Dubai: School exam cheats have devised new ways of earning themselves high marks, thanks to technology.
The traditional "long-sleeved shirt method" may still be effective in cheating during school exams and works well in winter, but devious pupils nowadays are continuously introducing novel methods by giving it a high-tech edge.
Fraudulent styles of cribbing, copying and passing notes have have now been replaced by computers and mobile phones which offer opportunities to cheat on a whole new scale by visiting websites and sending electronic messages.
The conventional way of writing notes on the arm before the test and covering it under long-sleeved shirts is still practised with abandon as "this works well especially when concealing Maths and science formulas," some pupils say. To counter this habit, examiners have also changed tact over the years by setting questions and answers in different ways and forms. Although methods are frequently developing, pupils are finding it difficult to cheat nowadays as the style of exam papers have differed than the usual.
Copy and paste
"Exam papers are now focused into evaluating a student's analytical and critical skills, in which some of these questions are not easy to cheat because one has to provide the entire process of reaching the final answer," said M. K., a pupil at a public school.
"You still see and hear about cases of cheating and even worse, plagiarism. Many of my colleagues just copy and paste data from the internet for their projects and assignments and what's worse, some teachers realise this but choose to turn a blind eye," he added.
Another Grade 11 student said there will never be an end to cheating or new methods to doing it "even if it involves putting a student in an isolated room."
Among the methods stated by pupils in Dubai is noting down data on their arms, palms, and between their fingers as well as passing notes. Female students have it all easy, as they hide phones, notes and other gadgets under their Shaila (headscarf) as it conceals their ears and neck.
Other methods involve sticking white papers underneath their sleeves or printing information from the computer then making a copy of the note using "toner based" photo copier. This is followed by sticking scotch tape on the note and dumping it in cold water after a few minutes the pupil peels off the scotch tape which has the data printed on it.
After drying the strip it can be glued to the exam paper where the invigilator will not notice it while the student is coping from it or the pupil can wrap the strip around a pencil or pen.
This method was provided by two Grade 10 pupils who got the tip from the internet and referred Gulf News to it.
Mohammad Al Mass, the Principal of Al Ma'aref Secondary School for Boys, said that if a pupil is caught cheating, he will not be allowed to complete his examination. The dishonest student will also be stopped from taking the rest of the tests.
Most exam cheating cases are resolved internally in the school with few exceptional cases referred to educational zones, councils or authority. "In case dishonesty in exam is reported, each case is handled individually," said a senior official at the Education Ministry.
Methods: Tricky ways
- Writing on tables before the examination.
- Writing on thighs (female pupils). This is covered by an abaya.
- Writing on small sticky white papers. Female pupils hide them in their headscarves, or in the sleeves of their abayas, or stick them in clothes underneath the abaya. They are also hidden in calculators, caps of whitening pens. They write on metal rulers with pencils.
- Get shops to type answers on small sheets of paper which are hidden easily.
- Keeping torn portions from chapters under the answer sheet.
- Use mobile phones to take pictures of their textbooks and notes.
Is it becoming increasingly difficult to monitor children during exams? How can schools discourage pupils from cheating? Do you know of any alternative methods of evaluation implemented by schools to better assess pupils? How effective was the initiative?
Your comments
In my opinion, as a father, the students shall not be trained as recorders. The ones that only record information without understanding. The idea shall be to impart knowledge in a conceptual way. If the concept of the examination is to produce the exact text book on the answer sheet then I agree to what the Grade 11 student had said in this report that there will never be an end to cheating or new methods to doing it... "even if it involves putting a student in an isolated room." We shall move towards concept building, rather than producing mere by rotes.
Omar Qudoos
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 10:58
This practice of cheating in school exams were there before. Only the style has now changed. The only thing that can be done here is to educate students and teachers that by cheating you destroy yourself.
Vengasheri Mohandas
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 10:14
Discouraging pupils from cheating is a very difficult task. All novel methods of cheating are born from good invigilation. It is a cat and mouse game. During my academic years I have mostly been honest, but there have been a few incidents when I opted to cheat as well. I used methods of making chits of the most critical information, which would reap most benefits. I used to place it securely underneath the desk and only I could take it if needed, like a magician. The point is that I took resort to cheating when I could not learn that particular information or it was too hard to understand or I was just lazy with the subject and did not enjoy learning it (mostly small pieces of formula or equations). These reasons are food for cheating. I had friends who were more creative and would need to cheat essays or problems.
Sanju Raj
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 09:34
Wow! Micro earphones! I used to use micro copies of class notes. The printing shops used to charge Dh1 for every three printouts. It helped me get through high school. Today I am a senior manager!
Sheraz Ahmad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 09:31
Questions or assessments that call for individual responses, not repeating back what has been read or said in class except as substantiation of points, lessens the possibility of cheating and shows best the understanding and internalisation of the topics covered.
Sameer Kassim
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 09:07
Go beyond just changing test questions. Make assessments items that are not even questions. They are problems that require students to think, produce, defend and create. Cheating becomes virtually impossible.
Rashma Abdul Rahman
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:58
Group assignments in schools today have the ability to educate students, but only if the topics are stimulating enough to get them to want to learn and learn together. Once the students process the information, because they are curious to learn the facts, they will naturally do well in exams without cheating. The challenge is to create innovative group assignments that the freedom for students to work together while challenging their skills of interpretation and communications.
Hamriya Abdul Rahman
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:54
As a student, I know the kind of cheating preparation happening prior to exam. Why does one want to cheat? Because students do not know the chapters or are unable to complete the whole portions, or maybe just too lazy to study. I think that instead of giving so much importance on exams, the study portions should be divided like individual assignments.
Chaya Jacob
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:22
I am a high school coordinator in Dubai and indeed it is getting hard to control students in general. When it comes to cheating, a good seating plan with different exam versions is a good way to stop students from cheating. In Math, English, or any other subject we try as much as possible to give analytical questions and sometimes even have an open-book test that will be hard to cheat as the students have to be well prepared. Concerning mobile phones, with a very alert proctoring staff members, it is impossible for students to use as we can always sense it happening. I do not know if I am generalising, but I have noticed that the girls tend to cheat more, as their clothes usually help them hide stuff better. I suggest that educators stay focused and be positive, as those children need our guidance with then absence of the parents in most of the cases.
Bassel Al Deiry
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:16
As a teacher, it is not an easy task to monitor students during exams. But I believe, being a teacher, you can read body languages of students cheating as well as reading between the lines. It will still end on the part of the teacher if they are watchful or they are just resilient in being a proctor of tests.
Jerry Selayro
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:07
Proper guidelines must be circulated well in advance prior to exams by the conductors, preferably along with the application for registrations. Such guidelines must clearly indicate that in case if it proved beyond doubt that any pupil has attempted unfair practice during an exam, they shall be punished or be debarred from appearing for a while. Exams must be conducted under close surveillance of both male and female invigilators. Enhancing better approach to cultures among students couldbring equality in testing their skills. Setting up questions, which may focus on the subject, but indirectly presenting them to evaluate their indepth knowledge expcted from the subjects covered would be better. "Motto: Survival of the fittest as knowledge is power. Plagiarism will make you die eventually in your future life."
Ajeesh
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 08:00
Instead of thinking of how to stop students from cheating, why not think of how to help them cope with their studies in such a way that they do not even need to cheat. I am sure most of us must have been through a time in life where we had to cheat, not because we loved to but because our teachers did not pay enough attention to us. My children do not get proper attention and when I approach the teacher, she has a very good solution to it, which is extra tuition at her residence for which she charges Dh80 an hour for and she tells the children what important questions are going to appear in the exams. There are only a very few teachers who would come to school to teach. Most of them come to kill time or get some pupils for home tutions and earn more than their monthly salary. In that case, what would you think we would prefer? I request the authorities to look into this matter seriously, as it would change the future.
Zahra
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 07:26
The cheating tricks are cool but very old. Please Develop some new ideas so that we could avail.
Mohammad Zafar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 06:54
The methods mentioned in this report could only come out from a person who has used these procedures of cheating in their life. Secondly, curricula like the British focus on theory, which pushes a student to cheat. Scores are not based on practical qualities, but theory or quantity. Cheating will never stop, many professors and teachers in their times have cheated themselves, so let us not nag about it.
Ali
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 06, 2009, 03:23
When I was in high school in Abu Dhabi about seven years ago, the son of our principal was also in the same exam room as us and we could see invigulators turning a blind eye, and sometimes even helping him during A levels exams. Sometimes you do get preferred treatment anyway and do not have to resort to cheating
Tamzed
Sydney,Australia
Posted: January 06, 2009, 02:38
