SAVE International Updated CVS Exam Questions and Answers by frazer

The correct answer is A. $30,000 . The question asks only for the initial cost of the carpet, not its annual maintenance cost, life-cycle cost, present worth, or equivalent annual cost. In SAVE terminology, initial cost means the first expenditure required to acquire, produce, construct, or install the project, product, or process. The SAVE VM Dictionary identifies initial cost as the initial expenditure of resources and also treats it as interchangeable with capital cost. It separately defines life-cycle cost as the sum of initial cost, recurrent annual cost, single expenditures, and disposal or salvage value over a defined period. Therefore, the maintenance costs and service-life data are distractors for this specific calculation.

The carpet covers 1,000 square meters , and the installation cost is $30 per square meter . The calculation is:

1,000 × $30 = $30,000

Options B, C, and D incorrectly imply that additional costs have been added to the initial installation cost. In the Evaluation Phase, CVS candidates must identify the cost category being requested before performing the calculation. SAVE’s VM Standard places structured evaluation after creativity to compare alternatives while considering performance requirements and resource limits.

References/topics: Evaluation Phase; Initial Cost; Capital Cost; Life-Cycle Cost Analysis; Cost Classification.

The correct answer is A. Intuitive Creativity Method . In the CVS® Value Methodology framework, the Creativity Phase is designed to generate a large quantity of ideas for performing the functions selected during Function Analysis. The SAVE VM Standard describes the Creative Phase as an effort to develop many ideas for “performing each function selected for study,” with judgment suspended and free idea flow encouraged.

The intuitive creativity method is based on considering the overall problem and allowing ideas to emerge freely through association, imagination, and non-linear thinking. The VM Guide states that intuitive creativity methods are based on the “overall problem” and that brainstorming by function is a prime example. This matches the question exactly.

Option C, Discursive Creativity Method , is incorrect because it follows a deliberate, structured, step-by-step procedure by breaking the problem into sub-problems. Option D, Empirical Creativity Method , is more experimental or data-driven. Option B is not the standard classification used here.

References/topics: Creativity Phase; Creativity Techniques; Intuitive Creativity Methods; Brainstorming by Function; Creating by Function