The KnowledgeSmart Blog

Autodesk Revit is building information modeling software for architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, designers and contractors. It allows users to design a building and structure and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements, and access building information from the building model's database. Revit is 4D BIM capable with tools to plan and track various stages in the building's lifecycle, from concept to construction and later demolition.

Over the years, KnowledgeSmart has captured test scores for thousands of Revit Structure users, in multiple countries across the globe.

Here are the variances in our overall benchmark data, from 2012 to 2015:

2012
Average Score: 62.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 6 mins

2013
Average Score: 63.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 4 mins

2014
Average Score: 64.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 2 mins

2015
Average Score: 67.1%
Average Time: 1 hr 12 mins

Let's take a look at some overall aggregate score and time data on a country vs country basis. Numbers of test scores vary, so this list does not imply that one country is 'better' than another. It's interesting to see what kind of data is generated in different parts of the globe.

Revit Structure Fundamentals

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	68.7	4191.2
Canada	72.4	3686.3
Denmark	70.0	4375.0
Hong Kong	72.2	5414.2
India	62.4	4231.5
New Zealand	67.4	3891.7
Pakistan	64.4	3725.0
Philippines	67.5	3587.5
Poland	63.7	3537.5
Qatar	57.7	3521.5
Saudi Arabia	67.5	3927.5
Singapore	60.8	3775.6
South Africa	63.7	3582.5
UAE	63.0	5095.9
UK	71.1	4887.5
USA	74.7	4218.2

We also capture data on a per State basis, for our US customers. The list below represents those States where the volume of data makes for meaningful data sharing.

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	74.7	4218.2
California	81.3	3531.0
Colorado	74.0	4210.0
Florida	78.3	4033.8
Georgia	69.8	4323.0
Illinois	80.5	5365.0
Missouri	82.7	4093.9
New York	73.0	5067.5
Oregon	75.4	5197.0
Tennessee	67.5	3327.5
Texas	68.3	3857.5
Virginia	63.5	3595.0

Revit Structure Advanced

2015
Average Score: 57.2%
Average Time: 1 hr 4 mins

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	61.5	4465.3
Canada	62.4	4665.6
Egypt	62.3	3563.3
Hong Kong	54.3	4433.6
India	51.4	3738.8
New Zealand	59.5	3700.9
Qatar	52.5	4800.8
South Africa	53.0	1950.0
UAE	54.8	4182.5
UK	63.7	3905.7
USA	64.6	4598.1

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	64.6	4598.1
California	66.4	5435.0
Colorado	63.3	4365.7
Florida	63.0	4542.0
Georgia	66.0	4595.1
Illinois	63.4	4365.6
Pennsylvania	68.3	4623.4
Tennessee	63.6	4242.5
Texas	62.5	4607.5

Revit Structure is a Top 5 KS test topic, across our global customers. The impact of BIM on the AEC industry is significant and Revit is the dominant design tool, in terms of overall market share and breadth of supply chain resources.

R

The KS admin dashboard has a new element this month... a new query builder and reporting tool. The release is part one of three, for this tool.

When you log in to your dashboard as a KS admin, you will now see a new landing page, called 'HOME'.

The top half of the page displays 4 sections, which summarize some useful at-a-glance data, as follows:

Number of Invites sent in last 30 days
Number of Tests in last 30 days (Not Started, In Progress and Complete)
Top 8 Skills Gaps (based on results from last 6 months' results)
Results (last 5 completed tests)

At the bottom of the page, you will find the new query tool. This includes a range of 'pre-defined' queries, as follows:

50% or less test scores
70% or greater test scores
All invites from last 30 days
All results from last 30 days
Incomplete invites from last 30 days
All employee scores
All interviewee scores
All expired invites

You can edit pre-defined copies by first taking a copy, then editing the copy and saving with a different name.

Create new queries by clicking on the 'Create New Query' button.

Edit queries by clicking on the 'Edit Query' button.

Copy existing (or pre-defined) queries by clicking on the 'Copy Query' button.

Delete queries by clicking on the 'Delete Query' button.

Run queries across all linked accounts, or selected child accounts, by checking the relevant boxes in the 'Run Against Accounts' area:

When you create a new query, you will see this box appear:

There are 4 main sections which can be presented in your report:

Users - this captures data about the user profile and account where the user record is stored

Background - this captures data about user demographics info

Invites - this captures data about invite (and related test) status

Results - this captures data about results (and related test) status

Click 'Display these columns' to expand the top section. Use the check boxes to build up the columns of your data query. The columns selected here will also be presented in your csv export. Click on the '+' icon, if you want to add this element to your filter options in the 'match ALL conditions' section below.

In the query conditions section below, use the filter on the left of the screen to toggle between the following search topics: Users, Background, Invites, Results.

Queries can be a combination of 'ALL of these conditions' only, or 'ANY of these conditions' only, or both.

Use the dropdowns to build up the logic of your queries. There are lots of different options available, so you can filter your user, invites and results data in lots of new ways.

Export queries to csv for further analysis, by clicking on the 'Download' button.

This release is part one of three. Here's what we're working on next.

Part Two

Allow KS admins to perform a series of bulk actions, with the results of a query.

For example:

Delete users

Move users from one account to another

Invite users to a test

Delete results

Move results from one account to another

Delete invites

Change invite expiry date

Re-send invites

We'll also add individual training tags to the search options, allowing you to create workshop groups for users who have common skills gaps.

Part Three

Graphics & charts: we plan to display a range of visual summary fields on the dashboard landing page.

For example:

No. of invites sent in last x days

No. of completed tests in last x days

No. of incomplete tests in last x days

Users who have 'incomplete tests'

Most popular test topics by number taken

Average score and time for top 5 test topics

Average score for Employees vs Interviewees

Global benchmark comparison for top 5 test topics

Last x results: user names, test names, scores & times

Top 20 skills gaps (i.e. training tags)

Top 20 hardest test questions (i.e. lowest scoring average)

We will also include the ability to send auto-email reports to KS admins, which contain custom values and timescales.

As always, we welcome your feedback and ideas, so if you have any additional feature requests, in the context of searching, filtering, grouping and reporting data, we'd love to hear them!

Autodesk Revit is building information modeling software for architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, designers and contractors. It allows users to design a building and structure and its components in 3D, annotate the model with 2D drafting elements, and access building information from the building model's database. Revit is 4D BIM capable with tools to plan and track various stages in the building's lifecycle, from concept to construction and later demolition.

Over the years, KnowledgeSmart has captured test scores for thousands of Revit MEP users, in multiple countries across the globe.

Here are the variances in our overall benchmark data, from 2013 to 2015. (For the first couple of years, the data was combined into an overall value):

2013
Average Score: 65.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 16 mins

2014
Average Score: 66.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 12 mins

2015
Electrical
Average Score: 63.7%
Average Time: 1 hr 6 mins

Mechanical
Average Score: 62.2%
Average Time: 1 hr 7 mins

Plumbing
Average Score: 70.1%
Average Time: 1 hr 11 mins

Let's take a look at some overall aggregate score and time data on a country vs country basis. Numbers of test scores vary, so this list does not imply that one country is 'better' than another. It's interesting to see what kind of data is generated in different parts of the globe.

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Electrical

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	67.7	3683.0
Bahrain	58.7	5031.1
Canada	66.8	4008.6
Hong Kong	65.9	4071.9
India	57.1	3770.5
Kuwait	53.7	4280.8
New Zealand	71.8	3487.1
Oman	56.5	4855.6
Pakistan	53.1	3872.2
Philippines	59.9	3136.8
Qatar	55.0	3505.2
Saudi Arabia	58.7	3716.6
Singapore	66.1	4765.1
UAE	60.3	3715.4
UK	67.7	3525.3
USA	65.7	4143.9

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Mechanical

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	65.9	4176.4
Bahrain	57.6	4365.4
Canada	64.2	4787.8
Hong Kong	62.7	4034.4
India	58.0	4467.4
Kuwait	56.6	4576.7
New Zealand	71.2	3413.3
Oman	54.4	5123.5
Pakistan	51.1	4176.6
Philippines	56.0	3663.3
Qatar	58.1	3687.7
Saudi Arabia	60.1	4245.6
Singapore	65.7	4838.3
UAE	58.0	3822.4
UK	68.3	3516.3
USA	66.3	4076.4

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Plumbing

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	69.7	4378.4
Bahrain	64.3	4897.1
Canada	73.4	3597.5
Hong Kong	73.1	4346.1
India	63.8	3951.8
Kuwait	58.8	4020.0
New Zealand	73.2	4132.9
Oman	59.8	4676.4
Pakistan	60.5	4876.3
Philippines	67.6	3176.7
Qatar	58.7	4899.4
Saudi Arabia	67.8	4346.7
Singapore	74.1	4343.3
UAE	67.8	3984.0
UK	72.8	3474.5
USA	69.9	3919.5

We also capture data on a per State basis, for our US customers. The list below represents those States where the volume of data makes for meaningful data sharing.

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Electrical

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	65.7	4143.9
Arizona	63.7	3956.7
California	67.7	4697.8
Colorado	71.5	4234.5
Florida	73.2	4212.5
Georgia	68.5	3790.7
Illinois	68.1	5212.2
Louisiana	62.2	3987.5
Michigan	65.8	3887.4
North Carolina	62.3	4960.0
Oregon	58.7	4345.9
Pennsylvania	65.0	3803.8
Texas	68.8	3806.8
Utah	64.8	4234.8
Virginia	61.3	4340.0

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Mechanical

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	66.3	4076.4
Alabama	64.2	3815.4
Arizona	61.1	3595.0
California	72.5	5092.5
Colorado	72.4	5051.2
Florida	69.1	3531.4
Georgia	70.7	4470.8
Illinois	64.4	3424.2
Kentucky	65.0	3765.9
Louisiana	65.5	3815.3
Maryland	63.1	3402.5
Michigan	69.4	3580.1
Missouri	72.0	3920.4
North Carolina	59.7	4268.9
Ohio	73.2	3880.0
Oregon	63.0	4022.0
Pennsylvania	63.3	3769.6
Tennessee	65.9	5410.0
Texas	67.1	3522.5
Utah	66.7	4237.7
Virginia	61.0	3950.1
Washington	71.1	4326.6
Wisconsin	66.5	4345.3

Revit MEP Fundamentals - Plumbing

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	69.9	3919.5
Arizona	68.0	3315.0
California	74.7	4693.4
Colorado	71.5	4234.5
Florida	73.7	4252.7
Georgia	73.0	4132.2
Illinois	67.9	3822.2
Louisiana	67.6	3987.5
Michigan	71.1	3619.9
North Carolina	65.7	4268.9
Oregon	62.2	4205.5
Pennsylvania	69.8	3769.6
Texas	72.0	4374.4
Utah	69.7	4167.8
Virginia	63.3	4123.3

Revit MEP Advanced

2015
Mechanical
Average Score: 56.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 3 mins

Plumbing
Average Score: 57.0%
Average Time: 1 hr 6 mins

Revit MEP is a Top 5 KS test topic, across our global customers. The impact of BIM on the AEC industry is significant and Revit is the dominant design tool, in terms of overall market share and breadth of supply chain resources.

R

Longtime friends of KS, Evolve Consultancy, are hosting a series of BIM workshops in the coming weeks, to help UK Construction prepare for the BIM L2 target date of early April.

Here are the details:

2016 is here! But are you ready for the biggest single change to UK construction in recent history?

You will, of course, be aware of Building Information Modelling by now, and the fact that all UK publicly procured projects (not forgetting the many private projects following suit) need to be delivered as Level 2 BIM projects from April.

But what does that mean? And what effect will it have on you and your business?

You are invited to join us and find out all the answers at our popular interactive BIM Level 2 Implementation Workshops being held across the country in 2016.

LONDON, MARYLEBONE STATION
24 Feb 2016, 10am-4pm

BRISTOL, HIGH STREET
22 March 2016, 10am-4pm

MANCHESTER, DUCIE STREET
22 April 2016, 10am-4pm

This is not your normal training course. We’ll lead you through a series of discussions and exercises designed to help you apply the implications of BIM to your own office practices. You will go away with an action plan totally and utterly tailored to your needs.

All levels of staff are welcome from large and small practices.

What will we cover? Everything essential to understand what BIM means to you:

· The UK Government BIM initiative

· The Common Data Environment

· Understanding BIM Level 2

· Collaborative working

· Strategic priorities & project delivery

All for only £100 (+VAT) per person. Just fill in the attached booking form and send it back to admin@evolve-consultancy.com. Spaces are limited.

Where else could you get a full day’s BIM Level 2 workshop for only £100?

(KnowledgeSmart customers: please contact Evolve for a special discount code to save 20% off the booking fee!)

R

Navisworks is a 3D design review package, used primarily in the AEC sector to complement 3D design packages (such as Revit, AutoCAD and MicroStation).

Navisworks allows users to open and combine 3D models, navigate around them in real-time and review the model using a set of tools including comments, redlining, viewpoint and measurements.

Over the years, KnowledgeSmart has captured test scores for a wide range of of Navisworks users, in multiple countries across the globe.

Here are the variances in our overall benchmark data, from 2013 to 2015:

2013
Average Score: 54.0%
Average Time: 49 mins

2014
Average Score: 57.0%
Average Time: 52 mins

2015
Average Score: 58.4%
Average Time: 43 mins

Let's take a look at some overall aggregate score and time data on a country vs country basis. Numbers of test scores vary, so this list does not imply that one country is 'better' than another. It's interesting to see what kind of data is generated in different parts of the globe.

Navisworks Fundamentals

Country	Score (%)	Time (secs)
Australia	67.7	2172.2
Bahrain	53.3	3123.3
Canada	63.4	2275.5
Hong Kong	68.4	2643.3
India	49.7	2789.8
Kuwait	52.4	3320.2
New Zealand	68.1	2346.7
Oman	51.2	3630.4
Pakistan	53.2	2478.8
Philippines	60.0	2489.8
Qatar	52.6	2880.6
Saudi Arabia	59.8	2590.0
Singapore	58.8	2467.7
UAE	63.1	3543.5
UK	66.5	2525.9
USA	57.7	2491.4

We also capture data on a per State basis, for our US customers. The list below represents those States where the volume of data makes for meaningful data sharing.

State	Score (%)	Time (secs)
USA all	57.7	2491.4
Arizona	56.5	2676.1
California	63.4	2374.2
Colorado	58.8	2298.8
Florida	62.9	2387.6
Georgia	59.6	2478.5
Illinois	54.6	2664.4
Louisiana	55.7	2599.4
Michigan	58.8	2490.7
Missouri	51.2	2974.1
New York	58.9	2185.5
North Carolina	53.3	2776.1
Oregon	52.7	2687.8
Pennsylvania	57.9	2489.9
Tennessee	54.3	2567.7
Texas	63.2	2234.4
Utah	57.3	2512.2
Virginia	56.1	2775.5

Navisworks is a Top 10 KS test topic, across our global customers. Overall results data illustrates that there is a clear need for training across the wider industry, with respect to model navigation and clash detection.

R

Architects from across the world have submitted several thousand KS test scores, in recent years. Let’s take a more detailed look at the people behind the headline stats.

We capture some interesting user demographic data at the start of each test session. This includes the following questions:

- Primary Industry/Discipline
- Primary Role
- Country & State
- Self rating (out of 5)
- How many years have you used this tool?
- Where did you learn to use this tool?
- How often do you use this tool? (Daily, weekly, occasional)
- How did you learn to use this tool? (On the job, Formal training, College)

The top 4 skills assessments completed by Architects are, in order (by volume):

Revit Architecture
AutoCAD
MicroStation
BIM Management

The results data comes from a wide range of countries and territories, primarily, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Middle East regions.

Here are the overall results:

Revit Architecture

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 73.5% in 4894 secs

Part-time users = 67.3% in 5542 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 66.2% in 5333 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 74.5% in 5215 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 73.0% in 5199 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 73.3% in 5637 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 70.3% in 4834 secs

The average Revit Architecture self-rating score for Architects is: 3.7.

AutoCAD

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 55.5% in 4919 secs

Part-time users = 52.8% in 6019 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 45.9% in 4241 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 55.1% in 5772 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 53.7% in 5430 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 57.5% in 5140 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 51.8% in 4932 secs

The average AutoCAD self-rating score for Architects is: 3.4.

MicroStation

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 61.2% in 4652 secs

Part-time users = 56.2% in 5165 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 58.2% in 4901 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 62.3% in 4639 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 63.4% in 4519 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 62.6% in 4673 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 65.8% in 5037 secs

The average MicroStation self-rating score for Architects is: 3.5.

BIM Management

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 71.1% in 2029 secs

Part-time users = 67.8% in 2152 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 68.3% in 2037 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 69.1% in 1947 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 67.7% in 1923 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 70.4% in 2035 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 70.5% in 1947 secs

The average BIM self-rating score for Architects is: 3.6.

Trends:

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Architects with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Architects who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

CAD and BIM Managers from across the world have submitted a wide range of KS test scores, in recent years. Let’s take a more detailed look at the people behind the headline stats.

We capture some interesting user demographic data at the start of each test session. This includes the following questions:

- Primary Industry/Discipline
- Primary Role
- Country & State
- Self rating
- How many years have you used this tool?
- Where did you learn to use this tool?
- How often do you use this tool? (Daily, weekly, occasional)
- How did you learn to use this tool? (On the job, Formal training, College)

The top 6 tests completed by CAD & BIM Managers are, in order (by volume):

Revit Architecture
BIM Management
Revit MEP
Revit Structure
AutoCAD
MicroStation

The results data comes from a wide range of countries and territories, primarily, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, HK, South Africa and Middle East regions.

Here are the overall results:

Revit Architecture

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 81.7% in 2551 secs

Part-time users = 78.3% in 3945 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 76.3% in 2940 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 82.0% in 2912 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 81.1% in 2832 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 82.3% in 3725 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 76.7% in 3317 secs

The average Revit Architecture self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 4.2.

BIM Management

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 79.1% in 1767 secs

Part-time users = 71.2% in 2252 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 72.3% in 2771 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 79.3% in 1682 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 78.7% in 1711 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 76.4% in 2248 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 72.5% in 1843 secs

The average BIM self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 4.3.

Revit MEP

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 77.6% in 3136 secs

Part-time users = 72.8% in 3316 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 70.8% in 2996 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 78.7% in 2552 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 75.1% in 2732 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 77.6% in 3470 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 74.8% in 3311 secs

The average Revit MEP self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 4.1.

Revit Structure

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 78.6% in 3214 secs

Part-time users = 73.3% in 3745 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 69.7% in 3640 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 81.0% in 2819 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 80.2% in 2832 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 80.1% in 2902 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 75.7% in 2493 secs

The average Revit Structure self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 4.0.

AutoCAD

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 64.0% in 4230 secs

Part-time users = 62.8% in 4535 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 53.2% in 3827 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 57.6% in 3621 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 59.7% in 4038 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 66.9% in 3782 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 62.2% in 3814 secs

The average AutoCAD self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 3.5.

MicroStation

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 63.6% in 4154 secs

Part-time users = 57.2% in 4766 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 55.6% in 4901 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 63.3% in 4546 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 64.4% in 4527 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 61.8% in 4273 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 58.5% in 4139 secs

The average MicroStation self-rating score for CAD & BIM Managers is: 3.6.

Trends:

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

CAD & BIM Managers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

CAD & BIM Managers who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

CAD & BIM Managers are generally very confident in their ability to use technical software tools on Construction projects.

CAD & BIM Managers are more confident and more accurate using modeling software than drafting software.

Civil Engineers from across the world have submitted several thousand KS test scores, in recent years. Let’s take a more detailed look at the people behind the headline stats.

We capture some interesting user demographic data at the start of each test session. This includes the following questions:

The top 3 tests completed by Civil Engineers are, in order (by volume):

AutoCAD Civil 3D
AutoCAD
MicroStation

The results data comes from a wide range of countries and territories, primarily, US, Canada, UK, Australia, South Africa and Middle East regions.

Here are the overall results:

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 73.4% in 3294 secs

Part-time users = 68.2% in 4109 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 63.4% in 3783 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 75.5% in 3170 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 76.3% in 3290 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 71.1% in 3463 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 67.4% in 3587 secs

The average AutoCAD Civil 3D self-rating score for Civil Engineers is: 3.9.

AutoCAD

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 70.2% in 4867 secs

Part-time users = 63.1% in 4842 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 55.3% in 5130 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 70.4% in 4363 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 69.9% in 3799 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 67.2% in 4576 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 55.7% in 4644 secs

The average AutoCAD self-rating score for Civil Engineers is: 3.7.

MicroStation

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 69.6% in 5144 secs

Part-time users = 64.6% in 5455 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 61.3% in 5656 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 73.3% in 4842 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 71.4% in 4338 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 71.6% in 4686 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 57.5% in 4339 secs

The average MicroStation self-rating score for Civil Engineers is: 3.6.

Trends:

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Civil Engineers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Civil Engineers who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. There is little to choose between the two, in terms of speed.

Civil Engineers are generally confident in their ability to use technical software tools on Construction projects, although overall, there is still room for further improvement in their core skills.

MEP Engineers from across the world have submitted a wide variety of KS test scores, in recent years. Let’s take a more detailed look at the people behind the headline stats.

We capture some interesting user demographic data at the start of each test session. This includes the following questions:

The top 2 tests completed by MEP Engineers are, in order (by volume):

Revit MEP
AutoCAD

The results data comes from a wide range of countries and territories, primarily, US, Canada, UK, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, HK and Middle East regions.

Here are the overall results:

Revit MEP

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 68.5% in 3110 secs

Part-time users = 65.7% in 3871 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 56.6% in 2901 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 68.7% in 3401 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 66.8% in 3992 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 70.2% in 3781 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 64.8% in 3911 secs

The average Revit MEP self-rating score for MEP Engineers is: 3.8.

AutoCAD

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 59.8% in 5356 secs

Part-time users = 54.9% in 4864 secs

1 to 5 years' experience (all types) = 52.7% in 5752 secs

6 to 10 years' experience (all types) = 57.5% in 5240 secs

11 to 15 years' experience (all types) = 54.7% in 5449 secs

On the job learning (all types) = 57.8% in 4516 secs

Formal learning (all types) = 55.1% in 4344 secs

The average AutoCAD self-rating score for MEP Engineers is: 3.4.

Trends:

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

MEP Engineers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

MEP Engineers who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

MEP Engineers are generally confident in their ability to use technical software tools on Construction projects, although overall, there is still room for further improvement in their core skills.

MEP Engineers are more confident and more accurate using modeling software than drafting software.

Structural Engineers from across the world have submitted a wide variety of KS test scores, in recent years. Let’s take a more detailed look at the people behind the headline stats.

We capture some interesting user demographic data at the start of each test session. This includes the following questions:

The top 2 tests completed by Structural Engineers are, in order (by volume):

Revit Structure
AutoCAD

The results data comes from a wide range of countries and territories, primarily, US, Canada, UK, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, HK and Middle East regions.

Here are the overall results:

Revit Structure

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 71.1% in 4201 secs

Part-time users = 67.2% in 3871 secs

1 to 5 years = 66.7% in 4110 secs

6 to 10 years = 69.9% in 3489 secs

11 to 15 years = 67.1% in 3892 secs

On the job learning = 69.1% in 4287 secs

Formal learning = 64.3% in 3956 secs

The average Revit Structure self-rating score for Structural Engineers is: 3.7.

AutoCAD

Avg score/time for:

Regular users = 56.7% in 4756 secs

Part-time users = 54.9% in 5064 secs

1 to 5 years = 51.3% in 4536 secs

6 to 10 years = 56.3% in 4201 secs

11 to 15 years = 56.7% in 5337 secs

On the job learning = 54.8% in 4466 secs

Formal learning = 52.1% in 4215 secs

The average AutoCAD self-rating score for Structural Engineers is: 3.3.

Trends:

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Structural Engineers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Structural Engineers who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

Structural Engineers are generally confident in their ability to use technical software tools on Construction projects, although overall, there is still room for further improvement in their core skills.

Structural Engineers are more confident and more accurate using modeling software than drafting software.

With the global adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) well underway, it is a huge challenge for Architectural design businesses to manage the change in their project delivery processes from more conventional draughting and sketching production environments, to that of virtual design and 'intelligent' modelling.

Looking at the global AEC picture, it is clear that the commercial software application adopted by over half of the world's design firms, as their modelling tool of choice, is Autodesk's Revit Architecture platform.

In recent years, KnowledgeSmart's online skills assessment software platform has captured test scores from thousands of Architects, representing hundreds of design firms, spread across six continents and a couple of dozen countries.

We have analysed the results data generated from these live assessments, at a basic skills level, and noted the following trends. For this particular study, the majority of our data is generated in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada (in that order).

A simple key to interpret the data below:

Architect = Job Title
RAC = Revit Architecture
1 to 5 = 1 to 5 years' experience using the tool
6 to 10 = 6 to 10 years' experience using the tool
11 to 15 = 11 to 15 years' experience using the tool
Regular = use the tool daily (or almost daily)
Occasional = use the tool weekly (or less than weekly)
Self taught = learned to use the tool primarily 'on the job'
Formal = learned to the tool primarily via formal classroom or online training
All = overall KS benchmark data
AUS = Australia
CAN = Canada
UK = UK
USA = USA

Here is a summary of the results presented by different types of Architects.

Overall

RAC Fundamentals score overall: 68.8% in 4764 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/All = 63.3% in 5121 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/All = 62.8% in 4976 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/All = 69.4% in 4588 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/All = 68.7% in 4461 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/All = 69.7% in 4701 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/All = 68.4% in 4529 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/All = 58.4% in 5446 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/All = 57.8% in 5228 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/All = 66.7% in 4843 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/All = 65.9% in 4677 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/All = 67.4% in 4802 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/All = 66.5% in 4646 secs

Australia

RAC Fundamentals score Australia: 69.4% in 4737 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/AUS = 63.8% in 5181 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/AUS = 62.3% in 4986 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/AUS = 69.8% in 4836 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/AUS = 69.1% in 4768 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/AUS = 69.4% in 4787 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/AUS = 68.8% in 4679 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/AUS = 57.4% in 5336 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/AUS = 56.5% in 5210 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/AUS = 65.8% in 4757 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/AUS = 65.2% in 4588 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/AUS = 66.4% in 4818 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/AUS = 66.2% in 4701 secs

Canada

RAC Fundamentals score Canada: 70.1% in 4341 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/CAN = 64.1% in 5227 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/CAN = 63.6% in 5026 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/CAN = 70.6% in 4532 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/CAN = 70.3% in 4311 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/CAN = 70.8% in 4488 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/CAN = 70.4% in 4501 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/CAN = 58.3% in 5411 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/CAN = 57.2% in 5317 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/CAN = 65.7% in 4858 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/CAN = 64.8% in 4767 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/CAN = 66.1% in 4777 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/CAN = 65.8% in 4689 secs

RAC Fundamentals score UK: 73.6% in 4783 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/UK = 65.2% in 5075 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/UK = 64.5% in 5033 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/UK = 73.1% in 4767 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/UK = 72.4% in 4554 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/UK = 73.5% in 4748 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/UK = 72.6% in 4579 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/UK = 60.3% in 5186 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/UK = 59.3% in 5032 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/UK = 67.4% in 4711 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/UK = 66.9% in 4665 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/UK = 67.4% in 4788 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/UK = 67.1% in 4667 secs

USA

RAC Fundamentals score USA: 72.4% in 4672 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 64.7% in 5039 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 63.8% in 4911 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 72.6% in 4577 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 71.7% in 4491 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/self taught/US = 72.3% in 4632 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/regular/formal/US = 71.6% in 4478 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 59.1% in 5206 secs

Architect/RAC/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 58.2% in 5123 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 66.9% in 4743 secs

Architect/RAC/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 66.1% in 4668 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/US = 67.3% in 4725 secs

Architect/RAC/11 to 15/occasional/formal/US = 66.4% in 4512 secs

Observations

All four territories in this study are mature markets, in terms of Revit adoption.

Each country has an established Autodesk Training Centre market, offering high quality learning and development opportunities and consultancy.

Each country has a pool of further education colleges, community colleges and universities, many of whom teach technical software skills as part of courses in the built environment.

Each country is well supported by professional bodies and information-rich conference series', such as BIM Forum, RTC, AU, BIM Day Out and BIM Show Live.

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Architects with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Architects around the world have been using 2D draughting tools on live projects for over 20 years. One of the most popular applications for design firms is Bentley Systems' MicroStation platform.

In recent years, KnowledgeSmart's online skills assessment software platform has captured test scores from thousands of Architects, representing hundreds of design firms, spread across six continents and a couple of dozen countries.

We have analysed the results data generated from these live assessments, at a basic skills level, and noted the following trends. For this particular study, the majority of our data is generated in the UK, USA, Australia and Canada (in that order).

A simple key to interpret the data below:

Architect = Job Title
MicroStation = MicroStation 2D skills
1 to 5 = 1 to 5 years' experience using the tool
6 to 10 = 6 to 10 years' experience using the tool
11 to 15 = 11 to 15 years' experience using the tool
Regular = use the tool daily (or almost daily)
Occasional = use the tool weekly (or less than weekly)
Self taught = learned to use the tool primarily 'on the job'
Formal = learned to the tool primarily via formal classroom or online training
All = overall KS benchmark data
AUS = Australia
CAN = Canada
UK = UK
USA = USA

Here is a summary of the results presented by different types of Architects.

Overall

MicroStation score overall: 59.3% in 5040 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/self taught/all = 53.8% in 5249 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/formal/all = 53.1% in 5131 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/self taught/all = 60.4% in 4974 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/formal/all = 59.9% in 4854 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/self taught/all = 59.7% in 4824 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/formal/all = 59.3% in 4754 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/all = 49.5% in 5657 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/formal/all = 48.8% in 5520 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/all = 55.3% in 5309 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/formal/all = 55.2% in 5267 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/all = 55.8% in 5278 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/formal/all = 55.1% in 5222 secs

Australia

MicroStation score Australia: 58.7% in 4873 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/self taught/AUS = 53.6% in 5201 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/formal/AUS = 53.0% in 5160 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/self taught/AUS = 59.2% in 4954 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/formal/AUS = 58.8% in 4889 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/self taught/AUS = 58.8% in 4876 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/formal/AUS = 58.2% in 4565 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/AUS = 48.1% in 5595 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/formal/AUS = 47.3% in 5476 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/AUS = 54.9% in 5212 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/formal/AUS = 54.2% in 5131 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/AUS = 55.2% in 5152 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/formal/AUS = 54.4% in 5059 secs

Canada

MicroStation score Canada: 57.7% in 5172 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/self taught/CAN = 52.7% in 5421 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/formal/CAN = 52.6% in 5387 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/self taught/CAN = 58.2% in 5178 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/formal/CAN = 57.8% in 5102 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/self taught/CAN = 58.3% in 5046 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/formal/CAN = 57.6% in 5012 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/CAN = 47.4% in 5754 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/formal/CAN = 46.8% in 5632 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/CAN = 54.6% in 5512 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/formal/CAN = 53.8% in 5466 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/CAN = 55.1% in 5432 secs

Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/formal/CAN = 54.7% in 5313 secs

UK

MicroStation score UK: 61.3% in 4859 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/self taught/UK = 55.5% in 5285 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/formal/UK = 55.1% in 5222 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/self taught/UK = 61.5% in 4862 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/formal/UK = 61.1% in 4828 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/self taught/UK = 61.3% in 4901 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/formal/UK = 60.8% in 4788 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/UK = 49.7% in 5456 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/formal/UK = 49.1% in 5402 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/UK = 56.3% in 5232 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/formal/UK = 55.6% in 5179 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/UK = 56.7% in 5143 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/formal/UK = 55.8% in 5056 secs

USA

MicroStation score USA: 59.2% in 5374 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 54.2% in 5767 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 53.6% in 5647 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 59.6% in 5387 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 59.2 in 5322 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/self taught/US = 59.5% in 5278 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/regular/formal/US = 59.2% in 5166 secs

Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 48.4% in 5767 secs
Architect/MicroStation/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 47.7% in 5665 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 55.1% in 5489 secs
Architect/MicroStation/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 54.8% in 5447 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/self taught/US = 55.6% in 5420 secs
Architect/MicroStation/11 to 15/occasional/formal/US = 55.1% in 5391 secs

Observations

All four territories in this study are mature markets, in terms of MicroStation adoption.

Each country is an established Bentley Systems' market, with a high quality learning and development environment and vendor consultancy support.

Each country is well supported by professional bodies, AEC industry conferences and established vendor user community groups and online resources.

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Architects with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Architects who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

R

With the global adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) well underway, it is a huge challenge for Engineering businesses to manage the change in their project delivery processes from more conventional drawing production environments, to that of virtual design, clash detection and 'intelligent' modelling.

Looking at the global AEC picture, it is clear that the commercial software application adopted by a wide majority of the world's MEP Engineering firms, as their modelling tool of choice, is Autodesk's Revit MEP platform.

In recent years, KnowledgeSmart's online skills assessment software platform has captured test scores from thousands of Engineers, representing hundreds of firms, spread across six continents and a couple of dozen countries.

We have analysed the results data generated from these live assessments, at a basic skills level, and noted the following trends. For this particular study, the majority of our data is generated in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia (in that order).

A simple key to interpret the data below:

MEP Eng = Job Title

RMEP = Revit MEP

1 to 5 = 1 to 5 years' experience using the tool

6 to 10 = 6 to 10 years' experience using the tool

Regular = use the tool daily (or almost daily)

Occasional = use the tool weekly (or less than weekly)

Self taught = learned to use the tool primarily 'on the job'

Formal = learned to the tool primarily via formal classroom or online training

All = overall KS benchmark data

AUS = Australia

CAN = Canada

UK = UK

USA = USA

Here is a summary of the results presented by different types of Engineers.

Overall

RMEP Fundamentals score overall: 66.3% in 4084 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/self taught/All = 58.6% in 4771 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/formal/All = 57.7% in 4626 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/self taught/All = 67.1% in 4188 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/formal/All = 66.4% in 4111 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/All = 53.3% in 5146 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/formal/All = 52.8% in 5025 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/All = 61.3% in 4644 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/formal/All = 60.4% in 4561 s

Australia

RMEP Fundamentals score Australia: 66.7% in 4079 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/self taught/AUS = 57.8% in 4971 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/formal/AUS = 57.0% in 4786 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/self taught/AUS = 66.8% in 4006 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/formal/AUS = 65.9% in 3768 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/AUS = 53.7% in 5116 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/formal/AUS = 52.6% in 4910 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/AUS = 59.8% in 4557 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/formal/AUS = 58.7% in 4388 s

Canada

RMEP Fundamentals score Canada: 68.1% in 4391 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/self taught/CAN = 60.5% in 4835 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/formal/CAN = 58.8% in 4754 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/self taught/CAN = 68.6% in 4272 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/formal/CAN = 67.3% in 4113 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/CAN = 55.3% in 5002 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/formal/CAN = 54.2% in 4849 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/CAN = 62.2% in 4458 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/formal/CAN = 61.4% in 4367 s

RMEP Fundamentals score UK: 69.4% in 3705 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/self taught/UK = 61.2% in 4216 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/formal/UK = 60.6% in 4011 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/self taught/UK = 69.5% in 3665 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/formal/UK = 68.5% in 3487 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/UK = 56.2% in 4558 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/formal/UK = 54.3% in 4543 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/UK = 62.4% in 4313 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/formal/UK = 61.6% in 4282 s

USA

RMEP Fundamentals score USA: 67.3% in 4046 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 59.6% in 4632 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 57.8% in 4411 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 67.6% in 3933 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 66.7% in 3731 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 55.1% in 4806 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 53.2% in 4723 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 60.8% in 4543 s

MEP Eng/RMEP/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 59.7% in 4368 s

Observations

All four territories in this study are mature markets, in terms of Revit adoption.

Each country has an established Autodesk Training Centre market, offering high quality learning and development opportunities and consultancy.

Each country has a pool of further education colleges, community colleges and universities, many of whom teach technical software skills as part of courses in the built environment.

Each country is well supported by professional bodies and information-rich conference series', such as BIM Forum, RTC, AU, BIM Day Out and BIM Show Live.

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Engineers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Engineers who learn to apply these tools on projects are more accurate than those who have primarily formal training, but less practical experience. Formally trained users are faster overall than self-taught users.

Looking at the global AEC picture, it is clear that the commercial software application adopted by a wide majority of the world's Structural Engineering firms, as their modelling tool of choice, is Autodesk's Revit Structure platform.

A simple key to interpret the data below:

Str Eng = Job Title

RST = Revit Structure

1 to 5 = 1 to 5 years' experience using the tool

6 to 10 = 6 to 10 years' experience using the tool

Regular = use the tool daily (or almost daily)

Occasional = use the tool weekly (or less than weekly)

Self taught = learned to use the tool primarily 'on the job'

Formal = learned to the tool primarily via formal classroom or online training

All = overall KS benchmark data

AUS = Australia

CAN = Canada

UK = UK

USA = USA

Here is a summary of the results presented by different types of Engineers.

Overall

RST Fundamentals score overall: 67.1% in 4320 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/self taught/All = 59.3% in 4854 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/formal/All = 58.2% in 4738 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/self taught/All = 68.3% in 4141 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/formal/All = 67.4% in 4372 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/All = 55.2% in 5353 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/formal/All = 54.5% in 5244 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/All = 63.3% in 4967 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/formal/All = 62.5% in 4777 s

Australia

RST Fundamentals score Australia: 68.7% in 4191 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 59.4% in 4786 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 58.0% in 4553 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 68.6% in 4003 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 67.2% in 3967 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 53.4% in 4822 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 52.0% in 4687 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 59.6% in 4566 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 58.7 in 4330 s

Canada

RST Fundamentals score Canada: 72.4% in 3886 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 63.4% in 4378 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 61.6% in 4233 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 72.6% in 3717 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 71.4% in 3578 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 58.1% in 4516 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 56.7% in 4439 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 63.6% in 4248 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 62.5% in 4036 s

RST Fundamentals score UK: 71.1% in 4887 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 62.2% in 5343 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 60.6% in 5154 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 71.3% in 4673 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 70.1% in 4491 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 58.4% in 5616 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 56.9% in 5552 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 62.6% in 5254 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 61.7% in 4987 s

USA

RST Fundamentals score USA: 73.7% in 4218 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/self taught/US = 64.6% in 4843 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/regular/formal/US = 62.9% in 4661 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/self taught/US = 73.8% in 4073 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/regular/formal/US = 72.1% in 3891 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/self taught/US = 59.3% in 4916 s

Str Eng/RST/1 to 5/occasional/formal/US = 57.9% in 4856 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/self taught/US = 64.8% in 4668 s

Str Eng/RST/6 to 10/occasional/formal/US = 63.7% in 4448 s

Observations

All four territories in this study are mature markets, in terms of Revit adoption.

Each country has an established Autodesk Training Centre market, offering high quality learning and development opportunities and consultancy.

Each country has a pool of further education colleges, community colleges and universities, many of whom teach technical software skills as part of courses in the built environment.

Each country is well supported by professional bodies and information-rich conference series', such as BIM Forum, RTC, AU, BIM Day Out and BIM Show Live.

Overall, regular users are more accurate and faster than part-time users.

Engineers with 6 to 10 years' of experience with these tools are the most efficient. They reach a plateau in performance after c. 7 years and make no further productivity gains.

Over the past 6-12 months, the number one most requested new feature from KS customers has been to include the ability to create surveys, as well as assessments, direct from the KS admin dashboard.

So, we have been working on creating a 'survey mode' area, which enables KS admins to deploy a standalone survey, or a hybrid combined test/survey, with a mix of standard test questions and questions which do not require a 'right or wrong' answer.

Here's a walk through of the new tools:

Log in to the KS admin dashboard, in the same way as usual, but note the addition of a new 'Survey' button on the main login page:

When you log in to the admin dashboard, you'll see a new feature top right of the page. Hover over the 'Current mode' text and you'll see this popup menu:

Click the 'Switch Mode' button and you'll be taken to a new area of the admin dashboard, which hosts the editing, inviting and reporting tools for the new survey tools.

The Library > Draft Content area has a similar look & feel to the current draft tests menu layout.

There are Draft Questions:

Draft Modules:

And Draft Surveys:

Creating a survey follows the same logic and authoring process as the existing KS Assessments.

Questions

There are 4 types of question to choose from. You have a 3,000 character limit on question text:

Free Comment

This is a free text question, where the user can enter any text to an open-ended question.

There are no additional settings or inputs required, after the main question text has been entered.

The usual meta tags can be added at step 3, to help content management later on.

Yes or No

This is a straightforward yes or no question, where the user can enter a direct response to a closed question.

There are no additional settings or inputs required, after the main question text has been entered.

Multiple Choice (Select one)

This is a multiple choice question, where the user can enter one valid answer option.

Enter your answer options at edit step 2, after the main question text has been entered.

Multiple Choice (Select many)

This is a multiple choice question, where the user can enter one or more valid answer options.

Enter your answer options at edit step 2, after the main question text has been entered.

Modules

Once created, you can group questions of a similar theme into a survey module.

Select questions from your library and use the green '+' tool to add them to your module.

The usual meta tags can be added at step 3, to help content management later on.

In the survey UI, questions from each module will display on separate pages. i.e. if you have 3 modules assigned to a survey, then it will be a 3-page survey.

Surveys

Once created, you can assign one or more modules to your new survey.

Select modules from your library and use the green '+' tool to add them to your survey.

Add an introduction or welcome message and survey instructions at edit step 3, 'Survey settings'.

The usual meta tags can be added at step 3, to help content management later on.

When you have created your survey, you can capture a unique URL or a unique survey code, which can be used for inviting users to complete your survey later on.

Inviting users to take a survey

You have 3 options for inviting your users to complete a KS survey.

The first option is when you want to capture a list of users who have participated in your survey. Options 2 and 3 are for anonymous surveys, where you do not need to capture a specific record of users who have completed your survey.

Invite Users Page

Similar to the KS assessments invite process, go to the Invites > Invite Users page of your dashboard and add your users at the top of the page.

You can see a history of survey invites and statuses on the Invites > History page of your dashboard.

Unique URL

Capture the unique URL for your survey (from the section at the bottom of the survey summary page) and email your team with instructions about your survey and include the link to the survey in the body text of your mail.

Unique Survey Code

Capture the unique survey code for your survey (from the section at the bottom of the survey summary page) and email your team with this link:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/Survey/SurveySelect.aspx.

They just need to enter the survey code to begin the survey.

Survey UI

The KS survey user interface (UI) is mobile responsive and works equally well on desktop, tablet or mobile screens.

To begin, go to the survey start page, read the instructions and hit the Continue button.

Answer the questions on the screen, by selecting the relevant answer boxes, or by typing answers to free text questions.

At the end of the survey, a simple answer summary page displays.

Click 'Finish survey' to exit the survey.

Hybrid Assessment & Survey

KS admins have the option to create a hybrid test & survey, by appending a survey at the end of a standard KS test.

Go to test edit step 4, 'Test settings' and look for the survey dropdown at the bottom of the screen. Select the survey to be added and click 'Finish' to save your changes.

Now, when a user completes their assessment, they will see a transition page, which takes them to their survey. When the survey has been completed, their test report will then display, as usual.

Survey Results

To review survey responses and charts, go to the Results > Data page. You will see a list of completed surveys in the 'Survey Results' area.

Click on a survey name to view a detailed summary of responses and charts for that particular survey.

Click the 'Export to csv' tool, to create an export of your survey responses, for additional analysis.

The impact of BIM on the global AEC industry has created a need for firms to be able to demonstrate evidence of their actual ability (and capability) to perform and deliver on client projects. This includes individual and team technical skills, as well as business process and standards methodology.

Skills assessments are a key part of the mix and KnowledgeSmart has been working in this space for over 10 years, enabling firms to capture real evidence and benchmark data to include in training plans, hiring programmes and project bid documentation.

More recently, however, we have seen a significant rise in demand for a more formal output at the end of a test session, than the current gap analysis report which highlights where individual improvements can be made to help improve productivity.

So, we have created a new work flow, called 'Exam Mode', which enables AEC firms, educators and industry member organisations to deploy a more formal certification exam type experience, with a final result output along the lines of traditional exam models.

To clarify; this is not designed to replace formal large software vendor exams, for example commercially available Autodesk, Adobe, Cisco or Microsoft qualifications.

But we are well placed to offer firms and member organisations the opportunity to create custom exams, with their own result bandings and levels of achievement, enabling them to demonstrate capability (and excellence) across their teams.

Here is a preview of the new functionality:

The main KS login page will have a new button, called 'Exam':

This tool can be used by KS admins and sub admins, to log in to a new exam session.

Users enter their details at the candidate info screen.

When the candidate is ready to begin, they click 'Start' to open their exam session. All sessions are timed.

There are 9 different types of questions to choose from and the candidate works through the questions which display on the Exam UI.

When all the questions have been answered, the candidate clicks 'Finish' and their final grade displays.

From an authoring perspective, KS exams are broadly similar to the existing KS assessments, with a few key differences.

You can now select 'Exam mode' when editing or creating a KS assessment. The default result bandings are: Fail (0-40%), Pass (41-60%), Merit (61-80%) and Distinction (81-100%).

Result bandings can be edited, if you wish to select a different score range and/or different labels for the various exam outcomes. An error will display, if the banding values are not concurrent, or if they exceed 100%. Click 'Finish' to save your changes.

When exam mode is enabled, the user data capture pages at the start and end of a session are disabled. The 'Request training' button is also disabled on the exam UI.

You will notice some new choices on the Settings > Branding page.

It is possible to add a corporate/organisation logo to the top of the exam UI and at the top of the exam certificate. (On a related note, we have also included in this release the ability to add branding to user pages and user test certificates).

As with KS test reports, administrators can control when candidates are presented with their exam certificate, via the Settings > Feedback page. If 'No exam certificate' is selected, users will see a message at the end, as per the current 'No Report' option.

If a result is emailed to a candidate, it will send a plain text email, with a link to their exam certificate.

KS admins can easily distinguish KS exam results from test results on the Results > Data page, by looking for the orange 'Rosette' icon, next to the score.

KS admins will still be able to see a link to the old style test report, which shows the question mix and answer feedback, but this view will not available to users. Clicking on the Rosette will display the exam certificate.

There is a new search filter on the Library > Draft Content > Draft Tests page, which allows admins to search for assessments and exams.

Users will see a new section on their personal dashboard page, called 'My Exams'.

This displays a new area, with a history of exam results and links to exam certificates.

The new functionality is scheduled to go live in the autumn. In addition to traditional skills testing and survey capability, the new KS exam mode offers customers, educators and industry member organisations a stable, customizable, web based platform, capable of capturing and presenting a wide range of formal exam and certification-style results.

A key theme for us this year is that of measuring technical software skills and performance, against a wider body of results data. We are featuring our analysis of the 'BIG 5' Autodesk skills assessments at this year's Autodesk University conference, which takes place from 15-17 November, in Las Vegas, USA. Here is the conference link: http://au.autodesk.com.

The BIG 5 tests are:
Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Revit MEP, AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D.

KnowledgeSmart will be exhibiting in the main hall, at booth number 2810.

We look forward to seeing you there!

R

A popular theme for our customers this year is to have closer integration between the KS system and other in-house IT systems. In particular, LMS, HR and E-Learning systems.

So, with this in mind, we have been working on creating a series of automated processes and API calls, which can simplify and speed up the exchange of key data across platforms.

Here is a brief summary of what we have created so far:

List assessments for logged in account:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/assessments/getallassessments

Invite user to an assessment (replace the query string elements as required):
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/assessments/GetNewInvite?UserEmail=john@xyz.com&TestID=4841&FirstName=john&LastName=smith&Status=1

List users for account:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/users/getallusers

Search users by name (change the name value to a name you want to search):
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/users/getusersbyname?name=john

Search users by id (change the userid value to an id you know):
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/users/getuserbyid?userid=xxxx

List results for account:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/results/GetAllResults

List results for a user (change the userid value to an id you know):
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/results/GetResultsForUser?userid=xxxx

Show all results for a particular test id:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/results/GetResultsForAssessment?testid=xxxx
It will return the results for a given test id for the logged in account.

Add a new user:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/users/adduser?email=john@xyz.com&firstname=john&lastname=smith

Simply substitute the email/firstname/lastname to the user you would like to add. If a user already exists with that email address then that user is added to the account.

Get answers for a result:
https://online.knowledgesmart.net/api/api/results/getanswersforresult?resultid=xxxx

Pass in the resultid you would like to see the answers for. N.B. you would probably use the existing methods GetAllResults or GetResultsForUser first to get the list of results and their resultids which you could then pass in.

If you would like to schedule a call with our technical team, to discuss your own organisation's requirements for closer integration with KS user and results data, please do get in touch.

R

If your firm increases productivity by 1% per person annually, you gain 2 extra working days per team member.

How do you measure your firm's productivity against your peers and the wider AEC industry?

KnowledgeSmart has been capturing test scores across a wide range of technical software products, used by Architects & Engineers around the world.

We have data-mined thousands of results for the 'BIG 5' Autodesk software titles, as follows:

Revit Architecture
Revit MEP
Revit Structure
AutoCAD
AutoCAD Civil 3D

The results form a fascinating insight into the way these tools are deployed and utilised in different territories around the world. This is the most detailed study of software proficiency ever carried out with live test data, across thousands of users and hundreds of AEC businesses.

A detailed PDF report can be downloaded for each topic from this microsite.

Now, for the first time, management teams can compare their in-house performance and technical software capability against the wider Global industry benchmark.

This data can be included in the hiring process, new team selection, annual appraisals and when bidding for new project work.

R

Sometimes AEC businesses struggle with the plethora of BIM conferences, seminars, white papers, 'expert' consultants, Government advice, conflicting terminology and official guidance.

BIM is gaining momentum and maturity across the Global Construction industry.

Written a couple of years back, but still very relevant today, we really enjoyed this informative, thoughtful article from NBS, entitled, '20 key BIM terms you need to know'.

https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/the-20-key-bim-terms-you-need-to-know.

R

Revit Structure Test Scores Around The World

KS New Release - Data Query Tool

Revit MEP Test Scores Around The World

Evolve Consultancy - BIM Workshops

Navisworks Test Scores Around The World

Global Test Scores Posted by Architects

Global Test Scores Posted by CAD & BIM Managers

Global Test Scores Posted by Civil Engineers

Global Test Scores Posted by MEP Engineers

Global Test Scores Posted by Structural Engineers

How Good Are Architects at Using Revit Architecture?

How Good Are Architects at Using MicroStation?

How Good Are Engineers at Using Revit MEP?

How Good Are Engineers at Using Revit Structure?

KS Dev Update - New Survey Tool

KS Dev Update - Exam Mode

KS exhibiting at Autodesk University

KS API calls

'BIG 5' Benchmark Stats

20 Key BIM Terms