FIT Professional Ethics & Quality Assurance Standards 5

Question 1

When a client's instructions conflict with the ethical standards of the FIT code of professional conduct, a certified translator must:

Accepted Answer

Follow client instructions only when they do not require violating professional ethics

Answer

Professional ethics place limits on client authority; a translator cannot be contractually compelled to breach ethical obligations.

Question 2

A translator working on a sensitive government contract becomes aware that the translated documents contain evidence of fraud. The translator's primary ethical consideration is:

Accepted Answer

Maintaining confidentiality while consulting legal counsel about whistleblower obligations

Answer

Confidentiality obligations remain in force, but legal counsel can advise whether whistleblower laws create an obligation or protection to disclose, balancing competing duties.

Question 3

In quality assurance, a 'style guide' serves primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Ensure linguistic and terminological consistency across all documents within a project or client account

Answer

Style guides document client-specific preferences for tone, terminology, and formatting, enabling consistency across multiple translators and projects.

Question 4

Under professional ethics, 'competence' in a new specialization area can be ethically acquired by a translator through:

Accepted Answer

Transparent disclosure to the client while undertaking targeted training or collaborating with a subject-matter expert

Answer

Ethical competence development requires transparency with clients and genuine preparation, not silent on-the-job experimentation at the client's expense.

Question 5

A translator is asked to translate a document that contains hate speech targeting a minority group. Ethically, the translator may:

Accepted Answer

Refuse the assignment on grounds of personal ethics, provided this is consistent with their professional guidelines

Answer

FIT recognizes that translators may decline assignments that conflict deeply with their personal ethics, particularly when no legal compulsion exists.

(FIT) International Federation of Translators Certified Translator Practice Test

(FIT) International Federation of Translators Certified Translator Practice Test

FIT Professional Ethics & Quality Assurance Standards 5