Number of students caught cheating in exams increased by 11 per cent this summer
THE number of students punished for cheating in exams has risen by 11 per cent — with mobile phone usage the most common trick. Some 3,040 penalties were issued to teenagers flouting the rules in GCSE, AS and A-level exams this summer — up from 2,735 last year. Of those, 1,560 lost marks, 870 received […]
THE number of students punished for cheating in exams has risen by 11 per cent — with mobile phone usage the most common trick.
Some 3,040 penalties were issued to teenagers flouting the rules in GCSE, AS and A-level exams this summer — up from 2,735 last year.
Of those, 1,560 lost marks, 870 received written warnings, and 610 missed out on a certificate.
Most of the penalties — nearly half — were issued for use of mobile phones or other devices.
They accounted for 1,385 punishments — 46 per cent of the total — up from 1,060 two years ago.
However the number of plagiarism cases is falling, with just 70 reprimands this year, compared with 480 in 2017.
Teachers have also been caught — with 335 penalties issued to school and college staff during the summer.
Some 185 were for maladministration, 85 for breach of security and 60 for giving improper assistance to a student.
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The numbers have significantly dropped from 1,030 in 2017, according to Ofqual, the watchdog that oversees GCSEs and A-levels.
Chief regulator Sally Collier said it has undertaken “a broad range of important work” in recent months “to ensure standards are being maintained and to reinforce confidence in regulated qualifications”.
She added: “The research we have published also demonstrates our strong commitment to make marking and awarding of grades as good as it possibly can be for students and all other users of these qualifications.”
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