In every society and at the global level examination dishonesty has been a cogent tools destroying student future. As the Latin saying goes “Nemo dat quod non habet” which means “No one can give what they do not have.” In other words, a student can not put down/write down what he or she did not read.
Examination malpractice, also known as academic dishonesty, refers to any unethical behavior that occurs during an examination.
For every success there is consistent practice and preparation non-stop. Student find it easy to cheat in examination and any given assessment due to inadequate preparation.
The normality in examination malpractice is more rampant in our society which has in one way or the other discourage the serious ones in the sense that, examination cheats tends to score higher mark than those who burn the night candle with honesty and perseverance. Today’s students strive for academic excellence while ignoring the ethical righteousness that falls in line with academic success, majority of students don’t care how they get good grades; what matters most to them are the good enough grades they achieve at the close of the examination session
Examination malpractice does not only involve bringing incriminating materials in to the examination venue, examination malpractice can also be seen from these angle of bribing lecturer to pass an exam, employing someone to sit for the paper on your behalf, falsification of result, plagiarism, asking from your partner friends while the exam is ongoing in the midst of this examination malpractice has taken place . the the mindset is basically on sneaking papers into the examination venue.
In every diseases there is always a symptom and to every situation there is a cause, that brings us to the causes of examination malpractice, why do student engage themselves into cheating during exams?
Causes of Examination Malpractice
Pressure to succeed: When students feel a lot of pressure to get good grades, they may be tempted to cheat in order to get ahead.
Mental laziness
Lack of preparation, a lack of understanding of the material.
Lack of respect for the rules and regulations of the exam
Peer influence: Sometimes, students may also be influenced by their peers to engage in malpractice.
The Consequence of Involving in Examination Malpractice
Examination malpractice can have a number of negative consequences.
One of the most serious consequences is being disqualified from the exam. This can have a major impact on a student’s academic career, and it can make it difficult to get into the college or university of their choice.
Examination malpractice of any sort damages a student’s reputation: A good reputation is more valued than money, you put your reputation at stake when caught in such malpractice and would always bee seen as corrupt individual who strive to make an end means through illegal way.
Examination malpractice prevents you from thinking critically for yourself: Examination malpractice weakens your thinking faculty, a student that engage in malpractice won’t have the creative abilities to think for him/her when the need arises without looking for a means to bail themselves out.
Inability to defend results: Your Inability to defend results is another serious consequence of examination malpractice. If a student is caught cheating, they may be unable to explain or justify their exam answers. This can make it difficult for them to get the credit they deserve, and it can even cause them to fail the exam.
Lack of self confidence: One of the Greatest Philosophers of all time, Aristotle once said “Knowing yourself Is the beginning of all wisdom”.
Engaging in Examination malpractice will rob you of the knowledge of capability, you won’t know what you are capable of until you try. It gives you low self esteem as you’ll probably see yourself as inferior.
In some cases, students may also be subject to legal consequences, such as expulsion from school or a criminal record.
How to Prevent Examination Malpractice.
The followings are the strategy to prevent examination malpractice(s):
Create a culture of integrity and honesty in the classroom. This can include discussing the consequences of malpractice, and encouraging students to be honest and ethical.
Good parental upbringing: They say, “Charity begins at home.” Exam fraud must be eliminated from the source, which must be the home.
Punishment of Students: By punishing other student who involve themselves in examination malpractice, this will discourage other student from treading on the part.
Good School Management: The school management can contribute to prevention of Examination malpractice in schools by building loyal supervisor and invigilators with tight examination security to oversee exams, they can also punish any lecturers that engage in examination malpractice for the sake of their pocket.
Increment in the Salaries of Teachers: payment contribute to how examination malpractice can be prevented ,a well paid lecturer or teacher will be satisfied with his monthly without engaging with the student into sorting to pass exams.
I conclude with this saying by Mahatma Gandhi “live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.”
Students who cheat in exam are likely to have low self esteem ,less moral reasoning and poor academic performance.
– Oni Naomi
A Student of Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba, Kogi State.
