The following principles of professional conduct make up the APA® Code of Ethics. During the exam registration process, candidates must affirm their agreement to uphold the APA® Code of Ethics throughout the APA® certification process and in their professional work should they earn the APA® certification.

The APA® Board of Examiners urges candidates and credential holders to be cognizant of ethical practices and deal with ethical issues as they arise in a manner appropriate under the circumstances.

Candidates and credential holders should strive to maintain the highest standards of integrity. Integrity is an element of character fundamental to professional recognition. This quality promotes trust within the petroleum industry, and is the benchmark against which a candidate and credential holder must ultimately test all decisions. Accordingly, a candidate and credential holder should observe both the form and spirit of technical and ethical standards.

Candidates and credential holders should strive to maintain the highest standards of objectivity. Objectivity is a state of mind or quality that lends value to a candidate’s and credential holder’s contributions and imposes the obligation to be impartial.

Candidates and credential holders should strive to achieve an awareness of antitrust law that preserves the conditions necessary for business competition and avoid any action which may violate or appear to violate such law.

Candidates and credential holders should strive to comply with other applicable laws and avoid actions which discourage or appear to discourage compliance with these laws.

Candidates and credential holders should strive to comply with accounting principles and avoid actions which discourage or appear to discourage such compliance or otherwise distort financial information.

Candidates and credential holders shall strive to maintain their competency in petroleum accounting.

Candidates and credential holders shall protect the privacy and confidentiality of proprietary APA® information and avoid using any such information for gain to themselves or their employer, or in any manner detrimental to the APA® program or the petroleum industry.

Candidates and credential holders shall strive to comply and adhere to the COPAS Code of Ethics that pertain to individual practice regardless of COPAS membership. The COPAS Code of Ethics can be found at copas.org