Reading 2-VII: Standards of Professional Conduct & Guidan 2011, living, center, style, label

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Session 1: Ethical and Professional Standards
Reading 2-VII: Standards of Professional Conduct & Guidance: Responsibilities as a CFA Institute Member or CFA Candidate

LOS A.: Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program.

 

 

Lindsay Gordon is a CFA Level II candidate living in San Francisco. Gordon’s best friend, Steve Haney, also a Level II candidate, is living in Munich. Because of the time difference between Munich and San Francisco, Gordon suggests that Haney call Gordon during the Munich exam lunch break to discuss the morning exam. Haney makes the call on exam day.

Which of the following statements regarding Gordon and Haney is CORRECT?

A) Both Gordon and Haney are in violation of Standard VII(A).

B) Gordon is in violation of Standard VII(A), but Haney is not in violation.

C) Neither Gordon nor Haney is in violation of Standard VII(A).

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Both Gordon and Haney violated Standard VII(A) by compromising the integrity of the exam. Gordon now has an unfair advantage.

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All of the following are violations of Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program, EXCEPT:

A) disregarding the rules related to the administration of the CFA examination.

B) expressing opinions in disagreement with CFA Institute advocacy positions.

C) improperly using the CFA Designation to further professional goals.

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Members and Candidates are allowed to express their opinions about the CFA Institute and CFA Program without violation of any Standards. Both of the other choices are in direct violation of Standard VII(A).

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For the past 5 years, Karen Beckworth, CFA, has served as a proctor for the CFA exam. Beckworth tells her assistant, a CFA Level III candidate, that she normally receives the examinations on the Thursday before the exam. Given the low pass rate at Level III, Beckworth asks her assistant if he would like an advance copy of the next exam. Beckworth’s assistant declines the offer.

Beckworth’s assistant has been very vocal about expressing his opinions about the low pass rate. The assistant claims, “there are too many charterholders and CFA Institute is deliberately failing candidates because the prestige of the CFA charter is becoming diluted.”

Which of the following statements concerning Beckworth’s and her assistant’s behavior is CORRECT?

A) Beckworth is in violation of Standard VII(A), but her assistant is not in violation.

B) Both Beckworth and her assistant are in violation of Standard VII(A).

C) Neither Beckworth nor her assistant is in violation of Standard VII(A).

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Beckworth is in violation of Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program. Beckworth compromised the integrity of the exam by offering her assistant an advance copy. Beckworth’s assistant is allowed to express his opinion without violation of any Standards.

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Ron Vasquez is registered to sit for the CFA Level II exam. Unfortunately, Vasquez has failed the exam the past two years. In his frustration, Vasquez posted the following comment on a popular internet bulletin board: “I believe that CFA Institute is intentionally limiting the number of charterholders in order to increase its cash flow by continuing to fail candidates. Just look at the pass rates.”

Which of the following statements regarding Vasquez’s conduct is CORRECT? Vasquez is:

A) not in violation of Standard I(D), Misconduct or Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program.

B) in violation of Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program, but not in violation of Standard I(D), Misconduct.

C) in violation of both Standard I(D), Misconduct and Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program.

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Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program does not prohibit expressing opinions about the program or the CFA Institute. Thus, Vasquez is not in violation. Nothing in the facts indicates a violation of Standard I(D), Misconduct. Standard I(D) deals with professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit.

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Which of the following actions would be a violation of the Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program?

A) Exaggerating the implications of holding the CFA designation.

B) Failure to submit a Professional Conduct Statement and pay annual dues.

C) Misrepresenting information on the Professional Conduct Statement.

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Misrepresenting information on the Professional Conduct Statement is a direct violation of Standard VII(A), Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program. The other choices are violations of Standard VII(B), Reference to CFA Institute, the CFA Designation, and the CFA Program.

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While on a business trip, John Hayes, CFA, found a notebook that had apparently been left in the waiting area of an airport. Hayes opened the notebook and read the title: Confidential: Level II CFA Examination. Before returning the notebook to CFA Institute, he made a copy and gave it to Linda Sacket, one of his firm's analysts, who was a candidate for Level II of the CFA examination. Hayes reasoned that CFA Institute would not use these questions and that Sacket would benefit from reviewing these questions. Sacket read the questions and guideline answers before taking the Level II examination. According to the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct:

A) both Hayes and Sacket violated the Standards.

B) Hayes violated the Standards, but Sacket did not.

C) Sacket violated the Standards, but Hayes did not.

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Both violated Standard VII(A) because they committed an act that compromised the validity of the examinations leading to the award of the right to use the CFA designation.

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Stephanie Irons, Level 2 CFA candidate, regularly posts in Internet chat rooms dedicated to candidates studying for the Level 2 exam. Throughout the season, she and other candidates discuss curriculum content in great detail. Three days after the exam, she returns to the site and vents her frustrations over complicated exam questions by posting questions she remembers on the site, and asking others for their responses and reasoning. Other candidates follow suit and post the questions they remember. Within a week, Irons and her fellow candidates are able to reconstruct about 85% of the exam from their collective memory. Finding the exercise cathartic, she is then able to return to her job and personal life and wait for her results. Irons and her fellow candidates are most likely:

A) in violation of Standard VII(A) "Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program" for providing confidential information about the exam.

B) in violation of Standard VII(A) "Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program" for discussing curriculum content in a public forum prior to the exam.

C) not in violation as the information about the actual exam contents was posted after the conclusion of the exam.

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Standard VII(A) "Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program" prohibits members and candidates from providing confidential information about the exam – even after the conclusion of the exam.

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Stephanie Orange, Level 2 CFA candidate, posts blogs for her exam study group three days after the exam to vent her frustrations over the exam. However, to avoid disclosing what was actually on the exam, she only discusses topic areas she thought would be on the exam that were not. She writes "...the topics selected were unnecessarily obscure. Important items like FCF, DDM, and Residual Income were ignored completely..." Orange is most likely:

A) in violation of Standard VII(A) "Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program" for providing confidential information about the exam.

B) not in violation as the information was only about what was NOT on the exam.

C) not in violation as the information about the actual exam contents was posted after the conclusion of the exam.

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Standard VII(A) "Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program" prohibits members and candidates from providing confidential information about the exam – even after the conclusion of the exam. Examples include broad topical areas tested or not tested.

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