EIT Ethics & Professional Engineering Practices 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An engineer is hired as an expert witness and is asked to provide testimony favorable to the hiring attorney's client. The engineer should:
- Provide objective testimony based solely on engineering facts and analysis (Correct answer)
- Advocate for the client since they are paying for the service
- Decline to testify to avoid bias
- Testify in whatever manner the attorney requests
Correct answer: Provide objective testimony based solely on engineering facts and analysis
An expert witness engineer must provide truthful, objective testimony based on technical facts, regardless of who retains them.
Question 2: The purpose of requiring professional engineering licensure is primarily to:
- Increase the earning potential of licensed engineers
- Restrict competition in the engineering market
- Protect the public by ensuring minimum competency standards (Correct answer)
- Standardize engineering curricula at universities
Correct answer: Protect the public by ensuring minimum competency standards
Licensure exists as a public protection mechanism, establishing minimum standards of education, experience, and examination that engineers must meet.
Question 3: An engineer who knowingly includes false information in a professional report has violated which fundamental ethical principle?
- Fairness
- Honesty and integrity (Correct answer)
- Competence
- Loyalty
Correct answer: Honesty and integrity
Falsifying reports directly violates the core ethical obligation of honesty and integrity that all professional engineers must uphold.
Question 4: Which scenario represents the ethical principle of 'whistleblowing' in engineering?
- An engineer reporting a competitor's bid price to a client
- An engineer internally raising a safety concern to a supervisor
- An engineer publicly disclosing a dangerous flaw after internal channels fail (Correct answer)
- An engineer alerting a client to a subcontractor's billing error
Correct answer: An engineer publicly disclosing a dangerous flaw after internal channels fail
Whistleblowing specifically refers to disclosing misconduct or safety hazards to external authorities after internal channels have been exhausted or ignored.
Question 5: The NCEES Model Law serves as:
- A mandatory federal licensing standard for all engineers
- A model that states may use as a basis for their own engineering licensure laws (Correct answer)
- The official NSPE code of conduct
- A voluntary certification framework for specialty engineering
Correct answer: A model that states may use as a basis for their own engineering licensure laws
The NCEES Model Law is a template document that individual states may adopt or adapt when writing their engineering practice acts.
Question 6: An engineer learns that their employer is violating environmental regulations on a project. After reporting internally and being ignored, the engineer should:
- Continue working and document concerns privately
- Immediately resign without further action
- Report the violation to the appropriate regulatory authority (Correct answer)
- Only act if a court order is issued
Correct answer: Report the violation to the appropriate regulatory authority
When internal reporting fails to address a public safety or environmental violation, engineers have an ethical duty to notify the appropriate regulatory authority.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT an acceptable basis for an engineer to advertise their professional services?
- Listing areas of specialization
- Describing past project experience
- Claiming superiority over other licensed engineers without factual basis (Correct answer)
- Stating years of experience
Correct answer: Claiming superiority over other licensed engineers without factual basis
Engineers may advertise factual information but must not make false, deceptive, or misleading statements, including unsubstantiated claims of superiority over peers.
EIT Ethics & Professional Engineering Practices 3
An engineer is hired as an expert witness and is asked to provide testimony favorable to the hiring attorney's client.
The engineer should: