PREFACE
- 2 Timothy 2:5 (emphasis added)
If anyone (any student) competes(partake) in athletics(examination), he is not crowned unless he competes(partake) according to the rules (of the examination). NKJV
- Proverbs 11:1
The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty. TLB
- John 10:1 (paraphrased)
One qualifies to be referred to as a thieve or/and robber, when he/she obtains something by illegal means.
- Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) said: “Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” Reported by Saheeh Muslim.
INTRODUCTION
Once again, we are getting to the end of the semester and as the rules of the University requires we are to sit for an examination for the purpose of selection, classification, certification and also to reveal the latent ability of the student.
To date, there is not any acceptable measurement of formal education other than examination. It is however unfortunate that this globally embraced yardstick has been abused and compromised through examination malpractice. Examination malpractice has been defined as a deliberate abuse of rules and regulations pertaining to examination, beginning from the setting of the examination through the taking of the examination, their marking and grading, to the release of the results and the issuance of certificate.
PENALTIES FOR EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
- Signing of bond of good behaviour
- Cancellation of course/examination paper
- Payment of fine
- Rustication/suspension for a stated period
- Withdrawal/Expulsion from the University.
- Criminal prosecution
NOTE: The Examination malpractice committee of the university reserves the right to impose any other form of penalty not captured here on offending student based on the gravity of the offence/s.
SOME EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE OFFENCES
The various ways students who indulge in these nefarious activities commit this heinous crime include, but not always limited to the following:
- Impersonation, aiding and abetting.
- Disclosing candidates’ identity(name) in answer books.
- Offering money to invigilators/supervisors as inducement
- Physical assault of invigilator/ other students.
- Substitution of answer scripts.
- Involvement in examination leakage.
- Coming into examination hall with dangerous weapon.
- Copying from other candidates in the examination hall.
- Bringing in and using unauthorized materials, books, notes, paper, mobile. phone, or any electronic gadget etc except the one allowed.
- Unruly behaviour in examination hall e.g disobedience of lawful order concerning sitting arrangement etc.
- Insulting an invigilator.
- Smoking, eating or bringing into an examination hall food items or beverages.
- Leaving examination hall temporarily or permanently for any purpose without the permission of invigilator before the examinations is finished.
- Delay in submission of answer scripts.
- Deliberate exposing one’s scripts for another to copy.
- Giraffing and discussing in the examination hall.
- Possession of any examination material before or after the examination.
- Exchange of scripts or question paper during the examination.
- Writing on the palm, cloths, body or ruler, exams table, question paper etc.
- Refusal to appear before examination malpractice committee.
- Refusal to fill and sign examination misconduct/malpractice form.
- Coming-in-and-out with ulterior motives
- Tearing of question paper or answer booklet
- Student altering obtained scores
- Invigilators requesting for gratification to allow cheating
- Awarding marks to students without writing Exams
- Assisting students with answers by invigilators in viva voce
- Failure of examiners to score right and changing scored marks in favour of student
EFFECTS OF EXAMINATION MISCONDUCTS/MALPRACTICE
The most serious consequences of examination malpractice are:
- It ruins the credibility, validity and reliability of measurement process.
- Lowering of academic standard
- Lack of confidence in our educational system.
- Breeding of a generation of fraudsters and other social vices.
- It promotes laziness, indolence and idleness that are detrimental to the mental and intellectual growth of our students.
- Emergence of high dropout rates from university whenever offenders are caught by the university authorities.
- Fake impression of capabilities
- Career ruins (Possibility of unfulfilled dreams and vision)
- It leads to an unproductive or inefficacy of labour in the society.
THE CHAIN EFFECT OF EXAM MALPRACTICE
Let’s look at a medical student who cheated throughout his/her academic sojourn in the university and was adjudged to be a qualified physician upon completion of his/her studies. The consequences of his/her prescription of drugs and/or carrying out of medical operation on the patients that patronise him/her are better imagined than experienced. What about teachers who cannot competently handle the subject they are trained to teach? Would you like to trust your health in the hands of a Nurse who cheated in exams in other to become a qualified Nurse? I wouldn’t like to list the number of fatalities that are likely to occur if we have a generation of practicing engineers who cheated in exams.
CAUSES OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE:
- fear of failure,
- undue emphasis on paper qualification
- societal related-factors
- Inadequate preparation and desire to pass at all costs. As proper preparation prevents poor performance, as the popular saying goes, there is no doubt that poor preparation promotes poor performance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Obey the invigilators instructions
- Read the instructions on the cover page of the answer booklet carefully
- Do not start work until you are told to do so
- Immediately you enter the exams hall, all forms of communication must cease
- Seek assistance from only the invigilator
- Do not change your sitting position or the sitting arrangement
CONCLUSION
Please take this warning serious, if you know that the witches and wizards in your home are barbaric, then I will urge you not to try anything funny in the exams room. Whenever you want to cheat in the exams, just remember that your Mom has gather all her world to place you here, after selling on the stinky gutters and scorch sun of Kaneshie. Thank you for saving your Mother’s life by not cheating.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Name: ABOAGYE MARCOS
Awards:
- Best Graduating student in BTech Civil Engineering, Class of 2015-2017.
- Overall Best Graduating Student (Class of 2015-2017)-The Degree(BTech) category (CGPA= 4.83 /5.00).
Phone number: +233240171761
Publication: the Author has also published a transformational book which addresses over 30 controversial issues in Christianity entitled ‘THE GOSPEL (of Jesus Christ) DECODED’ which is freely available on: www.ktuinsider.com or you can download it from this link: https://www.ktuinsider.com/2018/10/18/the-gospel-decoded-a-book-by-aboagye-marcos-2018-overall-best-graduating-student-btech/
