Poll: School - Is This Cheating?

[Ruwrak]

SO here I was, pulling through all 3 schools (Primary, secondary and now Uni) doing the thing I do best. Studying for a test. Learning the theory by hearth, practicing the practicality of the matter.

Are people to lazy to learn for their tests and instead resort to cheating?
Well in a way cheating is also intelligence. Knowing how not to get caught can wield great rewards, but eventually people catch on. It's the art of postponing that moment which makes cheating a sport and an intellectual area of expertise. I rather just study, since that costs me less effort. I mean I'd be learning only the test, not the matter what it is about. Later in life I will be confronted with this (as such is what I study for, therefor I must know it to be of use later on in life) and I can only represent the answers to the test, instead of advancing my knowledge / job.

If scientists would only learn the tests, would they ever find a cure for diseases, create new comforts for man etc? I think not.

Not everything is as big as finding cures etc. But think about it and ask yourself if you want to know you earned that diploma or if you just want to tell you that you have earned it?

I say yes, it is cheating, but you're only cheating yourself.

 

[ThreeWords]

Yes. Under what's stopping you from memorizing the previous test? Try pulling this in university and see what they do.

(Hint... It involves being thrown out and academically disgraced for the rest of your life.)

University professors shouldn't be think enough to use the same test twice.

Where I am, we actively encourage students to looks at previous year's exams. Of course they're not the same, but they teach you what you should know and how the questions will ask.

 

[Dasrufken]

Its not cheating if you dont get caught.

 

[Bomberman4000]

I say it's cheating. I'm also not going to say I didn't do that some myself, but that's another story. If it is the exact same test, then it becomes more of a matter of memorization than learning. Anyone can memorize answers, and most of the times students study just for the test and don't use practices that enable them to remember something long-term (I've done some teaching so I apologize if I sound nerdy or somewhat preachy).

Getting a feel for the style of a test is one thing. I had a professor in college who would look for more information than what the question would ask for. It was a theater class and she knew that most students were only taking it because they had to, but she would give us a practice test early so everyone could see what all she was looking for on a given answer. She would cover the same materials year to year and the tests were VERY similar, but she could tell when it came time for grades who would cheat and who would take it honestly.

It's a gamble. I was in high school and had an english teacher call me out for using a test from a previous year. She knew I didn't read the story we had been assigned, and she knew I was friends with older students.

In the end, it's ultimately up to you. If you feel somewhat uncomfortable with it then you probably shouldn't do it. And to the people who say that it's the "teacher's fault" or "they want you to cheat" I'm sorry but I'm not buying that. Teaching takes a lot out of you, and if not changing tests that a new crop of students will see each year saves them a little time, energy, and sanity, then good for them.

 

[Elivercury]

Yes. Under what's stopping you from memorizing the previous test? Try pulling this in university and see what they do.

(Hint... It involves being thrown out and academically disgraced for the rest of your life.)

I have studied at university for 3 years and never had an issue with this. We're given access to previous years questions to practice on for pretty much every module.

They do actually change the questions slightly/rotate picking 3-4 questions from 10 total each year though. So you can't just memorise the results and pass.

I say go for it, what do you have to lose? If nothing else, it sound like you're pretty much being encouraged to do it, and everyone else on your course probably will be. Why be lowest in the class because you were unsure if it was alright?

So have I been given previous tests. The keyword here is "identical".

If it is identical (which it shouldn't be...that's just laziness) then usually they do a lot better job of keeping the test under wraps. From his initial description, several of his friends who took the module last year still have their tests. While you might get one or two who swipe a copy from an exam hall, if several have them, I can only imagine they were given the marked tests after. Definitely sounds like a very lazy teacher. That or deliberately trying to improve grades by making the questions/answers readily available.

Ah well, I'd totally get a copy myself.

 

[Rule Britannia]

I wouldn't think anything of it. If you know it all and you're simply making silly mistakes when you do whatever it is then in that situation I have no problem with it. I'm in Grade 10 so I just have maths class but I won't copy off my friends or cheat in anyway if I don't know it. I'll only cheat if I fully understand what has been taught, I just don't want to spend time doing it when I could be working on another class' homework.

My music teacher shows us the exact test a few days before, we don't get to keep them but we get to read over them fully for an entire class.

 

[DarkPanda XIII]

Honestly? If it's the same, then the previous tests that you did can be used as a study sheet. Legitimately nope, it isn't cheating.

 

[GaiusD]

Yes, it sounds like cheating. On the other hand, your teacher needs to make up some new tests and really think long and hard about giving test-takers internet access.

 

[Dags90]

University professors shouldn't be think enough to use the same test twice.

Where I am, we actively encourage students to looks at previous year's exams. Of course they're not the same, but they teach you what you should know and how the questions will ask.

That's been my experience as well. I had a professor who kept copies of his old tests in the science enrichment center.

Also, it's high school...really not a huge deal either way.

 

[LongAndShort]

Yes it's cheating. And your refusal to participate shows your own strength of character. Kudos to you, honourable sir!

And like a lot of other people have mentioned, you'll be better prepared for Uni - which tends to be a fuck load more important than the last year of highschool.

 

[Kyber]

using the tools you have to your advantage is never cheating, not using them would be morally wrong

 

[Whateveralot]

It is only to be concidered cheating if the students know the test is the same as last year.

If they don't know, it's not cheating, it's just stupid.

 

[BobGrim]

Yes. Under what's stopping you from memorizing the previous test? Try pulling this in university and see what they do.

(Hint... It involves being thrown out and academically disgraced for the rest of your life.)

Funny thing tho, at my university in Sweden we are allowed to look at older tests, since the test covers around 10% of what you are supposed to know. That way, since you never know what the actual questions will be you have to study for everything and the older tests can only help you so much (mostly to make sure that you are studying things that are worth studying and not heading of in the wrong direction). I think its pretty good, and it keeps the tests shorter. Everyone wins!

Also, I would concider it cheating if you knew that the same questions would end up on your test, or if the teacher would use the same questions over and over again.

 

[Jonluw]

If the questions are the same, yes it's cheating.
The test is supposed to be a measure of your ability to reason your way through problems and apply the concepts you've been taught in class.
It is not supposed to be a test of how well you are able to memorize a set of math problems and answers. Frankly, it disgusts me how many people say it's studying.

Like Fenrizz said though: over here it's normal for teachers to hand out previous years' exams so you get to see what exam problems are like.
Some of my textbooks even contain questions from earlier exams so you may try them out.
But the crucial difference is that these questions change from year to year.

 

[Giftfromme]

Yeah go for it, don't worry about whether or not its cheating. Just do it.

 

[Zantos]

Yes. Under what's stopping you from memorizing the previous test? Try pulling this in university and see what they do.

(Hint... It involves being thrown out and academically disgraced for the rest of your life.)

EDIT: People, read the OP... it says that the previous test is EXACTLY THE SAME and the upcoming one.

If the test is exactly the same as the one previously then it's the fault of the teacher, not the student. We had a mix up last year for one of our modules where they accidentally set the previous years exam, which we'd all used to revise. Not a damn thing they could do about it.

Taking the answers in with them on the other hand, I'd say that was cheating. That said, I've never had internet access for an exam, so I don't know what materials they do or don't allow. That said, if the teacher wasn't setting the same exam every time then this wouldn't be an issue.

 

[mitchell271]

snip

This is what I was thinking. Except instead of disgust, it was more disappointment.

 

[kebab4you]

exact same test, then I'm going to say yes.

 

[Jonluw]

snip

This is what I was thinking. Except instead of disgust, it was more disappointment.

Yes, that too.

What baffles me is that people seem to think that it's not cheating because the teacher encourages it.
If the teacher tells you the answers to an upcoming test, that doesn't make it okay, it makes the teacher an accomplice.
Believe it or not, people, your teacher isn't the highest authority of the course you're taking.
The teacher is failing the class, yes, and it's sad that one should be forced to choose between cheating or getting the lowest grade in class.

I won't speak out on whether you should grab at the opportunity to cheat, that's for you to figure out, but make no mistake: it's still cheating.