2,715 UK Students Penalized for Cheating in Exams, Officials Blame ‘Technology Change’

Surprisingly, cheating in exams is a serious problem faced by the UK exam boards! The latest attempt at tightening the screws on social media proves the struggle is real. The Typical Student team previously told about 6 CREATIVE Ways to Cheat in Exam and Not Get Caught in 2018. Looks like these may not be as effective anymore!

Exam Cheating Statistics in the UK

According to BBC News, exam boards officials spend lots of time and effort searching for signs of exams cheating on the web. The official statistic released in shows SHOCKING numbers for 2017:

• 2,715 candidates were penalized for the exam cheating malpractice which makes 0.01% of the total amount of candidates. In 2016, the number provided by the Ofqual, was 2,180.
• 1,235 were penalized with the loss of marks;
• 635 students were given a warning;
• 490 had their papers scrapped;
• 895 school staffers were penalized for malpractice participation;
• 120 institutions were involved.

Based on these numbers, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) claims cheating in exams is “extremely rare.” The majority of sanctions issued to candidates concerned mainly mobile phone possession during the exam. In 2017, it was 4 in 10 students penalized for taking unauthorized items to exams.

Is Social Media to Blame for Cheating?

As told by BBC News, the exam chiefs insist it’s all about the “technology change” causing the malpractice. “Students increasingly use technology in different ways" so officials claim they have to do lots of extra work to search the social media for the proof of cheating. Reportedly, the exam board has people who examine social media platforms during the year. Still, there are so many ways to share information, that it’s doubtful whether this can help to prevent cheating.