Business Practices and Professional Ethics
Core concepts
Know the surveyor's ethical duties: competence, honesty, confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and accurate representation of qualifications. Understand contract essentials, scope of work, liability, and the role of standard-of-care. Arkansas board rules govern seals, signatures, and responsible charge. Know how to handle discovered errors, client communication, and records retention.
Traps
Questions test whether a surveyor may seal work not personally performed or supervised (no), whether a surveyor may accept work outside competence without disclosure (no), and how to handle a conflict of interest (disclose and decline or obtain consent). Watch for answers that sound business-savvy but violate the standard of care.
Rule of thumb
If an answer trades professional integrity for business advantage, it is wrong. When in doubt: disclose, document, and decline.
Worked example
A client asks you to backdate a survey to meet a closing deadline. The correct response is to refuse and explain that backdating misrepresents the record; offer to expedite the actual work instead.