Portland CSI CDT Study Course
(Construction Documents Technology)
Are you interested in furthering your professional education and providing better services to your clients?
Then get CDT (Construction Documents Technology) certified with the support of Portland’s CSI. We offer classes with experienced instructors to help you understand the material needed to pass the exam.
CSI professional credentials are evidence of proven knowledge, education, and experience with construction documents and project delivery. Holding a certification demonstrates professional commitment, credibility and reliability to employers, colleagues, and clients.
This twelve-class series is useful for anyone in the A/E/C industry who is interested in understanding the process, roles/responsibilities, and project delivery from cradle to grave. This class is also beneficial as an additional resource to the textbook for preparing for the CDT exam. Through CSI’s Certification Program, you can develop a conceptual understanding of the entire construction process and concrete skills you will use in every aspect of your work.
The CDT exam is the foundational course for anyone who works in the built environment. Getting CDT certification means that you understand how a project unfolds from conception to delivery, roles and responsibilities of the project team and all of the contract documentation involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Please read thoroughly before emailing Cherise)
THE CLASS
Classes begin Thursday, January 30, 2025 and will run for 12 weeks with the last class on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Classes run from 5pm to 7pm Pacific Time. The class is taught via live Zoom Webinar to make the class accessible for anybody, anywhere. All Disciplines are welcome (CSI Member or not). You can take the class even if you are not taking the exam.
You do not need to be a CSI Member to register. Classes are live and will not be recorded so there will be no makeup classes available at this time.
All AEC Disciplines are welcome from anywhere in the country. You DO NOT have to be a CSI Member to attend this class. CSI Members from any Chapter are welcome to attend at Portland CSI Member rates.
Also, you may take the class even if you are not planning to take the exam and just want to get this valuable information.
Become a CSI Member and SAVE MONEY:
Something to Consider: Become a CSI Member and save a lot of money on your class and exam!
Become a Member Here: https://www.csiresources.org/join and don’t forget to choose your Chapter affiliation.
The difference in costs for Member vs. Non-Member for both the class and the exam more than covers a CSI Membership. Why not get certified AND have access to incredible industry education and events all year long in your Chapter.
Trust me, you will thank me later!
Where:
Via Zoom Webinar on Thursday nights for 12 weeks beginning Thursday, January 30, 2025.
When:
Every Thursday for 12 weeks - January 30, 2025 to April 24, 2025
Each class is 2 hours, from 5pm to 7pm Pacific Time.
Contact:
Cherise Lakeside, Instructor, Portland CSI
Portland CSI CDT Class Only (does not include exam registration fee or class materials):
Members: $150
Non-members: $500
Students (Student ID required): $75
This is a STEAL for 20 hours of industry education that you will use for the rest of your career.
Classes are eligible for up to 18 AIA HSW LU Credits.
Note – When you Register on the Portland CSI Website: Please provide your most accessible email address when registering. All Zoom invites and class information will be sent to that email.
Your Instructor:
Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT
Senior Specification Writer, RDH Building Science, Inc.
Host, ARCAT Detailed PodcastCherise is the Senior Spec Writer for RDH Building Science, Past President of Portland CSI, former Director-at-Large on the Institute Board and a CSI Fellow. She is also the host of the ARCAT DETAILED Podcast.
She has been teaching the CDT education program for approximately 11 years and has experience with many facets of the project team in the built environment.
She has worked mainly in Architecture but also in construction, MEP Engineering and now in Building Science during her 30+ year career in AEC. This gives her a unique lens and teaching style.
Cherise is particularly passionate about young professional development, public speaking and improving project coordination and communication. They call her the #CSIKraken. Connect with her on LinkedIn or you can follow her on Twitter @CheriseLakeside, #CSIKraken.
THE EXAM
Institute Exam Registration Dates and Costs – Spring 2025:
REGISTER EARLY for the best exam rates and testing dates! Sign up for the exam with CSI. Once you get your permission to test email, schedule your exam with Prometric.
Exam Window (Exams are at a Prometric Testing Center or can be remotely proctored) is May 6 to June 4, 2025. Registration for the EXAM (which is separate from the Class) opens February 12, 2025.
https://www.csiresources.org/certification/exam-registration
Registration for Exams is through Institute and not through Portland CSI. Class registration is through Portland CSI.
Exam Results Notification: Via email, Mid-July 2025.
Early Exam Registration: February 12 to March 13
Standard Registration: March 14 to April 22
Final Registration: April 23 to May 8
Exam Fees: See Institute Website
Please Note: Exam Fees are not included in Class Fee.
To register and pay for your exam, you must go to https://www.csiresources.org/certification/cdt. When you receive your registration confirmation, it will include instructions on how to schedule a test date at a local testing center or make arrangements for an online proctored exam.
The earlier you register for the exam, the lower the cost. The earlier you schedule your test date at a testing center, the more choices you will have for dates. It is very important that you do all three of these steps.
Register and pay for the CDT class with Portland CSI.
Register and pay for the exam with Institute. (PDX CSI has no involvement in this piece of the process.)
When you receive your confirmation, follow the instructions to schedule your test date with a local testing center.
Materials you will Need for the Class:
Project Delivery Practice Guide 3rd Edition.
AIA A201, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, 2017 Edition (Instructor has a free copy to send you)
Free Exam Candidate Handbook located here – Please read this carefully: https://www.csiresources.org/certification/cdt/cdt-exam-description
There are other materials that will help your knowledge building. You can review the list here: https://www.csiresources.org/certification/cdt/cdt-source-materials
Please review the Exam Overview AND download the Free Exam Candidate Handbook for information about the CDT and exam here: https://www.csiresources.org/certification/cdt/cdt-exam-description
Additional Information:
AIA HSW Learning Units are available with each class - 18 total LU/HSW’s for entire class series.
