Interesting Command Word SNAFU

CFA Level III
#1

I recently heard from a candidate that there was a question in the February Level III exam that used a command word that is no longer on the official list of command words.

I contacted CFA Institute, and yesterday morning I received and e-mail confirming that they “used the command word Construct on a Derivatives question in February.” Apparently it was inadvertent, and my e-mail was the first that they’d heard of it. (Construct was dropped from the official list of command words in 2020.)

The candidate replied, “So it seems like the moral of the story is to be familiar with all command words, even those that no longer appear on the official command word list…which is precisely the beauty of your Survivor’s Guide!”

#2

#3

Out of curiosity, was this an ethics violation, Standard VII(A) Conduct as Participants in CFA Institute Programs?
Supposedly,
`All aspects of the exam, including questions, broad topical areas, and formulas, tested or not tested, are considered confidential until such time as CFA Institute elects to release them publicly.’

#4

It was not.

I confirmed that with CFA Institute: you’re allowed to talk about the command words used.

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