Copying in the Examination

Being in academics gives some experience of conducting or doing invigilation in examination on a regular basis. Also invigilating for three hours in the exam hall is like a punishment – this is one side of the coin. The other side of coin is the paper evaluation, reading whatever students have written. I need not tell explicitly that students will write whatever comes to their mind than what is required or asked in the examination.

Even though am not allowed to do evaluation of semester examination answer scripts, being a junior in the department need to help all the senior colleagues in counting total marks, filling the OMR sheets etc., On one of such occasions it so happened that one answer sheet had a small bundle of papers. Immediately we recognized it as the micro copy which student might have used for copying in the examination. Copying or carrying any text material in paper can be treated as malpractice and the punishment can be imposed even to the extent debarring student from taking examination for certain years.

The student has made sure that all the pages in the book were properly scaled down to the small rectangular book to be able to hold in the pocket or hide in the answer booklet so that it won’t be visible to others. Don’t know why the student has left the chit in the answer booklet itself, as many students will copy in the examination without the notice of room supervisors and external observers and won’t be caught even after copying successfully!

Many students planning to copy or to recall answers while writing scribble some code words or small letters as hint on their geometry box, scribbling pad and worse is that students won’t mind writing on the back side of identity card issued by the institute. Even few students find out their seating arrangement in the exam hall in advance and paste the text book material or write down important points on the desk they sit.

These are just the ways I noticed there may be many ways left to the innovation of students as one of the girl recently caught during exam has neatly scribbled important formulae on six pencils just by skinning those!