No central records at NUIG to keep tab on exam cheats

There were 56 breaches of exam regulations at NUI Galway in the last academic year.

The figure includes third level students who attempted to cheat at official university exams in the academic year 2017/2018. It also includes students who breached exam regulations but who had no intention of cheating, such as incidents where students were found in possession of a mobile phone in an exam hall but it was turned off.

The figure does not include those found to have plagiarised, or passed off someone else’s work as their own.  The data was released to the City Tribune following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

In additional to the 56 exam breaches at NUIG in the last academic year, there were some 24 breaches of exam regulations reported at NUIG in semester one of the 2018/2019 academic year.  Some 26 of the 56 exam breaches related to students with mobile phones turned off. There was a further 19 incidents in the two semesters of 2017/2018 relating to students with mobile phones turned on in examinations. Seven students were caught with ‘writing on hands’, in breach of exam regulations. A further three were found in the possession of ‘notes’ and there was one incident where a student had an electric device that was not permitted.

In the majority of cases (33), students were issued with a letter of reprimand. In seven cases, students received a zero mark for the module they cheated in. In 16 incidents, either 10 per cent or 5 per cent reductions in module marks were applied.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.