. For some papers it may be
appropriate to have several subsections for each
section.
6. ILLUSTRATIONS (TABLES AND
GRAPHS)
Include graphic or tabular presentation of
data, ideas, and equipment to clarify the topic
of each section of the paper. Copies of
illustrations from books and magazines should
be used only on rare occasions and then only
with the written permission of the copyright
owner. As a rule, graphs should be neatly
presented for viewing from the right on 8.5 x
11 inch paper. Use drafting guides for straight
or curved lines. The page number, illustration
number, and a descriptive title of the
illustration should be placed clearly on the
page. All the necessary information to interpret
the illustration should be included on the
illustration sheet.
7. CONCLUSIONS
From the results of the paper, what general
comments can you make regarding suitability
of a technique, equipment, procedure, etc.?
You may cite numbers and percentages if they
have already been fully presented in the earlier
sections of the report. Where can these results
be possibly used? Based on your introduction
and data, what should one expect when
implementing your recommendations? On
which general area should follow-up work be
concentrated? Why? All conclusions should
be based on groundwork already established in
the body of the report. Do not introduce any
new material here.
8. SPECIFIC REFERENCES
List articles, books, or reports that you have
read for this paper and that you believe are
specifically relevant to this paper.
9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
List all individuals, companies, and
agencies that have provided useful advice,
service, materials, or information for
preparation of your paper.
10. APPENDICES
On rare occasions, an appendix may be
justified. This section includes data and
information important to your conclusions but
which could detract from the free flow of
explanation of the main body of the paper.
Attach to your paper any material that you feel
supports or expands your paper.