FE Mechanical Ethics and Professional Practice

Knowledge area 3 of the FE Mechanical exam: 4–6 of the 110 questions. The subtopics NCEES lists, how they are tested and worked practice problems with solutions.

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110 questions on the real 5 hours 20 minutes clock, weighted to the NCEES specifications, with a score by knowledge area and a worked solution for every answer.

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What the specification lists

  • Codes of ethics (e.g., NCEES Model Law, professional and technical societies, ethical and legal considerations)
  • Public health, safety, and welfare
  • Intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trade secrets, patents, trademarks)
  • Societal considerations (e.g., economic, sustainability, life-cycle analysis, environmental)

From the NCEES FE Mechanical CBT exam specifications, knowledge area 3.

Line drawing of a professional engineer’s seal stamp, a signed drawing set and a balance scale

How Ethics and Professional Practice is tested

Ethics questions are scenarios. The answer that holds public health, safety and welfare paramount, stays within the engineer’s competence, discloses conflicts of interest and reports violations is almost always the key. Read the Reference Handbook section on ethics and professional practice once before exam day; it summarizes the NCEES Model Law and Model Rules.

On exam day the relationships you need are in the Reference Handbook section on Ethics and Professional Practice. The handbook is the only reference allowed, so practice finding each formula in it rather than memorizing a separate sheet.

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FE Mechanical Ethics and Professional Practice practice problems

Work each problem with your calculator and the handbook, then open the solution.

Problem 1 · Codes of ethics

After joining a competitor, an engineer is asked by her new manager to describe the proprietary coating process her former employer developed and keeps confidential. She never signed a noncompete agreement. What should she do?

  1. A.Decline to reveal the former employer's confidential process, while freely using her general engineering knowledge and skill
  2. B.Describe the process, because without a noncompete agreement she has no obligation to the former employer
  3. C.Describe the process if the new employer agrees to cover any legal costs she might face
  4. D.Describe the process verbally but refuse to provide any documents
Show the answer and solution

Answer: A: Decline to reveal the former employer's confidential process, while freely using her general engineering knowledge and skill

Engineers must not disclose confidential information obtained from a current or former employer or client without consent. A noncompete agreement governs whom she can work for; it has nothing to do with her duty to protect trade secrets. She may use her general skill and knowledge, but not the former employer's proprietary process.

Codes of ethics · Reference Handbook: Ethics and Professional Practice

Problem 2 · Intellectual property

Select all that apply.

A company has developed a new variable-speed pump. Which of the following are protected by copyright? Select all that apply.

  1. A.The source code of the pump's controller software
  2. B.The text and illustrations of the operator's manual
  3. C.The new impeller geometry that improves efficiency
  4. D.The product name 'AquaSurge'
  5. E.The general idea of matching pump speed to demand
  6. F.The original technical drawings of the pump
Show the answer and solution

Answer: A: The source code of the pump's controller software; B: The text and illustrations of the operator's manual; F: The original technical drawings of the pump

Copyright protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible form, such as software code, manuals, and drawings. Functional inventions fall under patents, brand names under trademarks, and abstract ideas are not protected by copyright at all.

Intellectual property · Reference Handbook: Ethics and Professional Practice

Problem 3 · Public health, safety, and welfare

An engineer retained by a developer finds that the existing roof framing of a building the developer plans to open to the public next week is significantly overstressed under the design snow load. The developer refuses to repair the roof or delay the opening and says the engineer's report is confidential. What should the engineer do?

  1. A.Tell the developer that the hazard must be reported, then notify the local building official
  2. B.Post the findings on social media to warn future tenants and the public
  3. C.Withdraw from the project and take no further action
  4. D.Keep the finding confidential, because the client paid for and owns the report
Show the answer and solution

Answer: A: Tell the developer that the hazard must be reported, then notify the local building official

When an engineer's judgment on a matter endangering life or property is overruled, the engineer must inform the client and notify the appropriate authority, here the building official. Public health, safety, and welfare take precedence over client confidentiality. Simply resigning leaves the public exposed, and broadcasting the report publicly is not the proper channel.

Public health, safety, and welfare · Reference Handbook: Ethics and Professional Practice

Problem 4 · Societal impacts

Select all that apply.

An engineer is preparing a cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment of an aluminum bicycle frame. Which stages fall inside the system boundary? Select all that apply.

  1. A.Bauxite mining and alumina production
  2. B.Smelting and alloying the aluminum
  3. C.Tube forming and welding the frame at the factory
  4. D.Riding the bicycle during its service life
  5. E.Recycling or landfilling the frame at end of life
Show the answer and solution

Answer: A: Bauxite mining and alumina production; B: Smelting and alloying the aluminum; C: Tube forming and welding the frame at the factory

A cradle-to-gate assessment covers raw material extraction through manufacture, ending when the product leaves the factory gate. Use and end-of-life stages are added only in a cradle-to-grave assessment.

Societal impacts · Reference Handbook: Ethics and Professional Practice

More FE Mechanical practice problems from every knowledge area

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Take a full timed FE Mechanical practice exam

110 questions on the real 5 hours 20 minutes clock, weighted to the NCEES specifications, with a score by knowledge area and a worked solution for every answer.

Or start the free Ethics and Professional Practice drill

Common questions

How many Ethics and Professional Practice questions are on the FE Mechanical exam?

The NCEES FE Mechanical specification lists 4–6 questions on Ethics and Professional Practice, out of 110. Every examinee gets the same number per knowledge area.

What does Ethics and Professional Practice cover on the FE Mechanical exam?

Codes of ethics (e.g., NCEES Model Law, professional and technical societies, ethical and legal considerations); Public health, safety, and welfare; Intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trade secrets, patents, trademarks); Societal considerations (e.g., economic, sustainability, life-cycle analysis, environmental).

Where are the Ethics and Professional Practice formulas on exam day?

In the NCEES FE Reference Handbook, which appears on screen during the exam: the Ethics and Professional Practice section. Practice with your free copy from MyNCEES so you know where each relationship sits.

Original independent practice questions written to the published NCEES exam specifications. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying).