Avoid Pitfalls: at Exams

Avoid pitfalls
at exams
A guide for students on how to avoid cheating at exams
Did you know that you can

be expelled if you use other
peoples texts or theories
without citing the source?
3
AVOID PITFALLS AT EXAMS

Cheating at exams is an offence which is taken very seriously by
the university, because it means that you get credit for skills and
competences which you have not really demonstrated.
WHY IS CHEATING AT EXAMS A SERIOUS or unintentionally, you are cheating to get

OFFENCE? a wrong assessment.
Your exam certificate is a guarantee which
the university issues to certify that you pos- If you help someone else obtain an undue
sess the competences and qualifications advantage at an exam, this also constitutes
in the certificate. When you hold an exam cheating. Always consider this if you hand
certificate, other people must be able to over your exam paper to a fellow student in
count on the value of your education. an exam situation.
If you have been cheating, your exam cer-

tificate will lose its value and the universitys EXAMPLES OF CHEATING AT EXAMS
reputation will suffer. A number of examples of what constitutes
cheating at exams are outlined below.
This is why cheating at exams is considered Please note that these are only examples,
to be a very serious violation of the univer- and that acts not mentioned here may still
sitys disciplinary rules and will have serious constitute cheating.
consequences for you.
If you have any doubts about the rules
concerning cheating at exams, ask your
WHAT CONSTITUTES CHEATING lecturer, your student counsellor or your
AT EXAMS? examiner for advice before you submit your
An exam is a test at which you demon- exam paper.
strate your individual qualifications within
the framework and on the conditions laid
down by the university for the relevant Plagiarism
exam. Plagiarism is when () you imitate or copy
texts written by other people without citing
If you do something at an exam which the source or indicating that the text is a
improves your conditions compared to quotation or a summary rewrite.
the conditions which you would otherwise (Translated quote from Leth Andersen,
have and whether you do this intentionally H., & Tofteskov, J.(2008).Eksamen og ek-
4
samensformer: Betydning og bedmmelse. the notes are not yours, but the groups, you
Frederiksberg: Samfundslitteratur. Page must clearly state the source in this case as
157-158). well.
If you write the groups joint notes into your
Plagiarism is a complex concept. In the own exam paper without indicating that
context of an exam, plagiarism means that this is what you have done, it is a case of
you give the impression that a text, an illus- plagiarism and thus cheating at exams.
tration, a structure, an idea etc is your own
work, when in fact it is not. Be careful if you use teaching material for
your paper. Although you think that the ex-
Using texts, ideas etc produced or con- aminer knows the material, you must com-
ceived by others does not in itself constitute ply with the general principles for handling
plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when the sources. The course syllabus, slides, notes
examiner is led to believe that you are the etc are sources like all other sources.
source of the text etc. You must therefore
be very careful and clearly indicate where Please note that you must always refer to
the text and the ideas come from. the source material, you have used yourself
and not the material which your source
You may use notes which have been writ- refers to.
ten jointly by your study group. But because
Principles for handling sources:
Direct quotes must be marked accurately using e.g. quotation marks, indentation or italics.
Other peoples facts, results and argumentation must have an accurate source reference.
All material, from books, the internet, notes and unprinted material etc must be handled in
accordance with the rules above.
The principles also apply when reusing text from your own exam papers.
If you are in doubt about whether a source reference is required or not, always include the
source reference.
Different academic environments have different traditions for proper source referencing. It
is therefore important that you look into the matter and find out what is applicable in your
case.
5
Reusing your own material tion with an on-site exam and share your
If you reuse texts etc. produced and used paper with your fellow students afterwards
by you at another exam, you must clearly e.g. by using file sharing systems such as
state your source, exactly as described in Dropbox, this is considered aiding and
the section on plagiarism. Failing to do so is abetting cheating at exams.
cheating.
It is also considered cheating, if you send or
receive an email on your PC during an on-
Cooperation site written exam regardless of the contents
In teaching contexts, cooperation is often of the email.
encouraged e.g. in groups. It is important to
understand that an exam which requires an
individual performance is a different matter. Materials/aids not permitted
If no materials/aids are permitted, you
If the method of evaluation requires that cannot bring for example a collection of
an individual exam paper is produced, you formulas or a dictionary. This constitutes
must produce the paper yourself. Please cheating regardless of whether you use
note that this also applies to a group paper them or not.
where an indication of who has written
what is required. If no materials/aids are permitted and you
bring notes to an on-site written exam and
If an exam paper is written jointly by more use them, this also constitutes cheating.
than one student and individualisation is
not a requirement, it is the groups joint re- If you are only allowed to use a specific
sponsibility to ensure compliance with the type of calculator, it also constitutes cheat-
rules concerning cheating at exams. ing to bring another type of calculator.
Of course it also constitutes cheating if you

let someone else complete or partially Falsifying data
complete an exam paper for you. If your exam paper involves collecting em-
pirical data, it constitutes cheating to make
up your own data or manipulate data.
Unauthorised contact
In connection with on-site written exams,
any contact with other examinees or per- Exceeding deadlines
sons outside the exam room is regarded as You must comply with the deadlines
cheating, regardless of whether the person stipulated for the exam. Time is a factor in
involved is helping you or not. the assessment so if you continue to work
on your paper after the exam has ended, it
If you produce your exam paper in connec- constitutes cheating.
6
Advance knowledge of the SANCTIONS

exam assignment If you cheat or contribute to cheating at an
If you know about the exam assignment in exam, it may have severe consequences
advance without proper authorisation and for you. The possible sanctions range from
you still sit the exam, you are cheating. a warning to permanent expulsion from
the university. The sanction depends on an
If an error occurs and you become overall assessment of the severity of the of-
acquainted with the exam assignment fence. You can find more information about
before the exam, you may not participate sanctions here:
in the exam. This would constitute chea-
ting, no matter whose fault it is. If the fault au.dk/disciplinary-rules
lies with the university, you will be offered a
new chance to sit the exam.
Incorrect attendance information CHEATING AT EXAMS IS NOT A SOLUTION

For some courses, attendance is compulso- Whether you cheat intentionally or unin-
ry. This means that attendance is regarded tentionally, you will be held accountable.
as part of the exam. Providing incorrect As a student, it is your responsibility to be
information about attendance therefore familiar with the rules concerning cheating
constitutes cheating. This applies regardless at exams. All cases concerning cheating
of whether you provide incorrect informati- will lead to sanctions regardless of whether
on about yourself or others. the cheating was intentional or not.
If you consider cheating because of perso-

nal, study-related, family-related or other
reasons, dont do it. Find another solution.
Contact the Student Counsellors' Office, the
university chaplain, the Counselling and
Support Unit, your fellow students, friends or
family. After the exam, consider what you
can do to avoid the same situation in the
future. Ask for help and find another way.
Find help and contact information here:
studentwelfare.au.dk
Read more about how to avoid pitfalls at exams here
au.dk/cheating-at-exams
library.au.dk/reference-management

Avoid Pitfalls: at Exams

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Avoid Pitfalls: at Exams

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Avoid Pitfalls: at Exams

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Avoid pitfalls

Did you know that you can

AVOID PITFALLS AT EXAMS

WHY IS CHEATING AT EXAMS A SERIOUS or unintentionally, you are cheating to get

If you have been cheating, your exam cer-

Principles for handling sources:

Of course it also constitutes cheating if you

Advance knowledge of the SANCTIONS

Incorrect attendance information CHEATING AT EXAMS IS NOT A SOLUTION

If you consider cheating because of perso-

Find help and contact information here:

You might also like