Mobile_Phones_Leading_to_Cheating_by_Exam_Students

Mobile phones leading to cheating by exam students By Jo Wilkes on 4th February It has been reported that many students that are taking GCSE and A Level exams have been cheating with the use of their mobile phones. Whilst mobile phones are undoubtedly invaluable to us in many ways it appears that students have found a novel use for their devices in addition to the usual texts, calls, and other standard uses. According to recent reports the level of cheating during exams has been increasing, with some students using their mobile phones to provide them with answers to examination questions. Officials believe that cheating in GCSE and A Level examinations has been driven up as a result of students smuggling their mobile phones in and using them to help them get through the exams. Official statistics have shown that this has led to the level of malpractice penalties increase by six percent in the space of a year. The examinations regulator, Ofqual, released figures showing that over the course of 2009 nearly four and a half thousand penalties were handed out to students. There was also an increase of nearly thirty percent in the number of penalties handed out to staff at examination centres. Many students were found to be sneaking in mobiles as well as other devices that would allow them to access saved material, get online, or listen to recoded information through the use of a concealed earpiece. Schools are now said to be being sold detection devices that will help them to identify when someone has brought in prohibited gadgets to help them to cheat on examinations. An official from the Joint Council for Qualifications stated: “JCQ members take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of cheating in examinations including the possession of unauthorised items such as mobile phones, iPods and MP3/4 players. Cheating in an examination is an infringement of the regulations and may lead to disqualification from the current examination and the overall qualification.” Source – Guardian