PMP Exam Hints – The Scale of Professional Responsibility

View our Video on The Scale of Professional Responsibility 

The Scale of Professional Responisbility is a simplified version of the PMI’s Professional Code that cPrime uses to help project managers decipher best practices with regard to business ethics and the Professional Code. It is a great tool to help project managers gauge the best way to respond to questions on the PMP Exam that may pertain to the Professional Code because information on the scale is greatly condensed and visually laid out in a way that is easy to understand and absorb.

One side of the scale is classified as “Always Do”, actions laying closest to this end should be utilized as often as possible. The other side is classified as “Never Do”, actions laying closest to this end should be avoided as often as possible. There are some actions that are questionable, and lie some where between the two sides. Actions that fall below the center divide are technically classified as “Never Do’s”, so when considering one of those actions, do so carefully, and thoughtfully. These “gray” actions, for example,  understanding, taking action and deferring require more consideration of the surrounding circumstances, however, knowing which action trumps another on the scale will help you decide what is best to do. By knowing where certain actions lie in the scale and being able to translate one from another will help out on many PMP Exam questions.

 

How to these translate to day-to-day tasks

  • Obey The Law – Pretty straight forward, do not do anything illegal

  • Follow Company Policies – These differ among companies, so be sure to find where they are explicitly written

  • Adhere to PMI Processes – You MUST Know these!

  • Transparent – You want to be open, upfront, communicative and clear

  • Understand – Assessing, researching, asking, discovering, listening etc.

  • Take Action – Actively doing something, making any changes

  • Defer – Postponement of any kind

  • Confidential – Hiding details of a situation with any party

  • Escape – Canceling, quitting, resigning, etc.

  • Report False Data – Any type of falsification, twisting information, etc.

 

Below is the Scale of Professional Responsibility:

 

The Scale of Professional Responsibility The Scale of Professional Responsibility