NPPE Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield NPPE facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following best states the elements that a plaintiff must prove in a negligence action against a professional engineer in Canada? → Duty of care, breach, causation, and damages
2. Which risk response strategy involves transferring a project risk to a third party, such as through insurance or a fixed-price contract? → Transfer
3. Which principle in risk management holds that it is better to prevent failures than to detect and correct them after they occur? → The prevention over detection principle (or 'prevention is better than cure')
4. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which designation triggers the most stringent federal hazardous waste regulations for generators? → Large Quantity Generator (LQG)
5. Under what circumstances may a regulatory body act on a complaint before formally notifying the accused professional? → When immediate public safety risk warrants an interim order prior to notice
6. An engineer working for a corporation is instructed by management to omit known safety concerns from a public report. The engineer should: → Refuse, because professional duties to public safety override employer instructions
7. Under the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur, a professional may be found negligent when: → The harm would not ordinarily occur without negligence and the professional had control
8. An engineer who also owns shares in a materials supplier recommends that supplier to a client without disclosure. This violates which core ethical principle? → Duty to act without conflict of interest and with full disclosure
9. When a third party (not a client) suffers harm due to a professional's negligent work, the third party may seek recovery under: → Negligence tort law, if foreseeable harm was caused
10. Which of the following is an example of an activity that falls under the reserved "scope of practice" for professional engineering and requires a licence? → Designing the structural support system for a public observation deck.
11. A professional engineer is approached by a competitor's former employee who offers proprietary design data. Accepting this information would: → Violate the engineer's professional duty to avoid unfair competitive practices
12. What document does an expert witness typically prepare to summarize their findings and opinions before trial? → An expert report
13. For a contract to be legally enforceable in Canada, several essential elements must be present. Which of the following is a required element? → An intention by the parties to create a legal relationship.
14. Under which doctrine can a licensed professional engineer be held personally liable even when acting as an employee of a corporation? → Personal professional liability
15. A disciplinary panel finds a professional guilty but determines the conduct was a minor isolated lapse. Which sanction is MOST proportionate? → A reprimand recorded on the professional's file
16. Under Canadian provincial engineering acts, which body typically has jurisdiction to investigate complaints against licensed engineers? → The provincial engineering regulator's complaints or investigation committee
17. A professional's certificate of insurance (COI) is best described as: → A summary document confirming active insurance coverage at a point in time
18. Under professional accountability standards, when is an engineer permitted to affix their seal to drawings they did not personally prepare? → When they have reviewed, checked, and taken professional responsibility for the work
19. A licensed engineer assigns her rights under a professional services contract to a colleague without the client's consent. The most likely legal consequence is: → The assignment is void because professional contracts are personal in nature
20. What is the standard of proof applied in professional engineering discipline hearings in Canada? → Balance of probabilities (civil standard)
21. Which remedy is available to a provincial engineering regulator if an individual is continuing to practise engineering unlawfully despite warnings? → An injunction from the superior court to restrain unlicensed practice
22. Which action by a licensed engineer would most likely constitute grounds for disciplinary action? → Sealing drawings for a project type outside their demonstrated area of competence
23. Which of the following best describes 'adjudication' as a dispute resolution method in construction engineering contracts? → A rapid, interim binding decision by a neutral adjudicator, allowing work to continue
24. A construction contract includes a 'time is of the essence' clause. The contractor finishes 10 days late due to unforeseen labor shortages. The owner may: → Terminate the contract and sue for all consequential losses
25. Which alternative dispute resolution method involves a neutral third party facilitating negotiations but having no authority to impose a decision? → Mediation
26. Which sustainability principle requires that resource consumption not exceed the rate at which natural systems can regenerate those resources? → Sustainable yield
27. What abilities do mediators possess that arbitrators do not? → Meet with each party separately to talk about the disagreement
28. Which of the following BEST describes earned value analysis (EVA) in project management? → An integrated measurement of scope, schedule, and cost performance against a baseline
29. A Canadian engineering firm uses a confidential process that gives it a competitive advantage. The firm has not patented it. Which IP protection is available? → Trade secret protection, which requires reasonable efforts to maintain confidentiality
30. Under most provincial engineering acts, which activity is explicitly exempt from requiring a professional engineer's licence? → Operating equipment according to a manufacturer's manual in a routine industrial process