A holder applies consistent analytical standards whether findings are favorable or unfavorable to any party, whatever the pressure to reach a particular conclusion, and whatever the holder's earlier opinion of the people assessed. Findings follow the evidence.

A holder identifies, discloses, and manages conflicts of interest, meaning any personal, financial, relational, or organizational interest that could reasonably be expected to influence findings or the conduct of an engagement. The code does not forbid every relationship that touches the work. It requires that the intersection be identified, its influence assessed, and the conflict disclosed so that management or recusal can be decided.

A holder keeps confidential the information obtained in an engagement, including information about the individuals assessed, the organization's findings, and the governance conditions examined. The duty continues after the engagement ends and covers how information is stored, referenced in later work, and protected from unauthorized disclosure.

A holder obtains the informed agreement of individuals whose character architecture is assessed, wherever the law and the nature of the engagement permit, describing the purpose, the kinds of evidence, who will receive the findings, and how they may be used. A holder complies with employment, privacy, data protection and anti-discrimination law in every jurisdiction concerned, declines engagements in which findings would be used in a way the law prohibits, does not treat findings as the sole basis for an adverse employment or appointment decision, and does not infer findings from characteristics the law protects.

A holder has a defined process for the rare case in which an engagement reveals a serious and imminent risk of significant harm that conflicts with the duty of confidentiality. The process includes consultation with a qualified peer or counsel where available, notification of the appropriate governance body or authority, and a written record of the evidence, reasoning, and actions. The code does not permit a breach of confidentiality for findings below that threshold.

A holder upholds the integrity of the discipline by applying its frameworks rigorously and not selectively, acknowledging the limits of its analytical reach, and representing its claims accurately. A holder serves the genuine governance interests of the organization, not just the preferences of the individuals who commission the work. A holder conducts assessments of individuals with care, proportion, and respect for human dignity, keeps to the scope of character architecture assessment, protects individual findings from unnecessary exposure, and does not allow findings to become vehicles for personal judgment. A holder refuses to take part in an assessment whose design predetermines its findings or suppresses inconsistent evidence and is willing to report findings that contradict the expectations of those who commissioned the work.

A holder represents a credential accurately and does not use it to imply a higher level, a broader scope, or an endorsement that the credential does not confer. A holder cooperates with any investigation the Institute conducts under its conduct process and does not obstruct or misrepresent the facts of an engagement under review.