All Free Civil Engineering MCQs with Answers

• A. An allowance for work not sufficiently defined at tender stage
• B. A fixed payment for work already completed on site
• C. A deduction made for defective materials after inspection
• D. An advance paid to the contractor before mobilisation

Explanation: A provisional sum is an allowance for work whose scope or quantity cannot be defined accurately when tenders are invited.

• A. To record the daily output of reinforcement workers
• B. To list reinforcement bar sizes, shapes, lengths, and quantities
• C. To show the planned sequence of concrete placement activities
• D. To calculate the electrical load of a reinforced concrete building

Explanation: A bar bending schedule provides the information needed to cut, bend, identify, and place reinforcement bars.

• A. The horizontal distance for transporting excavated soil
• B. The volume of soil compacted in one working layer
• C. The vertical distance through which excavated soil is moved
• D. The number of passes made by a compaction roller

Explanation: Lift is the vertical distance through which excavated or deposited material is moved.

• A. To certify the final quality of completed construction work
• B. To record the names of workers assigned to each activity
• C. To show the sequence in which project activities are completed
• D. To list agreed unit rates for commonly measured work items

Explanation: A schedule of rates contains unit prices for specified work items and can support valuation or pricing where final quantities are not…

• A. When varied work cannot be priced reliably from existing rates
• B. When the whole project is awarded for one fixed lump sum
• C. When the contractor has completed all work before payment begins
• D. When only the employer's permanent staff perform the work

Explanation: Daywork is used for instructed work whose quantities or nature make normal unit-rate pricing impractical.

• A. The contractor's confidential calculation of expected profit
• B. The employer's estimate used to assess the reasonableness of bids
• C. The final amount certified after all construction defects are corrected
• D. The total value of materials purchased by the contractor

Explanation: An engineer's estimate is prepared for the employer before or during tendering to indicate the expected project cost and help evaluate…

• A. The original feasibility report
• B. The contractor's tender programme
• C. The approved as-built drawings
• D. The preliminary abstract of cost

Explanation: As-built drawings record the work as actually constructed, including approved changes from the original design.

• A. To replace all training and supervision of site workers
• B. To calculate the quantities of materials used on site
• C. To approve the contractor's monthly payment certificate
• D. To authorise and control specified high-risk activities

Explanation: A permit-to-work system formally authorises hazardous activities after required precautions, isolations, and responsibilities are…

• A. The difference between discounted benefits and discounted costs
• B. The difference between planned and actual quantities of concrete
• C. The percentage of project work completed at a given date
• D. The total number of resources assigned to a project activity

Explanation: Net present value discounts future project cash inflows and outflows to the present and calculates their net difference.

• A. To increase the measured dimensions of the completed structure
• B. To account for unavoidable losses during handling and installation
• C. To replace the contractor's obligation to store materials safely
• D. To include the employer's land acquisition and design expenses

Explanation: A reasonable wastage allowance covers losses caused by cutting, breakage, spillage, or handling during construction.

• A. Number of rooms in the building
• B. Total height of the proposed building
• C. Current cost per unit of plinth area
• D. Average wall thickness of the building

Explanation: The plinth area method uses a known or assessed rate per unit area, such as cost per square metre.

• A. The site has passed the safety inspection
• B. The contractor has submitted the lowest tender
• C. The project has received its final payment
• D. The design and detailed estimate are technically adequate

Explanation: Technical sanction is approval of the detailed design, specifications, quantities and estimated cost by the competent technical authority.

• A. Placing an order and receiving the required item
• B. Starting excavation and completing the foundation
• C. Submitting a tender and opening the bids
• D. Measuring completed work and making payment

Explanation: Lead time covers the waiting period from placing an order until the material, equipment or service becomes available for use.

• A. To replace the contract drawings and specifications
• B. To document decisions, responsibilities and agreed actions
• C. To calculate the exact quantity of every completed item
• D. To authorize payment without measurement or certification

Explanation: Meeting minutes create a formal record of decisions, assigned responsibilities, deadlines and unresolved issues.

• A. The contractor's profit multiplied by project duration
• B. A single fixed price for the complete project
• C. Recorded labour time plus the cost of materials used
• D. The lowest price submitted by competing contractors

Explanation: A time-and-materials contract pays for verified labour hours and materials, usually with an agreed markup or fee.

• A. The contractor's legal claims against the employer
• B. Only the names of responsible site supervisors
• C. Only the physical dimensions of completed work
• D. Budgeted cost values linked to planned work

Explanation: A cost-loaded schedule links planned activity costs with dates and quantities of work.

• A. The value recovered from an asset at the end of its useful life
• B. The original purchase price of an asset before construction
• C. The annual rent received from an occupied property
• D. The cost of repairing an asset after ordinary maintenance

Explanation: Salvage value is the estimated amount recoverable when an asset is retired, sold or dismantled.

• A. Current market rent of the property
• B. Estimated useful life of the asset
• C. Original construction area of the asset
• D. Number of occupants using the asset

Explanation: Straight-line depreciation spreads depreciable cost evenly over the estimated useful life.

• A. To determine the legal ownership of the completed building
• B. To record the contractor's daily attendance at the site
• C. To coordinate when materials, equipment and services are required
• D. To replace the approved construction method statement

Explanation: A procurement schedule identifies required items, ordering dates, delivery dates and responsible parties.

• A. Delay damages payable for late completion
• B. Unforeseen excavation work with no defined scope
• C. The contractor's fixed annual office overhead
• D. A specified supply item whose final selection or price is unsettled

Explanation: A prime cost sum is an allowance for a particular item, commonly supplied by a nominated or selected supplier, when its exact cost is not…