PCS PCS Professional Ethics & Compliance 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which professional organization administers the PCS (Professional Collection Specialist) certification?
- American Collectors Association (ACA)
- ACA International (Correct answer)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
- National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)
Correct answer: ACA International
ACA International (formerly the American Collectors Association) administers the PCS certification and sets standards for collection professionals.
Question 2: Under ACA International's Code of Ethics, a collection professional must treat all consumers with:
- Skepticism and persistence regardless of circumstances
- Dignity and respect while complying with all applicable laws (Correct answer)
- Urgency to close accounts within 30 days
- Minimum interaction to limit compliance exposure
Correct answer: Dignity and respect while complying with all applicable laws
ACA International's Code of Ethics requires members to treat consumers with dignity and respect and to conduct all collection activities in full compliance with applicable laws.
Question 3: A collector discovers that their agency has been using a deceptive collection letter. The ethical obligation is to:
- Continue using the letter until a regulator objects
- Report the issue internally and stop using the letter immediately (Correct answer)
- Ignore it unless a consumer files a formal complaint
- Redirect blame to the agency owner to protect personal liability
Correct answer: Report the issue internally and stop using the letter immediately
Ethical compliance requires a collection professional to escalate discovered violations internally and cease the offending practice regardless of whether a consumer has complained.
Question 4: Which of the following collector behaviors constitutes harassment under the FDCPA?
- Calling a debtor once per day on weekdays
- Using profane language or making threats of violence (Correct answer)
- Sending a written demand letter via certified mail
- Reporting accurate delinquency to a credit bureau
Correct answer: Using profane language or making threats of violence
The FDCPA explicitly prohibits harassment, which includes using obscene or profane language or threatening violence or criminal action against a consumer.
Question 5: Under Regulation F, a debt collector is limited to how many telephone call attempts to a consumer per week?
- 3 attempts
- 5 attempts
- 7 attempts (Correct answer)
- 10 attempts
Correct answer: 7 attempts
Regulation F established a presumption that calling a consumer more than 7 times in a 7-day period constitutes harassment under the FDCPA.
Question 6: A collector overhears a coworker misrepresenting themselves as an attorney to pressure a consumer. The appropriate response is to:
- Stay silent to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the behavior to a supervisor or compliance officer immediately (Correct answer)
- Inform the consumer directly that the coworker is not an attorney
- Document it privately without escalating
Correct answer: Report the behavior to a supervisor or compliance officer immediately
Impersonating an attorney is a serious FDCPA violation; the ethical obligation is to report it through proper compliance channels promptly.
PCS PCS Professional Ethics & Compliance 1
Which professional organization administers the PCS (Professional Collection Specialist) certification?