AACE-CFCC Exam Format | Course Contents | Outline | Syllabus | Objectives

AACE-CFCC Exam Syllabus & Study Guide

Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official AACE-CFCC exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.

The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by AACE.

Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.

AACE-CFCC Certified Forensic Claims Consultant (CFCC) DOMAIN 1 — Legal Knowledge, Dispute Resolution and Rules of Evidence — 35% 1.1 Evidence and Admissibility - Admissibility of e-mail evidence - Admissibility of personal diaries - Admissibility of web-based research used in expert reports - Rules of evidence as applied to expert testimony - Custodian-of-records issues - Preservation of records in litigation - Spoliation of evidence - Potential liability associated with spoliation - Preservation of evidence used in tests and investigations - Legal privilege and protection of privileged information 1.2 Burden of Proof and Entitlement - Burden of proof - Entitlement-related issues - Contractual entitlement to additional time or money - Relationship between entitlement and claim analysis - How contract language affects claim evaluation 1.3 Construction Contract and Claim Issues - Law of the contract and its impact on the claim process - Purpose of the changes clause - Purpose of the suspension of work clause - Contractual notice provisions - Reservation of rights - Differing site condition clauses - Risk allocation under differing site condition provisions - Force majeure clauses - Contractual delay clauses - No-damages-for-delay clauses - Exceptions to no-damages-for-delay clauses - Termination clauses and related issues - Consequential damages and their recoverability - Enforceability of exculpatory clauses - Enforceability of liquidated damages clauses 1.4 Changes and Change-Related Claims - Directed changes - Constructive changes - Change-related entitlement - The purpose of the changes clause - How changes can affect schedule and cost - The relationship between changes and cumulative impact claims 1.5 Dispute Resolution - Determining the appropriate dispute resolution method - Arbitration versus litigation - Differences between arbitration organizations or arbitral bodies - Arbitration procedures - Litigation procedures - Deposition process and procedures - Expert participation in dispute resolution 1.6 Delay and Contractual Legal Issues - Legal impact of contractual delay clauses - No-damages-for-delay provisions - Exceptions to no-damages-for-delay clauses - Owner-caused delay - Contractor delay - Force majeure-related delay - Delay entitlement - Consequential damages - Termination issues DOMAIN 2 — Cost Damages, Estimating and Loss of Productivity — 20% 2.1 Cost Classification and Cost Analysis - Direct costs - Indirect costs - Field costs - Home-office costs - Time-related costs - Non-time-related costs - Costs included in delay damage calculations - Costs excluded from delay damage calculations - Categorization of project costs 2.2 Cost and Damages Calculation Methods - Total Cost Method - Modified Total Cost Method - Discrete cost calculations - Cost-based damage calculations - Justification of total-cost calculations - Recovery of delay damages 2.3 Contract Value Adjustments - Added work - Deleted work - Changes in scope - Change orders - Contractor credits 2.4 Delay and Acceleration Costs - Calculation of acceleration costs - Causes of acceleration - Owner-directed acceleration - Constructive acceleration concepts - Delay damages - “Buy back” versus delay damages - Extended overhead costs - Recovery of delay-related costs 2.5 Disruption and Cumulative Impact - Disruption costs - Loss of productivity - Cumulative impact costs - Methods for proving cumulative impact - Calculation of cumulative impact costs - Relationship between changes and productivity loss - Difference between delay costs and impact costs 2.6 Productivity and Loss of Productivity - Methods for calculating loss of productivity - Productivity-related claims - Measured Mile analysis - Information required to support a Measured Mile analysis - Disruption-related productivity losses - Impact of project changes on productivity 2.7 Measured Mile - Purpose of the Measured Mile technique - Selection of a suitable comparison period - Productive versus impacted work - Data needed to support the analysis - Limitations and evidentiary support for the method 2.8 Equipment and Estimating - Equipment cost calculations - Estimating techniques - Estimating changes in contract value - Cost documentation - Cost tracking - Supporting documentation for claimed costs 2.9 Overhead and Other Damages - Extended home-office overhead - Methods for calculating extended home-office overhead - Entitlement to extended overhead - Potential credits against contractor claim settlements - Economic waste - Liquidated damages 2.10 Earned Value - Cost analysis - Progress analysis - Project performance assessment - Claim and damages evaluation DOMAIN 3 — Planning, Scheduling and Delay Analysis — 15% 3.1 Schedule Fundamentals - Critical path - Calculation of the critical path - Near-critical paths - Parallel critical paths - Float - Ownership of float - Schedule logic - Baseline schedules - As-planned schedules - As-built schedules 3.2 Schedule Delay Analysis Methods - Accepted schedule delay analysis techniques - Prospective delay analysis - Retrospective delay analysis - Observational forensic scheduling - Modeled forensic scheduling - Schedule delay analysis processes 3.3 As-Planned and As-Built Analysis - Differences between as-planned and as-built schedules - Use of as-planned schedules in claims - Use of as-built schedules in forensic analysis - Verification of as-built schedules - Creation of collapsed as-built schedules 3.4 Delay Calculation and Classification - Calculation of delay - Types of delay - Independent delays - Serial delays - Sequential delays - Compensable delay - Non-compensable delay - Impact of delay classification on entitlement 3.5 Concurrent and Parallel Delay - Concurrent delay issues - Impact of concurrent delay - Proof required for concurrent delay - Calculation of concurrent delay - Parallel critical paths - Effect of multiple delay causes on entitlement 3.6 Schedule Updates and Contemporaneous Analysis - Reviewing contemporaneous schedule updates - Analyzing contemporaneous schedule updates - Contemporaneous update methodology - Dates used in forensic scheduling - Schedule records and contemporaneous project information 3.7 Weather Delays - Delay analysis related to weather - Weather-related delay claims - Documentation needed to support weather delay - Relationship between weather and the critical path - Compensability of weather-related delays 3.8 Schedule and Contract Requirements - Scheduling specifications - Delay clauses - Contract schedule requirements - Failure to issue a baseline schedule - Delay analysis when no baseline schedule was issued 3.9 Pacing and Impacted As-Planned Analysis - Pacing delay - Impacted as-planned schedules - Use of bar charts in project management and litigation DOMAIN 4 — Project Management Practices, Requirements, Techniques and Documentation — 15% 4.1 Contract Types and Delivery Methods - Types of contracts - Project delivery methods - Contract structures - Risk allocation under different contract arrangements 4.2 Risk Management and Risk Allocation - Allocation of risk - Purpose of risk-sharing clauses - Project contingency - Establishment of project contingency - Use of project contingency - Force majeure situations 4.3 Change Management - Causes of change under typical contracts - Management of change - Change orders - Justification for change orders - Impact of issuing changes without schedule analysis - Relationship between change management and claims 4.4 Contract Documents and Administration - Contract document issues - Order-of-precedence clauses - Ambiguous specifications - How contracts deal with ambiguity - Contract notice provisions - Claims filing processes 4.5 Project Documentation and Cost Records - Cost tracking - Project documentation - Documentation supporting claims - Document management - Record preservation - Project records used in dispute analysis 4.6 Payment and Financial Issues - Owner's ability to withhold payment - Payment-related contract issues - Mechanics lien issues - Surety bond requirements and issues 4.7 Project Participants and Contracting Structures - Roles and responsibilities of project representatives - Multiple prime contractor issues - Disputes involving multiple prime contractors - Sole-sourcing subcontractors - Advantages and implications of sole sourcing 4.8 Bidding and Procurement - Bidding mistakes and errors - Consequences of bidding mistakes - Bid escrow processes - Contract formation and bidding-related issues DOMAIN 5 — Ethics and Professional Practice — 15% 5.1 Expert Independence and Objectivity - An independent expert - An advocate for a party - The expert's role in litigation - The expert's obligation to remain unbiased - The risks of always testifying for the same side - Professional independence 5.2 Conflicts of Interest - Conflict checks before accepting an assignment - Potential conflicts of interest - Appearance of a conflict - When an expert may need to withdraw from a case 5.3 Expert Qualifications and Scope - Expert curriculum vitae - Testifying beyond the scope of one's experience - What experts can and cannot testify about - Working within the expert's area of competence - Use of other qualified professionals when issues exceed the expert's expertise 5.4 Expert Reports - Preparation of expert reports - Presentation of expert reports - Documents to review when preparing a report - Reliance on information provided by others - Use of assumptions - Unsubstantiated client statements - Testifying on a report prepared by a team 5.5 Errors and Contrary Opinions - Mistakes in an expert report - Published opinions contrary to the expert's own opinion - New information affecting an expert's opinion - Corrections and professional disclosure 5.6 Confidentiality and Privilege - Confidentiality agreements - Continuing confidentiality obligations - Preserving privilege - Expert communications - Handling confidential case information 5.7 Evidence and Chain of Custody - Chain of custody - Preservation of evidence - Integrity of tests and investigations - Control and custody of materials entrusted to the expert 5.8 Compensation and Financial Ethics - Contingent fees for expert assignments - Accepting compensation from more than one party for the same work - Fee arrangements that could compromise expert judgment - Personal liability under false claims statutes 5.9 Expert Withdrawal - Withdraw from an assignment - Refuse an engagement - Terminate involvement - Decline to provide an opinion because necessary investigation is not permitted DOMAIN 6 — Essay Examination Outline 6.1 Essay Scenario Topics - Schedule delay with disputed actual progress - Arbitration versus litigation for a complex claim - Cumulative impact claims - Differing site condition situations - Potential cardinal change situations - Potential conflict of interest situations - Potential termination for default situations - Delay claims involving a no-damages-for-delay clause - Selection and use of a document management system - Weather delay situations - Multiple prime contractors and site accessibility 6.2 Recommended Essay Analysis Framework — BIRAC Background - The facts - The project situation - Relevant assumptions Issue - The legal issue - The technical issue - The claims or dispute question Rule - The applicable general legal rule - The relevant practical or professional principle - The applicable claims analysis approach Analysis - The facts - The project records - The schedule or cost evidence - The assumptions Conclusion - Your conclusion - The basis for the conclusion - Any limitations or additional information required