CEP Ethical and Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student confides to their CEP that they fabricated an extracurricular activity on their application. The planner's ethical obligation is to:
- Correct the application on the student's behalf without telling anyone
- Advise the student that the misrepresentation must be corrected and explain potential consequences (Correct answer)
- Notify the college's admissions office immediately without the student's knowledge
- Ignore it as the student is solely responsible for their application
Correct answer: Advise the student that the misrepresentation must be corrected and explain potential consequences
CEPs must counsel students to correct misrepresentations and cannot facilitate or condone academic dishonesty.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes the ethical use of college visit information gathered by a CEP?
- Using it exclusively to benefit clients who paid for premium packages
- Sharing relevant, accurate observations equitably with all clients to whom the information is pertinent (Correct answer)
- Keeping all visit findings proprietary to gain competitive advantage
- Posting visit notes publicly on social media to build a professional brand
Correct answer: Sharing relevant, accurate observations equitably with all clients to whom the information is pertinent
Information gathered during professional campus visits should be used to serve clients fairly, not withheld or misused for competitive gain.
Question 3: Under IECA standards, when may a CEP guarantee admission to a specific college?
- When the planner has a strong relationship with the admissions dean
- When the student has a perfect GPA and test scores
- Never; admission decisions are made solely by colleges (Correct answer)
- When the client pays a performance-based fee
Correct answer: Never; admission decisions are made solely by colleges
No CEP may ethically guarantee admission because admission decisions are entirely within the college's authority.
Question 4: A CEP learns that a competitor is marketing services with false credentials. The ethical response is to:
- Use it as a marketing opportunity to highlight their own credentials
- Report the misrepresentation to the relevant professional association (Correct answer)
- Contact the competitor's clients directly to warn them
- Ignore it as competitor conduct is not the planner's responsibility
Correct answer: Report the misrepresentation to the relevant professional association
Professional associations such as IECA have ethics complaint processes specifically designed to address misrepresentation of credentials.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of the IECA Code of Ethics?
- To restrict market competition among educational consultants
- To establish standards that protect students, families, and the integrity of the profession (Correct answer)
- To rank educational planners by their college placement success rates
- To regulate tuition and fee structures across the industry
Correct answer: To establish standards that protect students, families, and the integrity of the profession
The Code of Ethics exists to safeguard clients and uphold professional integrity, not to serve competitive or commercial purposes.
Question 6: A parent requests that a CEP advise their child to apply to schools that are objectively poor fits solely to satisfy the parent's preferences. The CEP should:
- Follow the parent's wishes since the parent is paying the fees
- Explain the mismatch, advocate for the student's best interests, and document the discussion (Correct answer)
- Withdraw from the case without explanation
- Apply to the schools and note the disagreement privately
Correct answer: Explain the mismatch, advocate for the student's best interests, and document the discussion
CEPs are obligated to prioritize the student's best interests; they must counsel appropriately and document disagreements with parental preferences.
Question 7: Maintaining competence as a CEP requires which ongoing activity?
- Limiting practice to fields where the planner already has expertise and never expanding
- Pursuing continuing education, campus visits, and staying current with admissions trends (Correct answer)
- Consulting only with colleagues who share the same client base
- Avoiding specialization to remain broadly marketable
Correct answer: Pursuing continuing education, campus visits, and staying current with admissions trends
Professional competence demands continuous learning through education, campus visits, and engagement with evolving admissions practices.
CEP Ethical and Professional Standards 3
A student confides to their CEP that they fabricated an extracurricular activity on their application.
The planner's ethical obligation is to: