Professional Ethics and Survey Regulations
What the domain tests
Professional Ethics and Survey Regulations tests your conduct under the Surveyors Council of Nigeria Act and the profession's code: competence, honesty, confidentiality, supervision, records, and discipline. The exam tests judgement in pressure situations, not slogans.
Core rules
- Practise only within your registration and competence; technologists work under a registered surveyor where the law requires certification.
- Sign or seal only work you personally performed or directly supervised; never lend your name or stamp.
- Put the public interest and legal boundary above a client's instruction; disclose conflicts of interest.
- Keep client and survey records confidential, but produce records when lawfully required.
- Report unprofessional conduct through proper channels; keep reports factual and avoid misleading advertising.
- Maintain competence through continuing professional development and current knowledge of regulations.
Worked example
A client asks you to move a boundary 2 m to include a well and offers a bonus if the plan shows the larger area. The correct response: explain that the boundary is fixed by lawful evidence, not by the client's wish; record the instruction and your refusal; survey the true boundary; and, if pressure continues, escalate to your supervisor or the council. Altering the plan would be false certification and could expose you to discipline and civil liability.
Traps
Treating “client satisfaction” as an ethical defence; signing a colleague's plan as a favour; accepting a fee contingent on a boundary change; and discussing a client's land dispute casually.