NCEES Ethics and Practice 5

Question 1

A PE co-signs a report with a non-licensed senior engineer who performed all the technical analyses. Who bears professional responsibility for the report?

Accepted Answer

The PE who signed and sealed the report

Answer

The PE who signs and seals a report accepts full professional responsibility for its content, regardless of who performed the underlying analysis.

Question 2

An engineer advertises her services by comparing her firm's quality favorably to a named competitor in a way she cannot substantiate. This action is:

Accepted Answer

Unethical because engineers must not make false or misleading statements about competitors

Answer

Making unsubstantiated derogatory or misleading comparisons about competitors violates professional ethics codes requiring honesty and objectivity in public statements.

Question 3

A PE is asked to sign off on a structural analysis report that used assumptions she considers overly optimistic but technically within code limits. She should:

Accepted Answer

Sign after documenting her concerns and ensuring the assumptions are defensible

Answer

A PE may sign reports containing debatable but defensible engineering judgments, provided she documents her evaluation and is satisfied the assumptions meet applicable standards.

Question 4

Which of the following best characterizes the NCEES Model Law's approach to the 'industrial exemption' in engineering practice?

Accepted Answer

It allows employees to practice engineering for their employer without a PE license in some contexts, subject to state-specific rules

Answer

The industrial exemption permits unlicensed engineers to practice within certain private-sector settings, but the scope varies by state and is subject to important limitations.

Question 5

A former employee publishes confidential design data from her previous employer without authorization. Under engineering ethics, this constitutes:

Accepted Answer

A breach of the professional duty of confidentiality

Answer

The professional duty of confidentiality extends beyond the employment relationship; unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information is an ethical violation.

NCEES Practice Test

NCEES Practice Test

NCEES Ethics and Practice 5