Exam body reveals cheating by Scots pupils up more than a fifth

Published on Thursday 6 March 2008 09:32

CASES of cheating in Scottish exams increased by more than a fifth last year, according to figures revealed today.

There were 775 confirmed incidents of cheating in Scottish schools in summer 2007, compared to 638 the previous year.

The figures supplied by exam body the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) showed a 21 per cent increase in incidents of cheating from 2006 to 2007.

There was a large increase in papers submitted with obvious similarities, where it appeared that candidates had colluded, with incidents rising from 329 to 392.

Cases of plagiarism rose from 93 to 98 from 2006 to 2007.

Many pupils resorted to more traditional forms of cheating, with the number of candidates taking information into the exam room and copying it rising from 146 to 166. But incidents of mobile phones being used in the exam room fell from 126 in 2006 to 115 last year.

The SQA stressed that the numbers cheating represented less than one per cent of the total number of candidates taking Highers, Advanced Highers and Standard Grades.

An SQA spokesman said: “Over 150,000 candidates received national qualifications last year so that is the number that is being compared to the hundreds that we are talking about. The mainstream of candidates are behaving themselves and the fact is in Scotland a small minority are failing to follow the rules.”

He said that the SQA sends out a strong anti-cheating message.

All candidates are given a document warning them of what will happen if they cheat.