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NPPE
FREE PRACTICE EXAM
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The goal of these exam questions are so you can see the style of exam
questions asked on the NPPE exam and some of the tricky or challenging
wording at play.

I recommend that you have a look at our Study Guide so you can save a lot of
time. That will reduce your exam preparation time from 875 pages of reading
down to 50 pages. But the real power is in practicing exam questions. Practice
with these questions and there are 60 exam questions, complete with answers
and explanations available at the website.

Click here to see the Study Guides + Exam Questions

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QUESTION: Your employer is disposing of waste material in the
Saskatchewan River. There are no specific regulations about this
waste material, yet you feel this is placing the environment, and
possibly the public, at risk.
What is the first step your Association would advise you to take?
a. Blow the whistle on your employer
b. Report the concern to your Department Manager
c. Report your employer to your Association
d. Report your employer to the legal authority
ANSWER: The most correct answer is b - to report the concern
to your Department Manager.
How do we know this is most correct?
The question is asking us to choose a first step. Don’t fall for the
trap of deciding what’s best for the environment.
A clue to the question is that we are not given many details. So
there’s not enough information available to reach out to an
authority and report a wrongdoing.
Another clue is that blowing the whistle or reporting the act to an
authority is used as a last resort. The literature teaches us to
gather information or start a discussion first. So a tricky question
since they used the word report to your Department Manager.
RED HOT EXAM TIP: Realize that ethical dilemmas rarely have a
correct answer. The literature teaches us to apply a method and
step one of that method is information gathering and discussion.
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QUESTION: Your organization manages a process where
hazardous chemicals may be leached into the soil of a nearby
town. This is due to improper practices by the Operations team,
and is against the Operations Manual.
As a Professional Member of your Association and the Chief
Engineer, your protests have been ignored. Your resultant actions
should be:
a. Ensure the Operational Manual is updated and distribute it to
the organization in order to protect the public
b. Once again demand that the Operations Manager follows the
Operational Manual
ANSWER: The correct answer is to take it to the level needed
to stop the infractions. So choose e – report the repeated
infractions to the appropriate governing body.
This is a good question to show that we are looking for the most
correct answer. You shouldn’t blow the whistle as a first step. But
we know from the question that you’ve attempted to have a
discussion as a first step “your protests have been ignored” and
still see an infraction.
Therefore only one option brings the problem to an end and is
therefore most correct.

c. Report the problem up the “chain of command” and let

management correct the problem as they have the power and are
criminally responsible

d. Consult your Association for guidance

e. Report the repeated infractions to the appropriate governing

body that will ensure the infractions stop

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QUESTION: If you are working in a foreign country where ANSWER: This is an easy question and the literature clearly
bribery is a cultural norm, but illegal, what is the reason you states it is unethical to take bribes.
should not participate in such activities:

a. It will hike up the project costs

RED HOT EXAM TIP: Asking the question .. Should I base my
b. It is unethical ethics on the culture that I am practicing in? .... is a valid
question. However, the question asks .. What is the reason you
c. It is against your company policy
should not participate? Your Association wants to know you are
d. It is illegal ethical, as ethics is often a higher standard than rules or law.

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QUESTION: According to most Provincial and Territorial Acts ANSWER: The most correct answer is a Petroleum Engineer
what is an example of conduct that would result in Discipline? signing and stamping ...

a. A Petroleum Engineer signing and stamping, but not dating, How do we know this is most correct?
construction drawings for a concrete structure.
Disciple applies to licensed members.
b. A janitor with a business card entitled, Janitorial Engineer

c. An unregistered Engineering new grad with the title Engineer in

RED HOT EXAM TIP: It is critical to recall that Enforcement
Training
involves the non-licensed and Discipline involves the licensed. So
d. A Military Engineer designing a temporary bridge structure for Discipline would not apply to a janitor, nor an unregistered new
the 2013 Alberta Floods. grad, nor a Military Engineer.

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QUESTION: You have just graduated from the University of
British Columbia with a degree in Geology. What designations
can you use after your name on a business card:
a. G.I.T or Geophysicist in Training
ANSWER: A simple question since we know that you cannot
use any protected titles relating to Geophysicist without being
registered with the appropriate Association. The correct answer
is UBC Graduate, as it is not protected.

b. Geoscientist

c. Graduate Geophysicist

d. UBC Graduate

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QUESTION: Who is in violation of the Act if an unlicensed ANSWER: Both the unlicensed contractor and the organization
person is knowingly contracted to perform services of a requiring services is in violation of the act. The public can be in
Professional Engineer: violation of the act.

a. The unlicensed contractor They do throw in the odd straight forward question.

b. Both the unlicensed contractor and the organization requiring

services

c. The organization requiring services

d. The Association

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QUESTION: If involved in a potential conflict of interest, the ANSWER: A Professional Engineer can avoid an unethical
Professional Engineer’s best practice is to: situation by ensuring all parties are aware (full disclosure) and by
avoiding decisions resulting in personal gain. So the most correct
a. Ensure all parties are aware of the potential for a conflict of
answers is b.
interest
The Professional Engineer can still take on the work and this
b. Ensure full disclosure and abstain from action or decision
situation happens regularly with specialist Engineers that are in
resulting in personal gain
limited supply.
c. Decline the work

d. Report the conflict to the Association

RED HOT EXAM TIP: Often it is best to decline the work, but an
Engineer has a duty to oneself to earn income. So a conflict of
interest can be managed but you must abstain from action or
decisions resulting in personal gain and bring in a third party to
make that decision.

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QUESTION: When asked to reduce the fee for a very similar
design, the Consulting Engineer should:
a. Offer a substantial discount as the design work is done.
b. Offer a small time-saving discount, as the knowledge,
qualifications and responsibility, remain very similar.
c. Refuse the work as a potential conflict of interest
d. Charge more for the work as the previous customer has tested
the design.
ANSWER: The most correct answer is to realize the worth that
the Consulting Engineer provides is more than simply time. In
fact, the knowledge, qualifications and responsibility remains the
same. So the correct answers is b.
To charge more may be arguable; but less, correct since no
further value by the Engineer has been provided. To offer a
substantial discount is simply wrong and ignoring the Engineers
value.

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QUESTION: Which of the following are Ethical Theories studied
in the literature:
a. Locke’s Rights, a correct choice is one that doesn’t infringe on
anyone’s basic rights.
b. Mike’s Formalism, a correct choice is one in which each
person follows an ethical route
ANSWER: The correct answer is Locke’s Rights, a. Some may
believe that Mill’s is correct; however, the statement is wrong and
should be the “max benefit to most of the people”.
Also answers b and c have incorrect names associated with
them.

c. Big Daddy’s Duty Ethics, a correct choice is one in which each RED HOT EXAM TIP: Often times it is best to start by eliminating
person follows an ethical route. answers - a good technique to have in your arsenal.

d. Mill’s Utilitarianism, a correct choice is one that provides the

least benefit to most of the people.

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QUESTION: The role of your provincial or territorial Association ANSWER: The Answer is d.
is to:
“All of the above” are true, but the literature clearly states that

 protecting the public is the most important role.

a. Protect the public.

b. Control the quality of work by a Professional Engineer or

Geoscientist

c. Discipline practicing professionals that do not follow the Code

of Ethics

d. All of the above


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(NOTE: Click here to learn more about preparing for the NPPE exam without buying or reading the textbooks)

Final Words
I hope these exam questions have helped your preparation efforts. You now know the style of questions you’re going to be asked on the
exam and some of the tricky or challenging wording at play.

I recommend that you have a look at our Study Guide so you can save a lot of time. That will reduce your exam preparation time from 875
pages of reading down to 50 pages. But the real power is in practicing exam questions. There are 60 exam questions, complete with
answers and explanations available as a package.

Click here to see the Study Guides + Exam Questions

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