Oxford medic students to resit exam in ‘cheat’ probe

‘Sharing of information’

An entire year’s intake of Oxford University medical students must resit an exam after allegations of cheating.

A total of 167 medics have been told they must retake a crucial assessment at the elite institution in the autumn.

The intervention – affecting all fifth-year students due to enter their final year – came after staff were alerted to problems with an exam taken last month.

Some students allegedly received and circulated materials that would have given them an advantage in their objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), said Oxford student newspaper Cherwell.

OSCEs are practical exams in which students take the role of doctors, assessing and diagnosing patients played by actors.

Chairman of examiners Dr Sanja Thompson said in a letter seen by Cherwell that it was ‘impossible’ to know if and how many students had cheated.

A spokesman for the university said yesterday: ‘The Year 5/GE3 OSCE was referred to the Proctors’ Office following allegations about student conduct and the suspected sharing of information. Consequently, the decision has been taken to void the examination, with a new sitting scheduled for the autumn.

‘we recognise the uncertainty and anxiety that this will cause for students and are in ongoing contact with those affected.’

■ Natwest has issued an ‘urgent scam alert’ after it found in a poll that more than half of students were targeted this year by fraudsters posing as bank staff to steal money or personal details using fake emails, calls and texts.