TEXTING under the TABLE
MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER BEFORE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT CHEATING IN EXAMS
The rise of the mobile phone has seen a record number of penalties issued to students last year for rulebreaking in GCSE and A-Level exams.
A total of 2,895 penalties were given to students in England and Wales across the summer exam series, according to the Office of Qualifications and Exam Regulations (Ofqual). That is a rise of more than a fifth from the 2,410 penalties issued in 2014 - the earliest records available. A student being caught with a mobile phone was the main reason penalties were given last year, with 1,140 dished out for that reason. A further 465 penalties were given because students had plagiarised the work of others, and 330 for “inappropriate materials” - including offensive or obscene material found in exam scripts, assessments, coursework or portfolios.
Some 315 penalties were issued for other unauthorised materials, such as notes, study guides, and calculators.
Some 1,345 of the penalties issued saw a student having marks deducted meaning they were still able to gain the relevant qualification, albeit with a lower mark.
A further 525 more serious penalties resulted in the loss of certification, meaning the student was disqualified from gaining the relevant qualification.
A total of 1,020 penalties resulted in an official warning.
In a letter sent to headteachers last month, Ofqual’s chief regulator Sally Collier wrote: “We have asked students why this is happening and some have told us they are unwilling to hand in their phones in case they are lost or damaged.”
The Joint Council for Qualifications is a umbrella group for the seven largest qualification providers in the UK.
A spokesperson for the council said: “It is the responsibility of everyone teachers and candidates - to ensure that the examination system is fair.
“Systematic cheating is very rare, with most reported cases being teacher errors or candidates bringing mobile phones into an examination room. “Candidates should be aware that it is an offence to be in possession of a mobile phone during an examination even if it is switched off. “An individual suspecting any form of malpractice should report it immediately. JCQ and the awarding bodies take this matter extremely seriously.“