Jim Docherty: Continuous assessment and home prepared work may lead cheats into more temptation

There is no mechanism that will prove indisputably that work that is completed outwith examination conditions is the work of the candidate and while we have this reliance on non-examination material the problem will continue.

It is made worse by the fact that the current proposals for the new exams will increase the amount of material that can be prepared outside school.

Teachers have to verify the work and should not sign unless they are certain that the work is the work of the candidate.

Where it is detected, the candidate does not get the award and it is difficult to see what else can be done.

Modern technology (mobile phones in particular) has increased the mechanisms for malpractice but examination invigilators are well aware of these methods.

It is quite clear the most significant problem is externally assessed material completed outside the school setting and candidates presenting work as their own.

This still accounts as a significant part of the course. Indeed if the cabinet secretary for education and the SQA have their way the new examinations to replace general level examinations will be completely internally assessed, which will lead to an increase in the amount of work of this nature and potentially an increase in the opportunity for such irregular practices.

It is much more difficult to cheat in the examination hall under examination conditions.

However, the numbers involved here are trivial – 242 cases proven in 730,000 exams. The country would be delighted to know that in any form of examination, the level of what is called cheating is as insignificant as this.

l Jim Docherty is depute general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association