Which statement best distinguishes Shall from Should?

• A. Shall = mandatory; Should indicates a recommendation or something advised not required.
• B. Shall = recommended; Should = mandatory.
• C. Shall = optional; Should = compulsory.
• D. Shall = historical term; Should = current standard.

Answer: (A)

In regulatory and standards language, the level of obligation is shown by the terms used. Shall denotes a mandatory obligation—something you must do. Should indicates a recommendation or best practice—advised, but not required. The statement that shall is mandatory and should is a recommendation or something advised but not required matches how these terms are used in licensing and compliance contexts. For example, you might see: “The alarm company shall submit the report by the deadline,” which is a binding requirement, versus “The alarm company should review the latest guidelines,” which is guidance to follow if possible but not compulsory. The other interpretations flip or dilute the meaning, which is why they’re not correct.