Ethical scenarios are some of the most nuanced questions in the NPE, and one of the most common errors I see is candidates choosing what seems like the most ethical course of action without first considering whether a legal obligation applies.
This matters because many NPE questions are specifically designed to test whether you can distinguish between legal requirements and ethical guidance. Knowing that distinction and applying it in the right order is often what separates a correct answer from an incorrect one.
Here is the stepwise approach I recommend whenever you encounter an ethical scenario in the exam.
Check your legal obligations first
Before anything else, consider whether a law applies. This includes federal legislation such as the Privacy Act (1988) and state or territory laws such as the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act (2009). Mandatory reporting obligations, duty to protect, and privacy legislation all fall into this category.
Then consult the Psychology Board Code of Conduct
Once you have ruled out or identified any legal obligations, turn to the Code of Conduct. If it provides clear guidance on the situation, you should act in accordance with it.
If things are still unclear, use a structured decision-making process
When neither law nor the Code offers a clear path forward, work through the dilemma systematically:
- Define the ethical problem
- Consult peers, supervisors, or the literature
- Evaluate possible courses of action
- Implement your decision and review the outcome
If a scenario clearly involves a legal requirement, that will almost always take priority over other considerations.
Keep this hierarchy in mind as you read each ethics question: law first, then the Code of Conduct, then structured ethical reasoning. Working through scenarios in this order will help you identify the correct answer with much greater consistency.
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