Engineering Ethics & Professional Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real Engineering Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Engineering Ethics & Professional Practice flashcards as text
The Fundamental Canons of the NSPE Code of Ethics require engineers to 'perform services only in areas of competence.' This primarily protects:
Answer: The public from harm caused by unqualified engineering judgment
Restricting practice to areas of competence is a public safety measure ensuring that engineering decisions are made with sufficient knowledge and skill.
When an engineer makes a public statement about a technical matter, the NSPE Code of Ethics requires that the statement be:
Answer: Objective and truthful, clearly identifying whether it is personal or on behalf of an organization
Engineers must ensure public statements are objective, truthful, and clearly attributed so the public can assess their basis and authority.
Which of the following scenarios represents 'bid shopping,' an unethical practice in engineering and construction?
Answer: Disclosing a subcontractor's bid to other bidders to drive prices down
Bid shopping involves improperly revealing one bidder's price to competitors to leverage lower bids, undermining fair and honest competition.
A PE is employed full-time and wants to accept a paid consulting project for an outside client. According to ethics guidelines, the PE should:
Answer: Disclose the outside work to the employer and obtain consent if required
Engineers must disclose potential conflicts arising from outside employment to their employer and obtain approval if required by company policy or the nature of the work.
Under the concept of 'responsible charge,' a PE who supervises an engineer-in-training (EIT) is responsible for:
Answer: Directly overseeing and being professionally accountable for the EIT's engineering work
Responsible charge requires the supervising PE to directly oversee the work and accept professional responsibility for the quality and correctness of the EIT's engineering output.
An engineer learns that a structure they designed years ago has a deficiency that, while not yet causing harm, could pose future risks. The engineer should:
Answer: Notify the current owner or appropriate authority about the potential hazard
The engineer's obligation to protect public safety requires proactive disclosure of known hazards, regardless of how much time has passed since the original design.
Which of the following best describes the ethical obligation of a PE regarding environmental sustainability in engineering practice?
Answer: Engineers should strive to minimize environmental impact as part of their professional responsibility
Modern engineering ethics codes, including NSPE's, recognize sustainable development and minimizing environmental impact as professional responsibilities for all engineers.