Examination Malpractice

_{Peer-learning session}

Many are of the opinion that examination is not the true test of knowledge. I wonder what the true test of knowledge is. Examination has been one of the acceptable assessment tools since time immemorial. It could be administered in different forms; it could be oral or written. Written examinations could be multiple choice questions or essay.

The main aim of examination is to ascertain if the behavioral objectives of the lessons have been achieved in the learners based on their performance in the administered test or exam.
Examination malpractice has eaten deep into our educational system and can be reduced to the bearest minimum if all parties involved in examination will be willing to obey laid down rules.

_{Relaxing the brain after hours of study}

In my own perspective, examination malpractice refers to those actions, behaviours done before, during or after the administration of an assessment or test item that is/are against the rules, ethics and codes of conduct of examinations.

There are always reasons for every action. Though students have reasons why they get indulge in examination malpractice; it should be discouraged because...

...it's just being penny wise, pound foolish.

• Examination malpractice makes student lazy. They wouldn't like to study since they have other means of sorting out themselves.
• It could lead to expulsion; I was told of a student who paid someone to write an exam for her. The person actually successfully wrote the exams for her but the unfortunate/fortunate part was that this fellow forgot to put down her name in the exam attendance list. So, the invigilator after getting the answer booklets from the students at the end of the exams discovered that the number did not tally with the attendance.

_{The last minute revision}

After cross-examination he sorted out her script and instructed her course mate to call her since she might just be around the exam venue or school premises; when she got the news she had to rush down to school from where she was to the exam venue; from her moves, writing and signature the invigilator noticed she wasn't the one who wrote the exams; after much interrogation, it was proven beyond every iota of doubts that she got someone to write the exam for her; she got rusticated from the university by the school senate; what an avoidable pity. Her reputation was damaged as a result of examination malpractice.

• Examination malpractice could give birth to other malpractices because It would give the individual the morale to engage in many other misconducts like cutting corners to achieve goals anywhere he or she finds himself or herself.

_{Going for an exam}

• Examination malpractice leads to no, low or substantial productivity. Time will fail me to share instances but there's this so called student in one university that bagged "first-class degree" in one English related course. So during her National Youth ServiceCorps (NYSC), a program initiated by the government in my country where young graduates from tertiary institutions within certain age brackets serve the nation for a period of one year. So this lady, was privileged to carryout her primary assignment as it is mostly termed, in the office of one of the ministers in a nation during that period based on her paper qualification and recommendation by the school.

She couldn't prepare memos and some other minor task she was expected to handle excellently. The minister had to write to the vice chancellor of her school; the school had to retrieve the first class honour from her after placing her on retest. All those that had first class during her set and some few set before hers, were placed on retest to ascertain their true identity. What a pity!

_{In the exam hall}

We would all agree to the fact that the world is dynamic, so also is it with examination malpractice.

It is quite funny that a student would spend time minimizing a voluminous text into few sheets of paper rather than committing such information directly into the brain.
Some students called it brain-supports or micro-chips and it's really "micro" because in an ideal scenario a magnifying glass would be needed to see the information they've put down but most of them will see those information clearly.

• Others get people they referred to as machines to write for them. This is called impersonation. There's this method that some of my course mates practice, the sure pluck style, this is where students who haven't prepared adequately for an exam sit with or not too far from the student they know is fully prepared for the exam; who then serve as solutions supplier during the exam if such student is not spotted out by the invigilator as the a supplier;you can tell what would happen if such student is substituted with their same kind.

_{coping during an exam}

Many of them become frustrated and end up submitting what they had already written when the supplier was around.

Another way students cheat in exam is through getting the question paper through the help of an insider. There was a particular time I used to attend tutorials for some of my courses that needed it at that time. I noticed that most times during revision classes with these tutors; they will tell us some areas we should concentrate our efforts and most times questions come from those areas, what can you deduce from this outcomes; could it be they have access to the questions; well, I can't tell because I haven't caught them in the act.

• Some students, mostly at the primary and secondary school level forge their result by stylishly changing whatever they've had to impress their parents.

Since there's no smoke without fire, examination malpractice is said to be a dependent variable as it is the "effect" of some factors.

• Lack of adequate preparation for an exam can lead to involvement in examination malpractice.

_{sourced
The Invigilator}

• Some lecturers are not committed in giving their best, they don't show up for classes till when it's a week or few days to exams, they would want to teach the whole semester course in 2-3 hours and then expects students to answer questions from the whole area of the material; this could prompt certain students to get backups by cheating.

• Some parents have to be blame for this act as some of them have contributed to its practice. You'll see a parent doing all his possible best to secure an admission for his child even to the extent of paying certain amount of money. This would also prompt the child to always access other unlawful means to achieve success in exams.

This menace can be curtailed through proper sanctioning of students caught in this act to serve as deterrent for others.

• Students shouldn't see exams as a do or due affair. They shouldn't see failure as the end of life; they shouldn't be afraid of failure but study hard and smart.
• Students should be sensitized on the perils of examination malpractice so as not to give it a second thought.
• Examination ethics and conduct should be strictly adhere to by concerned parties.

• Unqualified lecturers should be entrenched from service to check mate the poor knowledge delivery and other nonchalant activities.

• Students which make studying a lifestyle, not the last minute kind of study just for passing an exam that evaporates some seconds or minutes after the exams.

Don't cheat boss because it's wrong after all you still have 85% score to claim if only you can give in your best for the second test and exams. Just set your priorities right, create time out of your busy schedule.

_{sourced
Hardwork pays}

Some of my lecturers would always say that what is worth doing is worth doing well. So no matter the situation, do your best to avoid examination malpractice, a reaction whose end product is catastrophic.

I would like @bossj23 @ahsansharif @dexxtero @basil20 to participate in this contest