CIPS L4M3 Commercial Contracting Exam Practice Test

Answer : B, D

Advantages of using invitation to tender may be as below:

No Nepotism: Tenders or bids are evaluated on the basis of certain predetermined criteria, such as price, quality and value for money. In other words, the firm offering the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point would win the contract. As most tender documents are opened and evaluated in a public process, I think that there remains little room for nepotism or favoritism of any kind.

Value for Money: From the perspective of the client, tenders offer the greatest value for the amount of money spent. This is due to the fact that the client can choose from a wide pool of potential suppliers to select the ones that can produce the highest quality product or service at the lowest price point. This allows the company, establishment or organization to save money without having to compromise on quality. Therefore, despite being quite time consuming, tendering is, in my opinion, a profitable long-term process from an organization's point of view.

Encourages Competition: The process of tendering helps promote a competitive market. This is because a number of potential contractors, firms or suppliers get a chance to bid for every project. And because selection depends on quality and price, every bidder tries to reduce operational inefficiencies and redundancies as much as possible in order to lower expenses and improve quality. This entire process encourages healthy competition in the market and prevents complacency and laziness, which in turn provides a boost to innovation and new ideas.

Easier Entry: The system of tendering makes it easier and simpler for new firms to enter the market or even a particular industry. This is due to the fact that contracts under this system are awarded on the basis of predetermined, objective criteria. As a result, even a firm that is a new entrant to the market, having no connections or contacts in the industry, can win a prestigious and lucrative contract by providing the highest value for the client's money. This process therefore helps new firms to quickly get a foothold in the market or industry, thus significantly lowering the traditional barriers to entry.

- Characteristics and Benefits of the Tendering Process

- CIPS study guide page 6-8

LO 1, AC 1.1

Answer : C

Benefits for the purchaser in using call off contract are as below:

- The benefit of a call off contract is that they allow the supply of materials, goods and services to be secured over multiple delivery dates across the length of a project.

- Agreed prices, either fixed or pre-agreed mechanism for adjustment. This helps with setting and controlling budgets.

- Simple order mechanisms at the point of need

- Schedules of rates pricing enables electronic procure-to-pay systems, which gives greater control and visibility of spend

- The value of spend ad length of contract justify the cost of proper market engagement and tender or negotiation processes resulting in better value for money

- The longer the contract, the greater the opportunities for aligning working practices to create joint efficiency.

- Call Off Contracts -- What are they and how are they used?

- CIPS study guide page 63-64

LO 1, AC 1.3

Answer : B, D

There are number of reasons why the purchaser will want to control the supplier's subcontracting:

- Supply chain transparency: Normally the purchaser has invested a lot of effort into selecting the right contractor. However, the main contractor's selection of subcontractor might not be in such careful manner, which may result in poor performance. Purchaser must know who subcontractors are. Controlling the subcontracting process can help the purchaser control the outcome.

- Contract terms: the purchaser's requirements must be reflected in the subcontracts. The subcontracting clauses may require the main contractor to do this.

- Liability: the main contractor may subcontract the whole or a part of its liabilities. Subcontracting clause may bind the contractor to be liable with the work, it cannot just blame the subcontractor for any faults.

LO 3, AC 3.2

Answer : C

A Collateral Warranty is a contract under which a consultant, a building contractor or a sub- contractor warrants to a third party that is has fulfilled its obligations under its professional appointment, building contract or sub-contract. The purpose of a Collateral Warranty is to give a third party, who is not a party to the original contract, rights to enforce that original contract.

In this case, IBM is the subcontractor, then purchaser can use collateral warranty deed to bind them.

- Collateral Warranties -- an Overview

- CIPS study guide page 39-40

LO 1, AC 1.2

Answer : D

There are number of reasons why the purchaser will want to control the supplier's subcontracting:

- Supply chain transparency: Normally the purchaser has invested a lot of effort into selecting the right contractor. However, the main contractor's selection of subcontractor might not be in such careful manner, which may result in poor performance. Purchaser must know who subcontractors are. Controlling the subcontracting process can help the purchaser control the outcome.

- Contract terms: the purchaser's requirements must be reflected in the subcontracts. The subcontracting clauses may require the main contractor to do this.

- Liability: the main contractor may subcontract the whole or a part of its liabilities. Subcontracting clause may bind the contractor to be liable with the work, it cannot just blame the subcontractor for any faults.

LO 3, AC 3.2

Answer : A

Standards are incorporated into specifications by simply cross-refering to the relevant standard by its number and date of publication. It is important to include the date of publication. All standards are reviewed from time to time and their content changes. The absence of the publication date will lead to disrupts over which version of the standard actually applies to the contract.

LO 2, AC 2.1

Answer : C

A Collateral Warranty is a contract under which a consultant, a building contractor or a sub- contractor warrants to a third party that is has fulfilled its obligations under its professional appointment, building contract or sub-contract. The purpose of a Collateral Warranty is to give a third party, who is not a party to the original contract, rights to enforce that original contract.

In this case, IBM is the subcontractor, then purchaser can use collateral warranty deed to bind them.

- Collateral Warranties -- an Overview

- CIPS study guide page 39-40

LO 1, AC 1.2