Professional Practice, Ethics, and Business
Professional Practice, Ethics, and Business
The PS exam tests professional conduct, licensure, contracts, liability, and records. Expect questions on the NCEES Model Rules, sealing, conflict of interest, standard of care, and business practices.
Licensure and ethics
Practice only within your competence. Seal and sign only work you performed or directly supervised. Disclose conflicts of interest; do not accept compensation from multiple parties without disclosure. Protect public health, safety, and welfare. Do not backdate, alter, or falsify records. Providing legal advice on title or boundary rights can exceed the surveying license.
Contracts and liability
A contract defines scope, deliverables, schedule, and fee. Standard of care is what a reasonably prudent surveyor would do under similar circumstances; it is not a guarantee of perfection. Negligence requires duty, breach, causation, and damages. Records should be retained according to statute and contract; metadata and field notes are part of the record.
Worked example
A client asks you to survey a lot for a sale and also asks you to "quietly" represent that a fence is the boundary so the sale closes. You should refuse. Representing a known uncertain boundary as certain is misrepresentation and violates the duty to the public. You may survey and report the evidence, including the uncertainty, but not certify a false boundary.
Traps
- Sealing work performed by unqualified staff without supervision.
- Placing client loyalty above public safety.
- Giving legal opinions about title.
- Ignoring conflicts of interest to keep a job.
- Treating the standard of care as a warranty.