Hi-tech cheating in public exams
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Chowdhury Md. Usman Ahmmady
UMAR Faruk, indifferent to his studies, dreamed of getting first division in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. To prove himself an eligible student, he came in the exam-hall putting on a long-sleeved shirt covering his arms and hid his palms full of writings. He rolled up the sleeves and started improper cribbing at an opportune time letting the invigilators not understand what he was doing.
Along with the "Long-sleeved shirt method", he applied a Buddy method, also called "Helper-sitting-next-to-him" and a "Can-I-go-to-the-bathroom" method and he finally secured his first division. It is one of the serious flaws of such exam-oriented achievement testing system.
Using such various traditional, but unfair means, to be successful in the examinations of this kind is not new in the society. Rather these fraudulent malpractices have become more sophisticated with the advent of modern technological devices through SMS, phone-a-friend, digital camera, MP4 players, bluetooth, and camera phones.
Experts suggest that these means to pass exams will be taken up by more students causing a further degradation of the society. It is a side effect of test driven cultures world wide.
The most recent discovery was of an exam-cheating "gang" in Dhaka University, the best public university, and this has raised the alarm of a threat in the form of the marketing of test answers with sophisticated technological support. Others might argue that excessive focus on tests and high stakes rewarding of top scorers has bred the atmosphere that allowed this to evolve.
The RAB, prior to arresting the eight students accused of cheating, observed the activity for a week to investigate and expose it. And at last on 29th October they arrested Aminul Islam, alleged ringleader, incriminating evidence of a forged identity from one of the exam halls of the Social Science Institute of Dhaka University during the entrance exam of Arts and Social Science Faculties.
The alleged ringleader, also a BBA graduate of Dhaka University, said that he answered the 100 Multiple-Choice-Question within 10 minutes and provided the set number followed by answers to the set via text messages to 5 of his fellow members who forwarded the texts to their 40 client examinees to whom they sold their cheating service at taka 40,000 each. This seriously challenges notions of appropriate monitoring of the examinations.
Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddique said appropriate consequences for the cheating syndicate would be ensured. In his remark, Arefin also asked his officials to show zero tolerance to the candidates who would use cell phones in the exam hall during the admission test of 2010-11 sessions. As a part of precautionary steps, the entire exam system as well as the changes in OMR sheet would be digitalized next year, he added.
Moreover, to counter this unfair behavior in the exam hall, government can look deeply into what drives this behavior. It suggests the need to better understand if folks are desperate, the stakes too high, or if his moral compass has been reset by forces that must be addressed in homes, educational institutions and society. Cheating is but a symptom, but what is the illness? Elaborate schemes to cheat often require as much energy and far more risk than simple preparation. Is this driven by greed? Adventure?
Aminul (26), the cheating gang leader said in his confession that his father is merely a school teacher. Aminul has been doing such cheating on a regular basis. He managed to buy some lands in his village over the last 5 years. Though brilliant, he hankered after riches adopting many evil means. He along with his accomplices intends to make money in a short-cut way by abetting crimes, even if the work goes against the morality and equity. It is well said that the love of money is the root of all evils where "Money" is God, "Greed" is king, and "Corruption" runs the dirty game.
In Bangladesh, the chance of college students being admitted to universities has grown slimmer due to the limited seats in public as well as private universities. Entrance exams therefore remain very competitive.
With the transition of traditional methods of cheating in exams into the modern technological cheating devices, our social degradation is expanding by leaps and bounds. So along side governmental endeavors we, the patriots of the nation, should come together to teach our children to fight for equity, ethics and excellence by doing their own work, their best. We must know that if we sow short-term pleasure, we will reap long-term pain. But if we sow short-term pain, we will reap long-term pleasure.
To that end we must be willing to examine whether or not final standardized achievement testing has prices and ramifications like these that lead the unscrupulous to barter, turn unethical conduct into a business, and be willing to diligently consider if institutions are able and willing to stop the practices by fully understanding them, staying abreast of the technology and investing in educational practices that teach and support good healthy development of esteem, honesty, personal pride.
jamdani85@yahoo.com
UMAR Faruk, indifferent to his studies, dreamed of getting first division in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination. To prove himself an eligible student, he came in the exam-hall putting on a long-sleeved shirt covering his arms and hid his palms full of writings. He rolled up the sleeves and started improper cribbing at an opportune time letting the invigilators not understand what he was doing.
Along with the "Long-sleeved shirt method", he applied a Buddy method, also called "Helper-sitting-next-to-him" and a "Can-I-go-to-the-bathroom" method and he finally secured his first division. It is one of the serious flaws of such exam-oriented achievement testing system.
Using such various traditional, but unfair means, to be successful in the examinations of this kind is not new in the society. Rather these fraudulent malpractices have become more sophisticated with the advent of modern technological devices through SMS, phone-a-friend, digital camera, MP4 players, bluetooth, and camera phones.
Experts suggest that these means to pass exams will be taken up by more students causing a further degradation of the society. It is a side effect of test driven cultures world wide.
The most recent discovery was of an exam-cheating "gang" in Dhaka University, the best public university, and this has raised the alarm of a threat in the form of the marketing of test answers with sophisticated technological support. Others might argue that excessive focus on tests and high stakes rewarding of top scorers has bred the atmosphere that allowed this to evolve.
The RAB, prior to arresting the eight students accused of cheating, observed the activity for a week to investigate and expose it. And at last on 29th October they arrested Aminul Islam, alleged ringleader, incriminating evidence of a forged identity from one of the exam halls of the Social Science Institute of Dhaka University during the entrance exam of Arts and Social Science Faculties.
The alleged ringleader, also a BBA graduate of Dhaka University, said that he answered the 100 Multiple-Choice-Question within 10 minutes and provided the set number followed by answers to the set via text messages to 5 of his fellow members who forwarded the texts to their 40 client examinees to whom they sold their cheating service at taka 40,000 each. This seriously challenges notions of appropriate monitoring of the examinations.
Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University AAMS Arefin Siddique said appropriate consequences for the cheating syndicate would be ensured. In his remark, Arefin also asked his officials to show zero tolerance to the candidates who would use cell phones in the exam hall during the admission test of 2010-11 sessions. As a part of precautionary steps, the entire exam system as well as the changes in OMR sheet would be digitalized next year, he added.
Moreover, to counter this unfair behavior in the exam hall, government can look deeply into what drives this behavior. It suggests the need to better understand if folks are desperate, the stakes too high, or if his moral compass has been reset by forces that must be addressed in homes, educational institutions and society. Cheating is but a symptom, but what is the illness? Elaborate schemes to cheat often require as much energy and far more risk than simple preparation. Is this driven by greed? Adventure?
Aminul (26), the cheating gang leader said in his confession that his father is merely a school teacher. Aminul has been doing such cheating on a regular basis. He managed to buy some lands in his village over the last 5 years. Though brilliant, he hankered after riches adopting many evil means. He along with his accomplices intends to make money in a short-cut way by abetting crimes, even if the work goes against the morality and equity. It is well said that the love of money is the root of all evils where "Money" is God, "Greed" is king, and "Corruption" runs the dirty game.
In Bangladesh, the chance of college students being admitted to universities has grown slimmer due to the limited seats in public as well as private universities. Entrance exams therefore remain very competitive.
With the transition of traditional methods of cheating in exams into the modern technological cheating devices, our social degradation is expanding by leaps and bounds. So along side governmental endeavors we, the patriots of the nation, should come together to teach our children to fight for equity, ethics and excellence by doing their own work, their best. We must know that if we sow short-term pleasure, we will reap long-term pain. But if we sow short-term pain, we will reap long-term pleasure.
To that end we must be willing to examine whether or not final standardized achievement testing has prices and ramifications like these that lead the unscrupulous to barter, turn unethical conduct into a business, and be willing to diligently consider if institutions are able and willing to stop the practices by fully understanding them, staying abreast of the technology and investing in educational practices that teach and support good healthy development of esteem, honesty, personal pride.
jamdani85@yahoo.com