Methods for Instructors to Prevent Cheating in Examination

Examining in a physical setting creates a sense of kinship with co-students, which provides both comfort and motivation to a student. Offline tests should be favored since they decrease the risk of unethical tactics in high-stakes exams like these. Adapting assessment techniques, such as using a hand held metal detector to reduce the amount of non-permissible objects.

The official exam conducting authority monitors the exam using live CCTV streaming from the exam hall, or a webcam mounted on the computer system. The webcam captures images of the candidate presenting on the test at irregular intervals or records a video of the whole test length for examination security.

Why Do Students End Up Cheating in Exams?

We believe that most students approach their tests with honesty and sincerity. But, a small fraction of students may justify the ability to use “unauthorized sources” during exams. They may rationalize cheating because they believe other students must be doing it.

Apart from using a proctoring tool, there are various strategies that test organizers can adopt and leverage the inherent features within their institution’s Learning Management System (LMS) to decrease cheating during examinations. Here are some of them:

Confirming the Real Identities of Exam Takers

While it is uncommon for a different person to appear and take a candidate’s exam, validating the genuine identity of test-takers is a precaution to avoid such instances. A biometric attendance system can undertake ID verification by comparing the test taker’s ID document to their biometric profile.

Alter the Test Question Sequence

In the examination settings, make the order of the exam questions and the response choices for each test question different for each exam. Students may try to share their questions and answers with other students. By this, they won’t be able to cheat.

Use A Variety of Question Types

Avoid having an exam with only multiple-choice or true/false questions and instead incorporate open-ended questions. Students would be obliged to explain their answers using specific facts and support narratives unique to their comprehension of the course topics.

Advanced Electronic Devices

High-tech devices are not only employed by secret agents on espionage missions, but students also use them to cheat on exams. During exams, students have employed micro Bluetooth-powered headphones, invisible timepieces, and augmented reality glasses. These gadgets may appear natural and overlooked. Students can store extra electronics under the table. Handheld hand detectors become crucial in these scenarios, and also generators should be there on the premises to avoid power cuts. One can get a generator on rent too.

Academic Integrity Policies

Explain the guidelines of taking the exams and examine the academic integrity policy and repercussions outlined in the course syllabus. Students may have a psychological influence after seeing and hearing their instructor mention academic integrity just before an exam, which may prevent students who were considering cheating.

Finally, the lack of face-to-face supervision has made it easier for students to cheat on online exams. Knowing how students cheat in unique ways may assist you in locating the correct answer and alleviating test security concerns.