Cheating in GCSEs

Artytarty

Hi, some of you may remember that I look after some HOng Kong boys at a boarding school from time to time.
Well, it's seems one of them was caught cheating in his Maths exam, only three minutes into the exam. He was allowed to finish the paper I think but what happens next?
School will have to report this to the exam board. I wonder if he will get marks deducted or automatically fail the exam?
Have you any ideas/ experience of this please?
I'd like to have a chat with him and be armed with as much info as possible.
School communicate with my"boss" and things eventually filter down to me!

Tropez

There's quite a variety of offences that come under "cheating". The most common is smuggling something into the exam room that should not be in there, such as calculators in a maths exam that is to be taken without a calculator.

It really depends on what he did and the severity of the situation. Punishments can include a warning, deduction of marks or disqualification.

If he was permitted to continue then there's a reasonable prospect that he won't be disqualified but he may well lose marks and/or be issued a warning.

Artytarty

Ah, thanks, I should have said, he had formulae written in his dictionary (which I suppose he is allowed because Dnglish is not his first language)

Tropez

Artytarty wrote: »

Ah, thanks, I should have said, he had formulae written in his dictionary (which I suppose he is allowed because Dnglish is not his first language)

That could be considered quite serious then, as it could be argued he attempted to use something that he is permitted to assist him in order to cheat at the exam.

Unfortunately, it will be up to the exam board what action they will take. Roughly half of all cheaters get marks deducted and around 15% are disqualified.

I do believe if you are disqualified then you can be disqualified from re-sitting an exam for up to five years, or in extremely serious cases disqualified from taking any exam for up to five years.

There is a right to appeal any actions taken against him so I think you're going about it the right way in arming yourself now.

Artytarty

Ok, so it might be pretty serious then.
Is it awful of me to feel just a little sorry for him? I know it's wrong and he should not have done it but I think ( in fact hope ) that he will be very embarrassed that I know, and his parents of course!
Silly , lazy boy! Grrr, now I'm cross with him!

Mojisola

Artytarty wrote: »

Well, it's seems one of them was caught cheating in his Maths exam, only three minutes into the exam. He was allowed to finish the paper I think but what happens next?

School will have to report this to the exam board. I wonder if he will get marks deducted or automatically fail the exam?

Have you any ideas/ experience of this please?

I'd like to have a chat with him and be armed with as much info as possible.

School communicate with my"boss" and things eventually filter down to me!

I've no experience of this but have a couple of thoughts -

He was caught so early on that presumably he actually did the exam without any benefit from cheating?

The school was remiss allowing him to take his own dictionary into the exam; he should have been given a school one to use. It doesn't excuse the attempt at cheating but the school should be reducing opportunities.

Pollycat

Artytarty wrote: »

Ok, so it might be pretty serious then.
Is it awful of me to feel just a little sorry for him? I know it's wrong and he should not have done it but I think ( in fact hope ) that he will be very embarrassed that I know, and his parents of course!
Silly , lazy boy! Grrr, now I'm cross with him!

I think if you know him well (as you obviously do), I can understand you feeling sorry for him.

But I also understand why you're cross with him.
If I were one of his parents and was funding quite an expensive education, I would be bloody furious.

Did he know he was doing wrong with having the formulae written down?
You say you "suppose he was allowed to have the formulae because English isn't his first language".
Is this fact or just what you think?
If it is fact, then surely he hasn't done anything wrong and everyhing will be OK?

Oh well, if he really is in trouble, I guess it's a chance for you to teach him one of our phrases:
"Cheats never prosper".

Artytarty

Sorry I meant allowed the dictionary not the formulae!
I'm sure he knew jolly well what he was doing was wrong, the same lad always suits himself.
I tried to get him work at half term but horses to water and all that...

little-spender

Pollycat.....He is allowed English Dic. as his English is not the first language.

Of course he knew he wasn't allowed the formulaes this is why he had it hidden. .Maths is all about formula, thus if you cannot remember the formulae then you wont be able to answer the q's.

I think children that are sent abroad to boarding school have a lot to take. Must be very difficult being away from your family, sometimes from 5/6 years old.

NervousHomeowner

It is possible he will be either disqualified from that exam or have his marks deducted. It is also possible in serious cases that the exam board themselves will disqualify or deduct marks from all of the exams that he took with their board. I went to school with a girl who was caught cheating by plagarising someone else's work and that's what happened to her.

Totally understand why you feel sorry for him and cross with him!

Pollycat

Artytarty wrote: »

Sorry I meant allowed the dictionary not the formulae!
I'm sure he knew jolly well what he was doing was wrong, the same lad always suits himself.
I tried to get him work at half term but horses to water and all that...

little-spender wrote: »

Pollycat.....He is allowed English Dic. as his English is not the first language.

Ah, I see, that makes sense.

In that case, he deserves whatever they decide to throw at him.
He sounds like he has little respect for authority, and quite possibly, little respect for anyone else.