THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL for the

QUANTITY SURVEYING PROFESSION Established in terms of the Quantity Surveying Profession Act 2000 (Act 49 of 2000)

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS MODULE

Module #1 Examination

Advanced Descriptive Quantification

May 2013

Time: 3 hours Total marks: 100

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Notes:

(a) This is a closed book examination – No material may be brought into the examination except a for a clean copy of the Standard System of Measuring Building Work

(b) The use of Personal Computers, Laptops, PDAs with Excel, etc. is NOT PERMITTED. Only a conventional, scientific, or financial calculator may be used.

(c) Candidates are advised to set out their work clearly, concisely and logically. Marks will be deducted for incoherent and/or untidy work.

(d) All questions must be measured according to the principles as laid down in the “Standard System of Measuring Building Work 1999, Sixth edition (revised)”.

(e) Only work written on the lined pages will be marked.

(f) This question paper consists of 3 questions. Answer ALL questions.

(g) Clearly mark the question number on each page used and at the end of the exam number the pages in the correct order and staple and additional sheet that may have been used.

(h) Where no specifications are given, candidates must assume their own and indicate as such.

QUESTION 1. 40 MARKS

Measure all the quantities for the structural steel roof structure as depicted on the

accompanying drawings. Please note the following:

Measure only the structural steel (no concrete, excavations, etc. in bases)

It is not necessary to do any “squaring” of measurements

Where no dimensions are given and it cannot be calculated, dimensions may be scaled

See Memo 1 and 3 for model answer

QUESTION 2. 35 MARKS

Measure all the quantities for the sewer installation as depicted on the

accompanying drawing. Please note the following:

No allowance necessary for hard and soft rock in excavations

All pipes are 100mm diameter clay drain pipes

Vertical ventilation or sewer pipes against walls should not be measured

Inspection chambers should be measured in number (not in detail)

Pipes and pipe trenches should be measured according to method B, clause 5 of the “Plumbing and Drainage” trade

Where no dimensions are given and it cannot be calculated, dimensions must be scaled

See Memo 2 for model answer

QUESTION 3 25 MARKS

Measure all the quantities for the alterations as on the accompanying drawing.

Please use the following information:

1. Concrete slab Form opening size1500 x 1500mm through the 30MPa reinforced concrete slab 2. Door D2 and dividing wall Remove door D2 and demolish the dividing wall. Repair walls with tile finish to 2100mm height and PVA paint above 2100mm height. Repair granolithic floor finish. Repair plaster and paint to concrete ceiling D2: pressed steel frame with hollow core double door, size 1511 x 2032mm high 3. Door D1 Remove door D1 and replace with window W1. D1: pressed steel frame with solid meranti double door and fixed glazed fanlight over, size 1511 x 2369mm high overall W1: steel window NE1, size 533 x 654mm high with top of window at 2100mm height

See Memo 1 and 3 for model answer

EXAMINERS REPORT: SKILLS MODULE NO.1 – MAY 2013 EXAM

The results of the examination was poor. This can be contributed to the following:

1. Candidates do not know the methodology of measurement as laid down in the Standard System. This can be seen in Q1: structural steel where the methodology of measuring different components (e.g. a steel truss) under a heading (as would appear in a b.o.q) and then calculating the total mass of that component, was mostly not followed although an example is provided in the Skills Module and an exercise was done before the exam

2. Candidates do not read. Although it was clearly stated in the question paper that, in Q2 (plumbing and drainage) pipes and inspection chambers should not be measured in detail, a number of candidates ignored it. Similarly specifications and/or measurements indicated on the drawings were not followed but own “assumed” (e.g. thickness of concrete slab in Q3 or size of tiles).

3. Candidates do not know the Standard System. It was allowed for the candidates to make use of the SS in the Exam, but even then simple items were measured wrong. In the Alterations trade it is clearly stated that new openings should be measured in number, building up of openings should be given in number, etc. but numerous candidates got it wrong.

JH CRUYWAGEN & NTS VAN DER WALT

EXTERNAL MODERATOR’S REPORT

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS MODULE NO. 1: ADVANCED DESCRIPTIVE QUANTIFICATION

MAY 2013 EXAMINATION

I was required to perform an external moderation function on 153 individual exam scripts relating to

PSM 1 – a course taken by candidate quantity surveyors registered with the SACQSP. A pass in 18

such modules is required before being admitted to the APC. I was not required to moderate the

assignment mark component of the Module, as a pass for the Assignment was for DP purposes only

i.e., for admittance into the examination. As part of the moderation process I reviewed in detail a

sample of 20 scripts, paying special attention to both horizontal and vertical consistency in the

marking. Special attention was also paid to marks falling in the 47-49% range. I have indicated the

scripts I reviewed on the actual scripts.

The examination comprised 3 questions. Question 1 [40 marks] required candidates to measure the

quantities for a double-pitch structural steel roof structure: stanchions; beams; trusses; purlins; and

bracing. Only the structural steel had to be measured; not the excavations and concrete associated

with the bases. Question 2 [35 marks] required candidates to measure the quantities for a sewer

installation – six manholes and associated piping. Question 3 [25 marks] dealt with the measurement

of alterations – removal of a concrete slab; breaking down and removal of a half brick wall; removal

of a timber double door and frame (from wall to be demolished); creating an opening for a window;

and making good of finishes.

Question 1 (structural steelwork) was marked out of 60, the mark for this question then being

divided by 1.5 to result in a mark out of 40 – rounded off as appropriate. The other questions were

marked out of their actual possible marks.

1.1 External examiner’s comments The exam marks range from 13% to 76%. The average is 38.4%. The internal examiners awarded 23

(15%) passes and 130 (85%) fails. In terms of my moderation, 30 candidates (20%) passed, and 123

(80%) failed. The revised range breakdown is as follows:

Lees than 20%: 6 20-29%: 35 30-39%: 49 40-49%: 33 50-59%: 22 60-69%: 7 70-80%: 1

The report provided by the internal examiners was useful. I agree entirely with the comments of the

internal examiners. It captures the essence of the examination, and correctly describes the failure of

many students to address the exam questions. It is cause for concern that many candidates: do not

appear to understand or follow conventional measurement methodology (e.g., structural steelwork

measured as ‘details of mass’ under appropriate component headings); fail to read the examination

question paper properly (e.g., measurement of manholes in detail as opposed to ‘in number’); and

possess a poor understanding of the principles of measurement as outlined in the Standard System.

One questions the extent of candidate supervision and mentoring being undertaken within quantity

surveying practices.

1.2 General comments

I benefitted from being provided with a memorandum outlining the internal examiners’

measurement requirements (‘model answer’). The memorandum was clear and well documented.

This memorandum should be made available to all candidates who wrote the exam, as part of the

learning process.

Professor PA Bowen

University of Cape Town

12th July 2013