CEA Certification Course

Lesson 1 • Project Cost Framework

Maps cost engineering activities across the project life cycle. Students understand where each cost function fits within a project's phases.

Lesson 2 • The Cost Engineering Profession

Defines cost engineering, its history, and its place within project management. Connects professional identity to the CEA certification pathway.

Lesson 3 • Data and Documentation Basics

Covers source documents, data quality, and record-keeping practices. Accurate documentation underpins every cost estimate and control activity.

Lesson 1 • Estimate Review and Validation

Introduces peer review, independent cost review, and benchmarking techniques. Students identify common estimating errors and apply corrective practices.

Lesson 2 • Estimate Basis Documentation

Defines the basis of estimate document and its required components. Proper documentation ensures estimates are auditable and reproducible.

Lesson 3 • Detailed Bottom-Up Estimating

Teaches quantity takeoff, unit cost application, and assembly-level pricing. This method produces the highest-accuracy estimates for well-defined scopes.

Lesson 4 • Estimate Classification Systems

Explains industry-standard estimate classes tied to project definition levels. Students match estimate class to scope maturity and acceptable accuracy ranges.

Lesson 1 • Cost Index Principles

Explains how cost indices measure price change over time for specific commodities and labor. Students select appropriate indices for their project type.

Lesson 2 • Currency and Purchasing Power Normalization

Addresses multi-currency projects and purchasing power parity adjustments. Students normalize costs across different economic environments for valid comparison.

Lesson 3 • Escalation Forecasting

Covers methods for projecting future cost growth using economic indicators and market trends. Accurate escalation protects project budgets from inflation risk.

Lesson 1 • Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis

Applies Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis to cost estimates. Students interpret probability distributions and tornado diagrams for decision support.

Lesson 2 • Contingency Derivation and Justification

Connects risk analysis outputs to contingency budget recommendations. Students document and defend contingency amounts to project sponsors.

Lesson 3 • Risk Identification for Cost

Covers structured techniques for identifying cost risks across all project elements. A comprehensive risk register is the foundation of quantitative analysis.

Lesson 4 • Risk Response and Cost Impact

Evaluates cost implications of risk response strategies including mitigation and transfer. Students update estimates and contingency after response planning.

Lesson 1 • Cash Flow Planning

Teaches forecasting of project cash inflows and outflows over time. Cash flow planning supports financing decisions and contract payment structures.

Lesson 2 • Cost Baseline Establishment

Defines the performance measurement baseline and its role in earned value. Students integrate scope, schedule, and cost into a unified baseline.

Lesson 3 • Contingency and Management Reserve

Distinguishes contingency from management reserve and explains their derivation. Proper reserve setting balances risk coverage with budget competitiveness.

Lesson 4 • Budget Development Process

Covers the steps from approved estimate to authorized project budget. Students allocate costs to WBS elements and establish time-phased spending plans.

Lesson 1 • Performance Measurement Calculations

Teaches computation of variances and performance indices from EVM data. Students interpret SV, CV, SPI, and CPI to diagnose project health.

Lesson 2 • EVM Reporting and Analysis

Develops skills in presenting EVM data to management and clients. Students build EVM reports that support corrective action decisions.

Lesson 3 • Forecasting with EVM

Covers estimate at completion methods and their underlying assumptions. Students select the appropriate EAC formula based on project conditions.

Lesson 1 • Cost Control Reporting

Covers the structure and content of cost control reports for internal and external audiences. Reports must be accurate, timely, and actionable.

Lesson 2 • Cost Forecasting and Trending

Develops forward-looking cost projections using current performance data. Accurate forecasts allow management to intervene before overruns become unrecoverable.

Lesson 3 • Cost Monitoring Systems

Covers the tools and processes used to track actual costs against the baseline. Timely monitoring enables early detection of cost overruns.

Lesson 4 • Change Order Management

Defines the change order process from identification through approval and budget update. Rigorous change control prevents scope creep and unauthorized spending.

Lesson 1 • Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Teaches total cost of ownership modeling across acquisition, operation, and disposal phases. LCCA enables decisions that minimize long-term cost rather than first cost.

Lesson 2 • Time Value of Money Applications

Reviews discounting, compounding, and present value calculations in a project context. These tools underpin all economic comparison and investment decision methods.

Lesson 3 • Value Engineering and Cost Optimization

Introduces the value engineering job plan and function analysis methodology. Students identify cost reduction opportunities without sacrificing required performance.

Lesson 4 • Economic Comparison Methods

Covers net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period analysis. Students select and apply the appropriate method for each decision type.