ASA Professional Ethics & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ASA instructor discovers a student has falsified their logbook hours to qualify for a higher certification course. What is the ethically correct action?
- Ignore it to avoid conflict
- Report the discrepancy to the school owner and refuse to sign off on fraudulent records (Correct answer)
- Sign off anyway since the student seems capable
- Allow the student to retake the logbook entries honestly without reporting
Correct answer: Report the discrepancy to the school owner and refuse to sign off on fraudulent records
Falsified logbooks undermine certification integrity, and instructors must report and refuse to validate fraudulent records.
Question 2: When teaching an ASA 101 course, an instructor realizes mid-week that students lack the skill level required to safely complete the final sail. What should the instructor do?
- Complete the course anyway to avoid refund requests
- Extend the training time or postpone the final assessment until students are ready (Correct answer)
- Pass them with a note that additional practice is recommended
- Skip the more difficult maneuvers in the final assessment
Correct answer: Extend the training time or postpone the final assessment until students are ready
Student safety and genuine competency must take precedence over schedule or financial considerations.
Question 3: An ASA-certified instructor is offered a large cash bonus by a charter company if they recommend only that company's vessels to students. This arrangement is:
- Acceptable if disclosed to the students
- A conflict of interest that violates professional ethics (Correct answer)
- Standard industry practice and fully acceptable
- Fine as long as the boats are good quality
Correct answer: A conflict of interest that violates professional ethics
Undisclosed financial incentives that bias instructor recommendations represent an unethical conflict of interest.
Question 4: According to ASA ethical standards, how should an instructor handle a student who is making consistent errors but paying full tuition and eager to pass?
- Pass them to keep the student happy and the school's reputation intact
- Provide honest feedback and additional instruction, only certifying when standards are genuinely met (Correct answer)
- Pass them with a conditional certificate
- Refer them to another instructor without explanation
Correct answer: Provide honest feedback and additional instruction, only certifying when standards are genuinely met
Honest assessment protects student safety and the integrity of ASA certifications regardless of payment or eagerness.
Question 5: An ASA school owner asks an instructor to certify students after only half the required instructional hours due to high demand. The instructor should:
- Comply since the owner has authority over the instructor
- Refuse, as cutting required hours violates ASA standards and risks student safety (Correct answer)
- Comply but file a private complaint later
- Certify students but recommend they get extra practice
Correct answer: Refuse, as cutting required hours violates ASA standards and risks student safety
Minimum instructional hours are a safety standard; no business pressure justifies shortchanging required training.
Question 6: What does the ASA code of ethics require regarding an instructor's personal conduct while teaching aboard?
- Instructors may drink moderately if off-watch
- Instructors must remain sober, professional, and focused on student safety at all times (Correct answer)
- Personal conduct is unregulated as long as no accidents occur
- Instructors can relax standards on multi-day liveaboard courses
Correct answer: Instructors must remain sober, professional, and focused on student safety at all times
Professional conduct including sobriety is required of ASA instructors throughout all instructional activities.
Question 7: A student completes an ASA course but only marginally passes the skills test. Ethically, the instructor should:
- Certify them without comment since they technically passed
- Certify them but clearly communicate areas needing further practice (Correct answer)
- Fail them to be safe even though they technically passed
- Ask them to retake the test until they pass more convincingly
Correct answer: Certify them but clearly communicate areas needing further practice
Honest feedback on skill gaps helps students continue to develop safely even after earning a marginal pass.
ASA Professional Ethics & Standards 2
An ASA instructor discovers a student has falsified their logbook hours to qualify for a higher certification course.
What is the ethically correct action?