Under the independent contractor framework, the statement 'The principal controls the result, not the means' is true.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not specified
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (B)

In this relationship, the important idea is how control is distributed: the party hiring the work cares about the finished product, its quality, and the deadline, but does not micromanage how the work is done. That separation—control over the result rather than the means—defines independence. So the statement that the principal controls the result, not the means is true. The contractor keeps control over methods, tools, schedule, and procedures used to reach the outcome, which preserves the contractor’s independent status.

For example, a consultant asked to deliver a report by a certain date is free to choose the data sources, analysis approach, and work hours as long as the final report meets the agreed-upon specifications. If the principal instead dictated every step—tools to use, the exact sequence of work, and daily hours—that level of supervision would lean toward an employee relationship rather than an independent contractor.

Thus, the correct understanding is that the priority is the outcome, not the means, making the statement true.