Cheating on an exam by going to the washroom

[druggeek]

I've always been curious about this cheating method. I've never actually had to go to the washroom/wanted to cheat, during an exam .... but what about people that do? It seems like a very simple method of major cheating.

- student has pictures of notes on his phone or has notes somewhere on him
- student goes to washroom (for males, he says he has to take a doodoo)
- sees notes
- comes back to exam
- cheating = success

So is this the one and only fool proof method of cheating?

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[Ismet]

Really?

Most of my professors:
-Don't let people leave the room during an exam (unless it's an obvious emergency)
-Ask the person to leave their phone on the front desk until they get back

 

[Everett True]

A couple of my professors have stopped allowing trips to the restroom during exams for this reason. So yes, it works until the professors catch on to it.

 

[Brachyury]

I've always been curious about this cheating method. I've never actually had to go to the washroom/wanted to cheat, during an exam .... but what about people that do? It seems like a very simple method of major cheating.

- student has pictures of notes on his phone or has notes somewhere on him
- student goes to washroom (for males, he says he has to take a doodoo)
- sees notes
- comes back to exam
- cheating = success

So is this the one and only fool proof method of cheating?

Let me guess: it's finals week, and you want people to help you cheat

 

[Stumpyman]

First off: washroom? Would you happen to be from Europe/Asia/South Asia?

Second: It's very suspicious. If I was the prof and Einstein happened to be in my intro physics class, if he got up to go for a restroom break, I would be very suspicious.

 

[VectreSpectre]

Yeah, this is pretty much foolproof until someone gets caught and the professor is privy to it. The right smartphone with a nice wi-fi connection could look up quick answers like nobody's business. Professors who are "technologically inclined" usually ask you to leave your phones/backpacks away from the test area.

Seriously though, come on...👎

 

[druggeek]

Really?

Most of my professors:
-Don't let people leave the room during an exam (unless it's an obvious emergency)
-Ask the person to leave their phone on the front desk until they get back

At our school, washroom trips are fully permitted. I mean it doesnt make sense to not let someone pee if they actually need to... (3 hours long).

And you can tell the prof your phones not on you? lolz.

Let me guess: it's finals week, and you want people to help you cheat

no. just no.

cheating = pretty useless (srs). By the time I make "cheat notes" , I already remember it.

 

[druggeek]

First off: washroom? Would you happen to be from Europe/Asia/South Asia?

Second: It's very suspicious. If I was the prof and Einstein happened to be in my intro physics class, if he got up to go for a restroom break, I would be very suspicious.

Canada brah.

At my school, mid-exam washroom trips are fairly common.

Yeah, this is pretty much foolproof until someone gets caught and the professor is privy to it. Professors who are "technologically inclined" usually ask you to leave your phones/backpacks away from the test area.

Seriously though, come on...👎

I'm only speculating, relax.
And my point was, how could you ever catch someone? And ya 90% of people in our exams have their phones on them lolz...

 

[akszp4]

It hasn't been a problem at my school so far (at least I'm not aware of it). We aren't allowed to bring anything with us on test days other then a pencil and our student ID. But I guess you could have a phone and sneak a peek.

I think test banks are probably the most popular way of cheating but that's a whole other issue.

Academic dishonesty is a pretty bad mark on your records though.

 

[bigloley]

Time it takes to go to bathroom - is it worth it? If you have to sign out, sign in as well its just added time.

 

[dreamweaver1988]

It hasn't been a problem at my school so far (at least I'm not aware of it). We aren't allowed to bring anything with us on test days other then a pencil and our student ID. But I guess you could have a phone and sneak a peek.

I think test banks are probably the most popular way of cheating but that's a whole other issue.

Academic dishonesty is a pretty bad mark on your records though.

Who needs a smartphone and wi-fi? One of my classmates had notes stuffed into his shorts pocket and left during a quiz (not even a test) to "use the restroom."

 

[druggeek]

lol my main point was... schools put in so much effort to make sure cheating doesnt happen, but something as simple as this could lead to "major" cheating.

 

[Neurosis]

Really? People do this crap? I don't think that most of the material in undergrad is so complex that we would have to resort to cheating in order to get high marks. It just goes to show you that high GPA ≠ aptitude/intelligence (necessarily)

 

[druggeek]

Really? People do this crap? I don't think that most of the material in undergrad is so complex that we would have to resort to cheating in order to get high marks. It just goes to show you that high GPA ≠ aptitude/intelligence

I dont think anyone who cheats gets high marks anyway.

 

[Neurosis]

I dont think anyone who cheats gets high marks anyway.

apparently you weren't paying attention in middle/high school lol

 

[Quynh2007]

I knew someone in college that told me they did this during the SAT's (when it was still paper and pencil, not sure if it has changed). Especially on the verbal, they'll remember all the difficult vocab words, then go to the bathroom and use a dictionary that they had stashed there (this was prior to smart phones)

 

[monkeyMD]

Smart phones, I am sure, is making cheating much easier for the students who choose to engage in this dishonest activity. However, they will get burned later on...especially if they are planning on taking the MCAT...once cheating becomes habit, it will become the crutches and the person will no longer be able to stand alone on their own two feet (or I hope).
Seriously. Cheaters are...👎thumbdown👎thumbdown

 

[akszp4]

Who needs a smartphone and wi-fi? One of my classmates had notes stuffed into his shorts pocket and left during a quiz (not even a test) to "use the restroom."

It amazes me that some people will spend hours upon hours making cheat sheets rather then studying. You might as well have learned the material in that amount of time!

 

[Neurosis]

It amazes me that some people will spend hours upon hours making cheat sheets rather then studying. You might as well have learned the material in that amount of time!

I was literally just thinking that, kudos on the avatar btw. 👍

 

[akszp4]

Smart phones, I am sure, is making cheating much easier for the students who choose to engage in this dishonest activity. However, they will get burned later on...especially if they are planning on taking the MCAT...once cheating becomes habit, it will become the crutches and the person will no longer be able to stand alone on their own two feet (or I hope).
Seriously. Cheaters are...👎thumbdown👎thumbdown

IDK.... I don't think that someone cheating on a undergrad test would mean that they wouldn't do well on the MCAT. They'll just have a lot more to catch up on when they do study for the MCAT, whereas someone who didn't cheat their way through undergrad wouldn't. (And even that may not be true for some "cheaters"!) I do think that they will struggle if they make it into med school since they never really learned how to retain information.

 

[Ismet]

It amazes me that some people will spend hours upon hours making cheat sheets rather then studying. You might as well have learned the material in that amount of time!

Actually, making a "cheat sheet" is a pretty good way to study! (as long as you don't intend to actually use it as a cheat sheet). My Gen Chem 1 prof allowed us to have 1 page front and back with whatever notes, equations, anything we wanted. I covered every inch of that paper with the smallest type possible, and I only had to refer to it for a few random equations. 👍

 

[akszp4]

I was literally just thinking that, kudos on the avatar btw. 👍

Thanks! 🙂

 

[akszp4]

Actually, making a "cheat sheet" is a pretty good way to study! (as long as you don't intend to actually use it as a cheat sheet). My Gen Chem 1 prof allowed us to have 1 page front and back with whatever notes, equations, anything we wanted. I covered every inch of that paper with the smallest type possible, and I only had to refer to it for a few random equations. 👍

Same thing happened with me when we had Physics tests! I would know all the formulas on the cheat sheet but 9 times out of 10 would end up forgetting a formula that I thought I wouldn't need so I didn't put it on the sheet.

As long as you don't use it, it is a good way to study. I agree.

 

[jcruiser]

In almost all of my classes, there are a majority of students who cheat. Smartphones, soda bottle trick, pocket paper, bathroom trips -- it's a common practice. The professors are so careless because of the class size and because of that some of them are usually just surfing the internet while we take tests.

 

[Neurosis]

In almost all of my classes, there are a majority of students who cheat. Smartphones, soda bottle trick, pocket paper, bathroom trips -- it's a common practice. The professors are so careless because of the class size and because of that some of them are usually just surfing the internet while we take tests.

Wait, what?

 

[jcruiser]

Wait, what?

 

[DocGodfather]

^^ Wow, that's pretty creative. Now I know why my ochem teacher demands everyone to put our bags AND drinks against the wall during exams. A student left his bottle of soda on his desk, and the instructor threatened to flunk him. I thought he was being paranoid. lol.

 

[mdhopeful65]

Really?

Most of my professors:
-Don't let people leave the room during an exam (unless it's an obvious emergency)
-Ask the person to leave their phone on the front desk until they get back

I'd hope people that cheat in this way get caught. Major cheating like this only screws over all parties involved, including the patients you might one day see, your classmates who aren't cheating, and yourself.

This conversation brings up some interesting points related to enforcement.
For instance, what would stop someone from having a SECOND smartphone w/ 4G internet that they bring in the toilet in their trousers to look up info? Obviously it is impossible to say no bathroom breaks (the student could just say they are going to piss themselves and the teacher will just say fine). I would be in favor of a rule where you get a full body, TSA-style pat down before entering the bathroom.

 

[Everett True]

Wait, what?

Another version of the soda bottle trick that I saw used in high school (not in college so far) is to peel off the label of a Coke bottle (or any bottle as long as the liquid is opaque), write a cheat sheet on the inner surface, and glue it back on. When you get into the test room, chug the soda and read your cheat sheet through the clear plastic.

 

[akszp4]

I'd hope people that cheat in this way get caught. Major cheating like this only screws over all parties involved, including the patients you might one day see, your classmates who aren't cheating, and yourself.

This conversation brings up some interesting points related to enforcement.
For instance, what would stop someone from having a SECOND smartphone w/ 4G internet that they bring in the toilet in their trousers to look up info? Obviously it is impossible to say no bathroom breaks (the student could just say they are going to piss themselves and the teacher will just say fine). I would be in favor of a rule where you get a full body, TSA-style pat down before entering the bathroom.

I think that's going overboard. These are students, not terrorists.

 

[Neurosis]

points for creativity guys, seriously.

 

[blkshrtdynasty]

Cheating to get into med school= you're not smart enough to get into med school.

 

[Conflagration]

There was this guy in front of me in my Spanish I class that actually was using a cheat sheet in a cupped hand. The teacher noticed something strange and started to approach him, and he ate the paper.

Another 'clever' thing I've seen is that some people write on the backs of their ID cards in dry-erase marker and have it on their desk.

It's a little sad, though. If cheaters focused half of their ingenuity on the material instead of cheating, they'd probably be pretty solid students.

 

[flodhi1]

I'm pretty sure OP is asking for opinions on something he has done in the past or definitely plans on doing in the future.

 

[rhcp90]

That soda bottle trick is old school. Our college stopped letting us keep drinks on our desks 3 years ago after an article about that came out.

 

[druggeek]

I'd hope people that cheat in this way get caught. Major cheating like this only screws over all parties involved, including the patients you might one day see, your classmates who aren't cheating, and yourself.

This conversation brings up some interesting points related to enforcement.
For instance, what would stop someone from having a SECOND smartphone w/ 4G internet that they bring in the toilet in their trousers to look up info? Obviously it is impossible to say no bathroom breaks (the student could just say they are going to piss themselves and the teacher will just say fine). I would be in favor of a rule where you get a full body, TSA-style pat down before entering the bathroom.

lmfao

That won't happen in a 1000 years, why would it? Just for 2 marks on a university exam?
Thing is that still wouldn't work, does put the phone in your underwear 😉

 

[maybemed2013]

This thread gave me a good laugh.

 

[aranza]

=druggeek;11907219]Canada brah.

Fellow Canadian!

Yesterday I had my physics exam and it was 20 questions multiple choice...I lost count how many times the Professor/Invigilator said "Keep your eyes on your own paper/cover your Scantron so people in the back can't see"

People were clearly looking if they said it so many times I wonder why they didn't do anything

 

[druggeek]

Fellow Canadian!

Yesterday I had my physics exam and it was 20 questions multiple choice...I lost count how many times the Professor/Invigilator said "Keep your eyes on your own paper/cover your Scantron so people in the back can't see"

People were clearly looking if they said it so many times I wonder why they didn't do anything

lol at my school we're seated far enough apart and there's wayyy too many invigilators.

 

[venomous11]

I dont think anyone who cheats gets high marks anyway.

so true! i accompanied my gen. chem 2 instructor on last day of lecture to the scan-tron while requesting a LOR. As she receives grades back, she blurts out "It's surprising how the "cheaters" managed to fail this one!" 😱 She admitted she knew all along who they were, but never bothered reporting them.

Really gets you wondering...

 

[druggeek]

so true! i accompanied my gen. chem 2 instructor on last day of lecture to the scan-tron while requesting a LOR. As she receives grades back, she blurts out "It's surprising how the "cheaters" managed to fail this one!" 😱 She admitted she knew all along who they were, but never bothered reporting them.

Really gets you wondering...

well it's because you're not getting THAT much out of cheating anyway.... our exams have the content spread out so that even if you cheat with one topic.... that's one mark for you. Minimal in the grand scheme of things.

Even throughout high school, cheating mainly helped people turn their 50s into 60s or low 60s to high 60s... Not worth the time and risk at all.

 

[druggeek]

so true! i accompanied my gen. chem 2 instructor on last day of lecture to the scan-tron while requesting a LOR. As she receives grades back, she blurts out "It's surprising how the "cheaters" managed to fail this one!" 😱 She admitted she knew all along who they were, but never bothered reporting them.

Really gets you wondering...

well it's because you're not getting THAT much out of cheating anyway.... our exams have the content spread out so that even if you cheat with one topic.... that's one mark for you. Minimal in the grand scheme of things.

Even throughout high school, cheating mainly helped people turn their 50s into 60s or low 60s to high 60s... Not worth the time and risk at all.

 

[GetThePointe77]

WOW! I thought I had heard everything possibly, but I gotta hand it to whoever thought of the id cards/dry erase markers! Although especially due to size its probably faster just to memorize whatever you want to put on there. After taking physics 1 (where we were allowed a one page cheat sheet) I discovered that "cheat sheets" were my best way to study! I dont actually use them to cheat obviously, but it forces you to distill everything down to its essence. Also I found in physics that by the time I had written my finished version, I had everything on that sheet memorized and it was essentially useless. I literally will make these for every class - my physiology ones (DOES NOT FIT ON ONE PAGE IN ANY WAY) are insane, and so incredibly helpful for me (and intimidating to those around me right before the exam lol)

 

[MedicHopeful]

it amazes me that some people will spend hours upon hours making cheat sheets rather then studying. You might as well have learned the material in that amount of time!

yes.

 

[octupus]

this has never been an issue at my school. honor code.. academic integrity... they trust us etc etc
Even so, most of our science exam questions are so difficult that even if it were open book, you might still get it wrong. Not to mention time limit! I wouldn't waste my precious time going to the restroom just to spend 10 minutes trying to look up an answer.

Language exams on the other hand... (shame!)

 

[PantherPride]

-snip-

You'd think that someone intuitive enough to come up with idea like this would be intelligent enough to study for a test, lmao

 

[JESSFALLING]

It's not exactly cheating, but I've seen a lot of students obtain an ADHD diagnosis, which allows them to apply for disabled student benefits.....which include extra time on exams.

 

[dominicandoctor]

LOL

So my Gen Chem final was at 8 in the morning, and I have a serious issue where I get stomachaches+diarrhea if I wake up "too early for my body." At the beginning our professor said no bathrooms unless it was an absolute emergency. Well, in the middle of the final my stomach started to reaally hurt and I had to use the bathroom badly. I told my professor it was an emergency and he let me go, fine. I was in there for at least 10-15 minutes, a suspicious amount of time I'm sure. When I got out of the stall, guess who I see? My Chem teacher standing in front of a urinal, most likely pretending to pee. I had no idea how long he was there, but I'm pretty sure he knew by the smell/sound that I wasn't lying.

 

[MedPR]

Most of my professors haven't allowed students to go to the bathroom during exams, or quizzes.

I had one professor who followed a male student into the bathroom during an exam because he suspected him of cheating. The student had left his notebook on the bathroom sink and the teacher caught him looking through it. I know this only because the student was a friend of a friend. He got an F in the class but no other action was taken.

 

[MedPR]

Cheating to get into med school= you're not smart enough to get into med school.

Not true. Cheating as a group (e.g split the material in 5ths with 5 friends so you don't all have to learn it all) = being too lazy to learn it all. Cheaters aren't always unintelligent. As others have said, cheating will only get you so far if you aren't smart to begin with.