Cheating on a test

[stratego]

This thread isn't to encourage anyone to cheat on a test, and I would never ever support it , but I'm curious how many people here have cheated on an exam. And what are the creative ways you have done so.
For me, I have converted all the math symbols and numbers into chinese characters and written all the equations into a string text. Then I use some cheat t-shirt creator and printed it on a white t-shirt. Teacher thought it was a poem.

Also I have gone to the exam hall an hour before the exam and written all the equations on the back of a chair lightly in pencil. Then I come to the test relatively early and sit in the chair behind the one with the equations.

I also know people who put equations inside the clear tube of a mechanical pencil.

 

[Vancouver 2010]

That's clever!

I have never cheated on an exam. But then, I'm one of those smart guys that other people would try to cheat off of. However, no one's done it yet...

 

[h4ppy]

Look at the person in front of you's paper. Although I know people who hid papers/equations and recently someone came and tried to steal the answers.

 

[Goober]

I don't cheat, I have this naive thought that I don't have to cheat to be good or something . . .

I find at the higher levels of school, cheating doesn't help too much, because the teachers mark the way you got your answer, as opposed to the actual answer. The equations are mostly supplied, anyway . . . the mechanical pencil thing is good, although it wouldn't work in Enlish Class, because those stupid English Teachers don't like you using pencil, for whatever reason . . .

 

[sourboy]

Programmed equations into a digital watch.

 

[Baleog]

Haven't cheated, but was once caught doing something that looked like cheating.

Doing my finals last year I needed another anwser book after finishing the first one. I was sitting half way down the hall beside the wall (so my row were all along the wall). I looked up to see where the invigilator was. He was sitting at the front of the hall reading a book and I couldn't get his attention. Normally there are a few invigilators scattered thoughout the hall so very slowly I started to swivel my head around to scan the room for another. I didn't see any and before I even realised it I was looking back at the guy sitting behind me who looked up to see what I wanted. I quickly turned back forward again to find the invigilator who was reading the book looking right at me. I got away with it though.

 

[Akka]

Bleh.
The only time I tried to cheat, it was by entering equations and so on into my calculator, and it ended that, because I had to copy it from paper to the machine, I had learned it, and didn't even need to use the cheat, as I remembered all the class ^^

 

[addiv]

Mostly just the old-fashioned way: writing stuff on my hand, hiding notes under the exam paper, or in a book you were allowed to use at the exam. Not very creative but effective!
Also just asking the answer to a fellow student at the end of the exam, when it's a bit noisy and un-systematic for the teacher(s). I've also had entire correspondences by little notes during exams with 2 fellow students. It worked well, until we were caught and all got a 1 (=F), so we quit after that.

 

[funxus]

Never really cheated. I tried what Akka did once, with the same result. Nowadays, we can either have a formula book, or some standard paper with all the equations, i.e. remembering equations is not what's important, and most other subjects are about being creative and not remembering stuff.

 

[pboily]

I've caught a number of idiots who didn't realize that the different paper colours meant different version of the test, with the questions in a different order.

The funniest part is to see them try to explain why they answered question 12 of the blue test when they were supposed to answer question 5 of the yellow. (From what I'm reading here, they don't seem to do that in high school...) There are people with very warped notions of coincidence and accident. I love failing people who think that I'm too stupid to realize they are lying to me.

But the best is when it happens on multiple choice questions. Apparently, you need to have a degree in particle physics to know the astronomical odds against getting all the right answers of another test...

ahhhhh... well, that's what makes this job interesting. Although I will be sure to keep an eye on that thread to see what today's students might attempt.

 

[Gainy]

I try to encourage my friends/classmates not to cheat, but it doesn't stop them.
Having a cheat-sheet on the back of your calculator is the most popular means, by far. People just write the equations on the sheet, along with some useful information --- this is for Physics, where we are not supplied with the equations/laws. Then again, people use this tactic for Maths (where we are supplied with some equations).
For English, people will just leave a previously written essay in their bag, although will strategically place it so they can see it (and copy).
For French (last year), we were allowed to use French dictionaries, so people would just have a previously written essay stuck in there, and would just copy from it.

The thing is, our school must just go to the local old-folks home and grab a few to be invigilators. They are all 70+, and really have no idea what they are doing. They are useless.

I have never cheated on any test, as I think it is immoral. It pisses me off when other people cheat...

 

[CivCube]

At least I don't need to cheat for physics; there is always an equation sheet available for tests.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

In sixth grade I started a test-answers service in my history class. Using a complex system based on body language, I would give away answers to multiple-choice questions. For a fee, people would be enlightened as to what letter each action represented.

I made quite a bit of money before it was unconvered and myself and my best customer were punished. Now-a-days, I usually do the "equations sheet rolled up inside of the pen" tactic. I cheat only on Math tests, as I sometimes would not be able to pass them otherwise. Haven't done it since yesterday, though.

 

[pboily]

Originally posted by SeleucusNicator
I cheat only on Math tests, as I sometimes would not be able to pass them otherwise. Haven't done it since yesterday, though.

That's the thing I don't get. Your posts always gave me the impression that you had no problem with math. They are very logical and well presented and you always stick to the matter at hand: the hallmarks of a very well organized mind. So whence the math difficulties?

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Originally posted by pboily
That's the thing I don't get. Your posts always gave me the impression that you had no problem with math. They are very logical and well presented and you always stick to the matter at hand: the hallmarks of a very well organized mind. So whence the math difficulties?

When I was in Kindergarten I went a few pages ahead in my math homework. Even though I got the answers correct the teacher got angry at me and gave me an F on the homework.

I've hated Math ever since. I don't know if that's the reason I can't think mathematically and the reason why I have problems with arithmetic, visual thinking, etc., but I simply do. I can think algebreically just fine, but once it comes to real numbers or real-world applications I'm useless.

 

[pboily]

Originally posted by SeleucusNicator
When I was in Kindergarten I went a few pages ahead in my math homework. Even though I got the answers correct the teacher got angry at me and gave me an F on the homework.

I've hated Math ever since. I don't know if that's the reason I can't think mathematically and the reason why I have problems with arithmetic, visual thinking, etc., but I simply do. I can think algebreically just fine, but once it comes to real numbers or real-world applications I'm useless.

I think that's too bad: you'd have been a fine mathematician.

EDIT: I'm re-reading this; it's not supposed to sound like I'm sucking up to you...

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was originally insulted at what I percieved to be your argument that "well organized minds" are limited to mathematicians.

 

[Akka]

Originally posted by pboily
That's the thing I don't get. Your posts always gave me the impression that you had no problem with math. They are very logical and well presented and you always stick to the matter at hand: the hallmarks of a very well organized mind. So whence the math difficulties?

That's simply simplistic prejudice

It's not because you've got a logical, organized mind, that you're good at maths. Maths have their own mindset, and you can be awful at maths, and still have all the other qualities...

 

[pboily]

Originally posted by Akka
That's simply simplistic prejudice

It's not because you've got a logical, organized mind, that you're good at maths. Maths have their own mindset, and you can be awful at maths, and still have all the other qualities...

ahhhh, so SN has the necessary qualities for mathematics, but they are clearly not sufficient... (a little math joke) ... well, better get back on-topic.

 

[Syterion]

Everybody around me is too stupid to cheat off of, so I don't. Why cheat in high school? I have way too much pride for that. I don't need to, and I never will. I personally hate cheaters.

But stratego, I absolutely love the shirt thing.