Exam Cheating - Is it Worth It?

Every year a number of students are caught cheating examinations or pass off other people's work as their own in coursework assessments.
In the 12 month period prior to January 2009 the University's Student Discipline Committee dealt with more than 20 cases. Here are some of the outcomes:

    * One final-year undergraduate student was expelled immediately with no degree, after 4 years studying at the University
    * One student suspended from his studies with immediate effect
    * Three students intending to practise various professions now unable to follow their chosen careers
    * Three final-year students having an entire semester's examinations and coursework assessments cancelled, and each consequently graduating with a lower class of degree (in one case an Ordinary (not Honours) degree)
    * Nine students found guilty of plagiarism in assessed coursework, receiving a mark of zero in each case, and being denied the opportunity to re-submit the piece of workfour students found guilty of being in possession of unauthorised material in an examination room, receiving marks of zero for the exam paper in question and being denied the opportunity of a resit examination.

Is It Worth It?

In all these cases a record of the offence and the penalty imposed has been ordered to be held on the student's personal file in the academic department and will seriously affect the nature of any reference issued to potential employers or other educational institutions.

Fellow students have no sympathy for those who cheat and those who have succeeded at cheating can feel subsequent shame and loss of confidence because they have not given themselves a fair test of their ability and end up cheating themselves.