Key details for this exam, checked against the published exam outline
Each question shows the correct answer and an explanation of why it is right
An auto manufacturer is developing a new line of autonomous vehicles. Multiple accidents, including fatalities, involving competitors' autonomous vehicles have already occurred. Management is concerned about potential liability, reputational damage, and financial loss. In response, the system safety engineer conducts a review at each stage of the software development process to record, assess, and account for detected issues.
Which type of log is the system safety engineer using?
A hazard log is a structured record of potential dangers, risks, and safety concerns identified throughout the development of a system---particularly in high-risk industries like autonomous vehicles. The system safety engineer is tracking issues that could lead to accidents, fatalities, or legal consequences, which aligns with hazard logging.
Unlike risk logs (which document broader business risks) or defect logs (which track software bugs), a hazard log focuses specifically on safety risks.
Relevant Ethical Reference in Technology:
ISO 26262 (Automotive Safety Standard) -- Requires systematic hazard logging in autonomous vehicle development.
Utilitarian Ethics & Public Safety -- Tracking hazards minimizes harm to the public and ensures ethical AI deployment.
Product Liability & Ethics (Tort Law) -- Ethical and legal responsibility requires addressing known safety concerns.
ACM & IEEE Safety Standards -- Developers must document hazards and mitigate risks in AI-driven systems.
Thus, the correct answer is C. Hazard, as the engineer is recording and assessing safety risks in autonomous vehicles.
Which data retention practice complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organizations are required to store personal data only for as long as necessary and must securely erase or anonymize data once it is no longer needed for its original purpose.
This aligns with GDPR's 'Storage Limitation Principle' (Article 5(1)(e)), which mandates that data should be:
Kept only for as long as necessary for processing purposes
Deleted or anonymized when no longer required
Stored securely to prevent unauthorized access
Relevant Ethical Reference in Technology:
GDPR Compliance (Article 5: Principles of Processing Personal Data) -- Enforces storage limitation and secure erasure.
Data Ethics (Fair and Responsible Use of Personal Data) -- Ethical obligation to limit storage and prevent misuse.
Privacy by Design (Cavoukian, 1995) -- Encourages secure deletion of unnecessary data.
Utilitarian Ethics & Data Protection -- Secure erasure prevents potential misuse and data breaches.
Thus, the correct answer is D. Securely erasing data that is no longer needed, as it complies with GDPR storage limitation requirements.
Which action can IT leaders take to encourage ethical behavior in their organizational culture?
IT leaders can encourage ethical behavior by conducting social audits to evaluate the organization's ethical performance and then communicating clear goals for improvement.
A social audit is a structured evaluation of a company's ethical, social, and environmental impact, ensuring transparency and accountability. By sharing ethical goals, IT leaders create an organizational culture that values integrity and responsibility.
Relevant Ethical Reference in Technology:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) -- Ethical leadership requires accountability in areas like employee welfare, environmental impact, and digital ethics.
Stakeholder Theory (Freeman, 1984) -- Ethical leadership involves transparency and engagement with employees, customers, and society.
IEEE and ACM Ethical Guidelines -- Highlight the importance of corporate ethics policies and performance reviews.
Ethical IT Governance (ITIL & ISO 26000) -- Emphasize corporate responsibility, ethical leadership, and transparency in IT decision-making.
Thus, conducting social audits and communicating ethical goals is the most effective way to promote an ethical culture.
A new Al-driven software package helps schools determine the best type of online learning support based on the current racial segments of students. The developer selected zip codes as a method for identifying specific groups.
Which source of bias does this approach introduce into the system?
Proxy discrimination occurs when a seemingly neutral variable (e.g., zip code) serves as a proxy for a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status. In this case, the AI uses zip codes to determine learning support for racial segments, introducing unintentional racial bias because zip codes often reflect historical segregation and economic disparities.
Since historical housing policies (e.g., redlining) led to racial and economic segregation, using zip codes as a decision factor unfairly correlates race with access to educational resources---a classic example of proxy discrimination.
Relevant Ethical Reference in Technology:
Algorithmic Bias & Fairness (FAT/ML Guidelines) -- AI systems must avoid using proxies that reinforce systemic discrimination.
Civil Rights Laws (Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act) -- Policies that disproportionately harm racial groups violate anti-discrimination laws.
ACM & IEEE Ethics in AI -- Developers must mitigate biases in AI models that result in unfair treatment.
Deontological Ethics & Fairness -- AI systems should not perpetuate historical biases through indirect discrimination.
Thus, the correct answer is C. Proxy discrimination, as zip codes indirectly introduce racial bias into the AI system.
An organization's security policy states that only authorized employees are granted access to the payroll database. During the onboarding process, two newly hired employees realize they have been erroneously granted access to the payroll database.
Which security practice has been violated?
Confidentiality ensures that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive information.
Why Confidentiality Was Violated?
Payroll information is sensitive and should be accessible only to authorized employees.
The erroneous access granted to new hires means private financial information is at risk.
Confidentiality is a fundamental principle in cybersecurity, ensuring that data is accessed only by those who need it.
Why Not the Other Options?
A . Availability -- Ensures systems remain operational, but this case concerns unauthorized access, not system downtime.
B . Accessibility -- Relates to making data usable for authorized individuals, but this case involves an unauthorized access issue.
C . Integrity -- Ensures data remains accurate and unaltered, but the issue here is privacy, not data accuracy.
Thus, the correct answer is D. Confidentiality, as it ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive information.
Reference in Ethics in Technology:
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.
ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems.
A company has used Its credit approval system for a long time. A risk evaluation director initiates an update of the data model to make sure it meets the highest ethical standards. Which Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice principle does the director's action represent?
The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice outlines principles that software engineers must follow to ensure ethical responsibility.
Why Judgment?
The director is evaluating and updating a credit approval system to ensure ethical standards are met.
This aligns with the Judgment principle, which requires software engineers to apply ethical reasoning, fairness, and due diligence in system development.
Ethical judgment ensures that software systems do not introduce bias or unfair decision-making.
Why Not the Other Options?
A . Management: Involves leadership responsibilities, but the focus here is ethical decision-making.
B . Colleagues: Covers professional relationships, not ethical system evaluation.
C . Self: Refers to continuous learning and improvement, which is not the core issue here.
Thus, the correct answer is D. Judgment, as it reflects ethical responsibility in software development.
Reference in Ethics in Technology:
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, ACM & IEEE-CS.
Tavani, H. T. (2016). Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing.
A consulting company employs H-1B workers. Even though companies applying for H*1B visas must offer a wage that is at least 95% of the average salary for the occupation, a close review of salaries within the consulting firm suggests that its H-1B workers are often paid 20% less on average than those with similar skill sets.
Which loophole is the company using to avoid paying H-1B workers a fair wage?
The H-1B visa program requires employers to pay foreign workers at least 95% of the average salary for their occupation. However, some companies exploit a loophole by misclassifying experienced H-1B workers as entry-level to justify paying them lower wages.
By doing this, the company artificially lowers salary expectations for H-1B workers, avoiding compliance with wage requirements while benefiting from cheaper labor.
Relevant Ethical Reference in Technology:
H-1B Wage Regulations (Department of Labor, LCA Requirements) -- Employers must accurately classify workers based on experience level.
Corporate Ethics & Fair Compensation -- Ethical labor practices ensure fair wages regardless of immigration status.
Utilitarian & Deontological Ethics -- Ethical employers should not manipulate classifications to exploit workers.
Whistleblower Protections (H-1B & Immigration Labor Laws) -- H-1B employees can report misclassification and wage exploitation.
Thus, the correct answer is B. Classifying an H-1B worker as entry level when they fill a position of an experienced worker, as it allows employers to pay lower wages unfairly.
5 domains from the WGU Ethics-In-Technology exam outline, with approximate weightings. Every sample question above is tagged with the domain it comes from
This section measures skills of IT Support Specialists and introduces ethical considerations connected to technology use in the modern world. Learners explore decision-making through ethical frameworks and review real examples involving surveillance, social media, hacking, data manipulation, plagiarism, piracy, artificial intelligence, responsible innovation, and the digital divide.
This section measures skills of IT Support Specialists and discusses how ethical codes help guide appropriate behavior in technology roles. Learners gain an understanding of the standards that support responsible actions and informed decision-making.
This section measures skills of IT Compliance Technicians and outlines major ethical concerns related to data handling. Learners understand the importance of protecting privacy, ensuring accuracy, managing access correctly, and maintaining strong security in both organizational and personal settings.
This section measures skills of IT Support Specialists and explains how learners apply ethical frameworks to make informed decisions in technology use. It introduces methods for approaching complex scenarios while considering moral and societal impacts.
Sample question from this domain above: Q1
This section measures skills of IT Compliance Technicians and focuses on recognizing personal biases and understanding their legal implications. Learners learn how to apply interventions to ensure ethical, fair, and lawful practices in technology use.
Common questions about the exam itself
