Practice Problems for Ethics

1
Practice Problems for Ethics

• CVEN 4301-17
• CVEN 5301-17
• TSTP 1040

2

• 11. You are evaluating methods of promoting your
  consulting engineering firm. Which of the
  following promotional methods is most likely to
  violate ethical standards?
• (A) radio advertising
• (B) multiple ads in the yellow pages of the
  phone book
• (C) giving free imprinted pens and calendars to
  prospective clients
• (D) company brochure with self-laudatory language

3

• 12. A friend comes to you and asks for advice in
  making a formal complaint against an individual
  who is offering to perform engineering services.
  If it is an alleged violation of the registration
  law, the friend should be advised to
• (A) contact the appropriate engineering society
• (B) contact the state registration board
• (C) discuss the alleged violation with the
  individual
• (D) not get involved

4

• 13. Complete the sentence If you check the
  calculations for a licensed (registered) friend
  who has begun a consulting engineering
  business.
• (A) you do not need to be a licensed engineer
• (B) your friend assumes all liability for your
  work
• (C) you should be paid for your work
• (D) the friends client should be informed of
  your involvement

5

• 14. Complete the following Engineers are to
  uphold the health, safety, and public...
• (A) confidence
• (B) good
• (C) welfare
• (D) trust

6

• 15. Two engineers submitted sealed bids to a
  prospective client for an engineering project.
  The client informed engineer A of the amount that
  engineer B had bid and invited engineer A to
  resubmit a lower bid. What should be As course
  of action?
• (A) A should submit another quote, but only if
  the work can be performed adequately at the lower
  bid.
• (B) A should withdraw from consideration for the
  project.
• (C) A should remain in consideration for the
  project but should not change his bid.
• (D) A should bargain with the client for the cost
  of the work.

7

• 16. Which of the following can override the
  ethical requirement to perform a thorough
  analysis and checking of engineering work for
  your client?
• (A) time constraints
• (B) budgetary constraints
• (C) legal constraints
• (D) other ethical obligations

8

• 17. You have advised a potential client that your
  fee for doing certain professional design work
  will be 6 of the final cost of construction. The
  potential client informs you that one of your
  competitors has offered to do the work for 5.5.
  The best response would be to
• (A) reduce your fee
• (B) inform the potential client of the
  requirements of ethical practice
• (C) suggest that your client accept the lower
  offer
• (D) refuse to compete on the basis of fee alone

9

• 18. Plan stamping, as the term is commonly
  encountered in consulting engineering, refers to
  the
• (A) illegal action of signing off on a project
  that you did not design but did check
• (B) illegal action of signing off on a project
  that you did not design or check
• (C) legal action of signing of on a project you
  did not design or check but for which you are not
  accept any compensation
• (D) legal action of signing off on a project you
  did not design but for which you are taking full
  responsibility

10

• 19. Which of the following methods for
  determining charges for professional engineering
  services is considered unethical?
• (A) percent of cost
• (B) contingency basis
• (C) cost plus fixed fee
• (D) per diem

11

• 20. An engineer is working for a surveying firm
  under contract to an agency of the US government.
  During his scheduled time off, the engineer uses
  the firms resources to perform surveys for
  private developers. This is probably unethical
  because
• (A) permission may not have been given to use the
  firms equipment or resources for outside work
• (B) the government contract may have provisions
  that prohibit misuse of materials or equipment
  furnished by it
• (C) equipment may break or wear out prematurely,
  and time to make repairs or obtain replacements
  will have an adverse effect on the firms
  contract schedules
• (D) fees that the engineer charged can be less
  than fees charged by other surveying firms