A/L invigilators on red alert for high tech cheating
View(s):The Examinations Dept has directed invigilators at the Advanced Level (A/L) examination which commences tomorrow to be on high alert for electronic devices as cheating goes hi-tech at exams.
Examinations Commissioner, W.M.N.J. Pushpakumara told Education Times that students are now using devices such as blue-tooth to transmit answers. “This year we have sent special advisories to invigilators via the Education Ministry and Provincial Education Depts. to look out for these tactics that students may use to cheat at the exam,” he said.
He said that teachers, or even peons, will not be allowed to be present when the examinations are in progress, while invigilators will be informed of certain cues to help them identify students attempting to cheat.
“Most often students are nervous when they are copying, and their body language gives them away quite visibly. We have identified these body languages and instructed the necessary officials,” the Commissioner said.
The Assistant Commissioner Examinations, W.A.S.P.K. Dias, told the Education Times of an incident where a candidate used blue-tooth devices to cheat at an examination. “The candidate used a handkerchief to cover the device and was speaking into it while in the pretext of wiping his sweat, and in another incident we detected a candidate using a mobile phone to cheat.”
He said that, in another instance, a student had brought three mobile phones into the examination center and given one to the police personnel who checked him, given another to the invigilator, and kept the other to cheat. He said the ruse was to deceive the police and the invigilator by showing he was surrendering his phone voluntarily.
Mr. Pushpakumara said that, if, under any circumstances, a student is caught cheating in an examination, he/she could be penalised by not being permitted to sit for a State examination for five years, or permanently, or even arrested. And also, if an invigilator assists a candidate to cheat, action will be taken against the invigilator as well.
In addition, if students from the same examination center have identical answers, results of both candidates will be cancelled, if proved copying upon investigation.
“From all three examinations (Scholarship, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations) we are able to detect about 200-300 instances, while there are at least two to three instances of students being arrested,” he said, adding that, this year, the Examinations Commission is doing it’s utmost to eradicate such incidents to ensure a positive environment.
- Aanya Wipulasena.
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