Fiancée's hidden debt before the wedding
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
Your closest friend since childhood, Owen, is marrying Priya in three weeks. Priya has become your friend too. Late one night, she tells you that she has about $70,000 in credit card debt from a business that failed two years ago, and that she has never told Owen. The couple plan to buy a house together soon after the wedding. Owen recently told you he is proud that they will start married life "with no secrets." Priya says she will tell him after the honeymoon, once she has worked out a repayment plan, and she asks you to keep it to yourself until then. What would you do?
Practice this question
After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Professionalism and integrity
- Communication
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests how you balance a promise of confidentiality against your oldest friend's right to make a major financial and personal decision with full information. Name everyone involved, including Priya, who trusted you, Owen, who is about to share her finances, and your friendship with both of them. Recognize that the secret is Priya's to share, and explore whether she could tell Owen herself before the wedding and the house purchase. Explain how you'd encourage her, and set a clear limit on what you won't do, such as lie if Owen asks you directly. Decide what you'd do if she refuses. If the station puts a direct question to you, hold to the limit you set and avoid both lying and breaking the confidence outright where you can.
More on confidentiality and privacy
All 9 questions on this topicMock interviews
If you want to practice with a person, we run mock MMI and panel interviews with feedback on every answer.
