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Submitting bids

PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:07 pm
by rodom2
Greetings!

This is my first post. I am currently studying for CDS 4.0 and I am using PPI practice exams to study. I have come across a question where I cannot explain why the answer is what it is.

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Five general contractors are invited to bid on a small office renovation project. The drawings are mailed to the bidders and the beginning of June, with bids due on July 2. The documents state the the bidders are to list a unit price per square yard for providing and installing carpet. In the meantime, the owner decides to choose and order carpet through a local flooring distributor and provide it to the contractor to install. the architect issues an addendum to this effect on June 22, requesting the bidders delete the unit price and include installation of the carpet in their bids. Upon receipt of the Addendum, one of the prospective bidders calls the architect and says that he has already delivered the bid to the owner's office. How should the architect respond?

A. Ask the contractor the amount he wishes to add to or deduct from the price and adjust the bid after opening it.

B. Tell the contractor to retrieve the bid from the owner. Correct it to reflect the addendum and revised price, and resubmit to the owner.

C. Tell the contractor to submit another bid.

D. Explain that the bid will not be considered valid without acknowledgment of receipt of the addendum.
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My initial reaction was to choose C. However, I checked the answer and it is actually B. I felt that physically retrieving the bid seems silly and unnecessary. I understand that the ARE tests on the systematic set of procedures that sometimes differ from what actually goes down in practice. This may be what confused me on this question. I feel there is a concept in here that I may be missing and am still at risk of getting this wrong if presented in a different way. At the office where I work, our bids are received via email (How do you retrieve an email?)

My question is this: IF a question like this comes up on the actual exam, could it be updated to reflect modern forms of communication? If bids were submitted via email, what would be the most correct answer to this question?

Re: Submitting bids

PostPosted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:33 pm
by Coach
B is the correct answer regardless. A bid can be withdrawn at any time before the due date. Once withdrawn, it can be replaced.

Re: Submitting bids

PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 8:35 am
by ccolley12
I agree, B is the correct answer regardless of how a bid is submitted.
I wanted to add though, in general, I had to stop contextualizing ARE questions based on my own experience. I had to remind myself to select the best possible answer. For instance on this question, while you may be used to transmitting bids via email, I work almost exclusively in public works and those bids all must be sealed hard copy bids for a variety of reasons. These tests are general, sometimes to a fault.