ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: MINIMIZING CHEATING ON EXAMS [1]

Question: Is there likely to be cheating on exams in the course I’m about to teach or TA?
Answer:   Yes.

Question: How will they do it?
Answer:

1.      The Sneak Preview. (They get advance copies.)

2.      The Eyes Have It. (They scan neighbor’s papers.)

3.      The Note of Precaution. (They bring/transmit crib sheets or information on their calculator, cell phone, MP3 player, etc.)

4.      The Call of (a Warped) Nature. (They leave the test room and get help.)

5.      Quick Change Artistry. (They pick up your worked-out solution and correct the paper before handing it in.)

6.      Now You See It, Now You Don’t. (They don’t hand in the test and later claim you lost it.)

7.      Three-Page Monte. (They substitute correct solutions for incorrect ones after the graded tests are handed back.)

8.      Who was that masked man? (Hire a substitute.)

9.      History Repeating Itself. (They memorize solutions to the same questions on past tests.) This one is not cheating — it’s the instructor’s fault for repeating questions.

Question: How can I minimize cheating on exams?
Answer:

  1. Don’t leave copies of the exam lying around, including in computer files.
  2. Know how many copies were run off & count them before handing them out.
  3. Make sure the exam is carefully proctored.
    • If possible, secure a room in which students can sit with a seat between.  This works especially well for open book tests where students need to spread out their materials.
    • Someone (ideally, more than one person for large sections) should be present in the exam watching the class at all times.
    • Circulate throughout the classroom during the exam.
    • If a student needs to use the restroom during an exam, he/she has to bring the test paper up and empty his/her pockets of cell phone and any papers before leaving the room.  Only one person can leave the room at a time.
    • Be on the lookout for students consulting resources that are not allowed (extra sheets of paper, writing on skin, clothing, or hats)
    • Be particularly mindful of what occurs at the end of class as papers are being handed in.
  4. Prohibit visible cell phones or MP3 players.
  5. Don’t hand out or post worked-out solutions until you are sure all the papers have been collected.
  6. Log in the papers as soon as you collect them.
  7. Use exam booklets or colored paper to make post-grading substitution harder.  This also makes it harder for students to have “illegal” materials during closed note exams if the test booklet/paper is something other than white paper.
  8. Cutting a small corner off all exams shortly before the exam allows very easy detection of any previously stolen exams or quizzes.
  9. Make photocopies of some or all graded exams, particularly those of anyone you have suspicions about, before handing them back.
  10. Require complete solutions. Don’t give credit for the right answer magically appearing.
  11. Give tests that are easy to read and possible to solve. Students are much more likely to cheat on tests they regard as unfair.
  12. Include an honor pledge for students to sign on exams.
  13. Don’t repeat exams!
  14. Make multiple versions of exams, especially ones with short answer or multiple choice questions.  Making two or four versions and passing them out in an intentional order reduces the chance that wandering eyes will accidentally land on an adjacent test and get an answer, especially in rooms where students are forced to sit close together.
[1]Adapted from NCSU New Faculty Orientation materials developed by Richard Felder and Rebecca Brent.