CME Professional Standards & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A master electrician discovers mid-project that a subcontractor installed unapproved wire gauges to save costs. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?
- Ignore it if the work appears functional
- Stop work, document the deficiency, and require correction before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Inform the owner but continue the project
- Report only to the insurance company
Correct answer: Stop work, document the deficiency, and require correction before proceeding
Stopping work and requiring correction protects public safety and upholds the master electrician's professional and legal responsibility for the installation.
Question 2: Which practice BEST demonstrates professional integrity when bidding on a commercial electrical project?
- Submitting a low bid and adding change orders later
- Accurately estimating all costs and scope before submitting the bid (Correct answer)
- Copying a competitor's bid and undercutting by 5%
- Omitting permit fees to appear more competitive
Correct answer: Accurately estimating all costs and scope before submitting the bid
Accurate, transparent bidding reflects professional integrity and builds long-term trust with clients.
Question 3: Under the NEC, who bears responsibility for ensuring that electrical installations comply with the adopted code?
- Only the general contractor
- The licensed electrician performing or supervising the work (Correct answer)
- The building owner exclusively
- The material supplier
Correct answer: The licensed electrician performing or supervising the work
The licensed electrician overseeing or performing the work is professionally and legally responsible for code compliance.
Question 4: A client asks a master electrician to wire a panel without pulling a permit to save time. The electrician should:
- Agree if the work is straightforward
- Refuse and explain that unpermitted work violates code and could jeopardize the client's insurance (Correct answer)
- Pull the permit secretly after completing the work
- Charge extra and proceed without the permit
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that unpermitted work violates code and could jeopardize the client's insurance
Performing unpermitted work violates the NEC, state licensing laws, and exposes the client to liability, so refusal is the ethical and legal response.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of continuing education requirements for licensed master electricians?
- To generate revenue for licensing boards
- To ensure electricians remain current with code changes, technology, and safety standards (Correct answer)
- To restrict the number of active licenses
- To fulfill union contract obligations
Correct answer: To ensure electricians remain current with code changes, technology, and safety standards
Continuing education keeps master electricians informed of NEC updates, new technologies, and evolving safety practices.
Question 6: A master electrician is offered a gift by a material supplier in exchange for specifying their products exclusively. Accepting this gift is considered:
- Standard industry practice
- A conflict of interest that compromises professional objectivity (Correct answer)
- Acceptable if disclosed to the employer
- Permitted as long as the product meets code
Correct answer: A conflict of interest that compromises professional objectivity
Accepting gifts in exchange for specification decisions creates a conflict of interest and undermines the electrician's professional independence.
Question 7: When a journeyman under a master electrician's supervision reports an unsafe condition on the job site, the master electrician should:
- Dismiss the concern to avoid delays
- Investigate the report and take corrective action before resuming that portion of the work (Correct answer)
- Ask the journeyman to document it after the shift
- Notify the owner but continue work
Correct answer: Investigate the report and take corrective action before resuming that portion of the work
Prompt investigation and correction of reported unsafe conditions is both an ethical duty and an OSHA requirement.
CME Professional Standards & Ethics 2
A master electrician discovers mid-project that a subcontractor installed unapproved wire gauges to save costs.
What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?