Has anyone ever been caught cheating on the MCAT?

[Psycho Doctor]

How and what happened?

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[Assembler]

lol. I don't think you're going to get an answer on this one.

Besides, if anyone did get caught, I really honestly doubt they'd still be wound up back here!

If someone did get caught though, they're not allowed to take it ever again, right?

 

[Psycho Doctor]

i didn't mean people here specifically. I meant do you know of situations where people did. What are the repercussions?

 

[willthatsall]

Yeah I'm sure it has happened. 50,000 people a year take the test, so some of those people must try something.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

im troubled this was even bough up
but thats probabbly that silly part of my brain trying to tell me this is all legit and worthy and "just a test"
yessss...

 

[Marvin O'Connor]

I am sure people have been caught. People will try anything to get an edge. It wouldn't be that hard to get away with if you got the right proctor.

 

[Heliums]

Yes some people got caught writing information on the inside labels of water bottles. That's why you can not have water bottles during the MCAT. If you are wearing a hat you have to turn it backwards during the exam.

 

[!dr_nick!]

Yes some people got caught writing information on the inside labels of water bottles. That's why you can not have water bottles during the MCAT. If you are wearing a hat you have to turn it backwards during the exam.

People are idiots. How could writing a trite amount of info on the inside of a water bottle possibly be worth getting caught cheating?
Oh well, glad they got caught.

 

[willthatsall]

People are idiots. How could writing a trite amount of info on the inside of a water bottle possibly be worth getting caught cheating?
Oh well, glad they got caught.

My thought exactly. I mean, maybe if you knew all the answers and you could write them on the bottle, ok. But how much can you fit on a water bottle? A couple formulas that might or might not be on the test? It would have been easier to just learn them. Here's my ultimate cheating plan. Get camera glasses and a very tiny earpiece and then have the camera direct linked to some genius sitting at a computer and with books ready to give you all the answers. This might require a van with video equipment like they have in punk'd or something. I'm not really sure, but it's a lot better than writing formulas down like a jackass.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

Water bottles pft!
shows you just how some people will spend more time in getting a slack and immoral way out vs 1/8th that time actually learning the stuff ...really the effort and strain isnt worth it ...plus its not like your getting over this just to get over it ..if u are sucessful ur future is ridden with tests and challenges of the standardized kind

 

[Assembler]

Not really. MCAT, USMLE I, USMLE II, USMLE III.

There's only 4. The rest are in-class examinations; two totally different things.

Water bottles though; how stupid can you be?! I can't even imagine trying to look at it from side to side just to see one little equation, or even gulping it down in a hurry just to find my answer. There's not much you can put on a label that small. Oh well. I'm sure there are better ways, if anyone had to contemplate it. Willthatsall had a good idea..

 

[IndyZX]

My thought exactly. I mean, maybe if you knew all the answers and you could write them on the bottle, ok. But how much can you fit on a water bottle? A couple formulas that might or might not be on the test? It would have been easier to just learn them. Here's my ultimate cheating plan. Get camera glasses and a very tiny earpiece and then have the camera direct linked to some genius sitting at a computer and with books ready to give you all the answers. This might require a van with video equipment like they have in punk'd or something. I'm not really sure, but it's a lot better than writing formulas down like a jackass.

That's a great idea.

 

[willthatsall]

Willthatsall had a good idea..

I think the biggest problem would be the time because you would still have to let the guy doing the problems have time to read the passages. Which means you would have to focus the camera and not shift your head around. So hear is a new and improved idea. You get 5 or 6 guys looking at your test on the camera. That way you can have each of them do one problem on a page and eliminate the time factor since they are working simultaneously. You might be able to do this with like $50,000 worth of spy equipment or something. Plus 5 or 6 geniuses lying around.

 

[stinkycheese]

Not really. MCAT, USMLE I, USMLE II, USMLE III.

There's only 4. The rest are in-class examinations; two totally different things.

Are shelf exams standardized?

 

[Scubadoc]

and a very tiny earpiece .

maybe this solves the question that nags me.....why earplugs are not allowed?

 

[willthatsall]

maybe this solves the question that nags me.....why earplugs are not allowed?

It was actually thinking about that very question that led me to my idea. I was thinking, "why not ear plugs? well maybe because they think you could have an earpiece disguised as earplugs. but what good would that do you, obviously you can't talk to someone about the test and get responses through your earpiece? so you have to have the camera to go along with the earpiece or it just wouldn't help you out at all." I guess you could have something like audio osmosis playing in your earpiece with just formulas playing and stuff, but unless you could somehow manipulate the recording to play the part you needed to hear, you would basically be distracted yourself and just hearing a bunch of mostly useless stuff.

 

[ASDIC]

I dont think you have time to cheat on the exam. Unless you brought in specialized cameras and microphones for outside help, cheating is tough. I guess the technology is not ready for a smooth cheating. And by the time, it does develop, the MCAT administration would have devised a lot of ways to combat cheating.

 

[VFrank]

Actually, ear-plugs aren't allowed because people would work on the test after time was called claiming they "couldn't hear the proctor call time." I think the ultimate way to cheat would be a little modification of withthatsall's idea -- the test starts at 9am across the country. So, you should have a friend take the test in California, and then have them use their tiny camera to record the test while streaming the footage to you in New York. That way you can have three extra hours before your test starts to look at all the questions. Well, maybe not all the questions, but at least the physical sciences section.

 

[willthatsall]

Actually, ear-plugs aren't allowed because people would work on the test after time was called claiming they "couldn't hear the proctor call time." I think the ultimate way to cheat would be a little modification of withthatsall's idea -- the test starts at 9am across the country. So, you should have a friend take the test in California, and then have them use their tiny camera to record the test while streaming the footage to you in New York. That way you can have three extra hours before your test starts to look at all the questions. Well, maybe not all the questions, but at least the physical sciences section.

Wow, that really is it. I wonder if they give different forms in different time zones? They definitely should if they don't already. Well not if they are only one hour apart, but definitely east and west coasts. Even if you don't have a camera, you chould have a friend just call you on the cell phone after PS and tell you what to look out for and study up on. Now, you would still have to get a form with the same problems, but still. But if you had access to all the spy equipment, I still like mine better. James bond could definitely pull it off.

 

[Scandal]

Someone was caught cheating when a friend of mine was taking the MCAT in the early 90's. They had him escorted out in handcuffs.

Well, maybe not handcuffs. But it sure did cause a stink.

 

[dukejen04]

speaking of earpieces and cameras- one of my cousins in england was a math major, but spent his time doing coke and being a big time club promoter in london.

when it came time for his exams, he was screwed. bought a whole bunch of AV spy equipment (luckily for him, money is no object- he inherited a bunch from not my side of the family) and hired a grad student to sit somewhere else and work out the problems and give them back to him in an earpiece.

unfortunately for him, something shorted and burnt his arm pretty badly. he ran out of the room, and pretended to be sick, but got caught by the prof. and tossed out of school.

just thought it was funny you mentioned that- i guess it's all good until your equipment causes 3rd degree burns

epilogue: he got kicked out of school, went into rehab, wrote a symphony and is now at columbia studying music. and he has a cool scar and a cool story to tell of his old days as a math student in london.

 

[silkworm]

Wow, that really is it. I wonder if they give different forms in different time zones? They definitely should if they don't already. Well not if they are only one hour apart, but definitely east and west coasts. Even if you don't have a camera, you chould have a friend just call you on the cell phone after PS and tell you what to look out for and study up on. Now, you would still have to get a form with the same problems, but still. But if you had access to all the spy equipment, I still like mine better. James bond could definitely pull it off.

I think there really was a SAT cheating operation that worked like that. According to the article, it was quite elaborate, with mobile phones (this was in the mid-90's), customers waiting in the cars on test day, etc. But somehow they got found out.

 

[dnelsen]

Like I said in an earlier thread, you should just have someone that looks a lot like you take the exam for you (make sure they are smart!)

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white and can't tell one URM from another anyway.

 

[synapse lapse]

There was a cheating scandle on the GRE, same exam forms, some chinese company you would pay like 3k, they would take the GRE in New York, you woud scrach the answers into the side of a pencil (knowing how to decode them) and then be in L.A. waiting to test. Do a search for it on Google. Anyhow, spy idea would work, except it would cost too much money. There are earpieces that proctors can't see, and cameras that are all selfconatined in glasses. You'd be fine to take snap shots of each page and send to the van with 6 guys working on it. You'd finish with a 45 and time to spare, but again, you'd have to be pretty wealthy to get this quality of equipment.

 

[DrMom]

Not really. MCAT, USMLE I, USMLE II, USMLE III.

There's only 4. The rest are in-class examinations; two totally different things.

As someone mentioned, shelf exams are also standardized. In addition you can't forget the specialty boards that we'll take every 7-10 years (usually) of our careers. If you're in medicine, you're in for a lifetime of standardized exams.

 

[willthatsall]

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white and can't tell one URM from another anyway.

Haha, that is funny.

 

[An Yong]

Actually, ear-plugs aren't allowed because people would work on the test after time was called claiming they "couldn't hear the proctor call time." I think the ultimate way to cheat would be a little modification of withthatsall's idea -- the test starts at 9am across the country. So, you should have a friend take the test in California, and then have them use their tiny camera to record the test while streaming the footage to you in New York. That way you can have three extra hours before your test starts to look at all the questions. Well, maybe not all the questions, but at least the physical sciences section.

I dunno, your seating is pre-assigned => your forms are pre-assigned. So there's no way to know you'll even get the same questions.

What if you got someone who looked like you to take the test for you? Its pretty easy to make a fake id. I mean, do they really check your fingerprints?

 

[dnelsen]

I dunno, your seating is pre-assigned => your forms are pre-assigned. So there's no way to know you'll even get the same questions.

What if you got someone who looked like you to take the test for you? Its pretty easy to make a fake id. I mean, do they really check your fingerprints?

seating and forms were not pre-assigned where I took the test...

 

[An Yong]

seating and forms were not pre-assigned where I took the test...

Huh, must be dependent on the test center, at my center we had post-it notes with our names attached to the tables where we were supposed to sit.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Huh, must be dependent on the test center, at my center we had post-it notes with our names attached to the tables where we were supposed to sit.

Your testing center sounds well organized, that is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Scubadoc]

I dunno, your seating is pre-assigned => your forms are pre-assigned. So there's no way to know you'll even get the same questions.

What if you got someone who looked like you to take the test for you? Its pretty easy to make a fake id. I mean, do they really check your fingerprints?

it seems to me that they probably do not (i mean, the majority of us don't have our fingerprints on file unless we have criminal pasts, right?). but, the issue is that they could, later, if there were any questions at all about your ability. i'm thinking that if you rocked the mcat and then were failing out of med school, they may then want to go back and check.

the scary thing is, there is this guy i know who cheats on everything all the time and wants to be a doctor. i could see him seriously getting someone else to take the test for him if he could get away with it. i'm sure he will cheat his way through med school too (how do you change your habits when you've been doing that since high school?). scary stuff.

 

[waitman192]

One story my tpr teacher told me was similar to Alexander Pink's... Apparently you paid this company a lot of money and you would need to sign up to take the MCATs in California - The company would have people taking the test on the East Coast (multiple people) and go through the test and memorize their answers for their particular form. Then, during the break, they would call the company with their answers and form numbers and the company would compile everything (what they think is the right answer from the numerous responses) and then print them on pencils. (all the answers from all the forms)

When you went to take your test, you would pick up a pencil from them before each section (so a different pencil for each section -physical, verbal and bio)

When AAMC found out - they got super pissed and demanded to have all the names of everyone who had used their company and forced the people who were in med school to withdraw, and took away the MD from those who had already graduated. I am not too sure if that is entirely correct (our teacher was a little crazy - but it scared me enough!)

 

[shock827]

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white and can't tell one URM from another anyway.

I don't think you mean URM, I think you mean Asians. We all look alike.

alllooksame.com

 

[ndn diva]

One story my tpr teacher told me was similar to Alexander Pink's... Apparently you paid this company a lot of money and you would need to sign up to take the MCATs in California - The company would have people taking the test on the East Coast (multiple people) and go through the test and memorize their answers for their particular form. Then, during the break, they would call the company with their answers and form numbers and the company would compile everything (what they think is the right answer from the numerous responses) and then print them on pencils. (all the answers from all the forms)

When you went to take your test, you would pick up a pencil from them before each section (so a different pencil for each section -physical, verbal and bio)

When AAMC found out - they got super pissed and demanded to have all the names of everyone who had used their company and forced the people who were in med school to withdraw, and took away the MD from those who had already graduated. I am not too sure if that is entirely correct (our teacher was a little crazy - but it scared me enough!)

My MCAT teacher told us the same story...so it must be true!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Huh? How could this all transpire so quickly..and who would even trust the answers like that?

But the moral of the story is that cheating is never worth it and you'd have to worry about it for life.

 

[!dr_nick!]

My MCAT teacher told us the same story...so it must be true!

I would like to see this verified if true. Im too lazy to search google though.

 

[Agent999]

I have heard rich people hires a lot of people to sign up for the MCAT and purposely fail it so they can lower the overall average. That's the closest thing to cheating I have heard about

 

[Assembler]

Wouldn't they have to pay A LOT of people to lower the average? How many people take this test every administration? 30,000?

 

[dnelsen]

I have heard rich people hires a lot of people to sign up for the MCAT and purposely fail it so they can lower the overall average. That's the closest thing to cheating I have heard about

This post, and this thread in general, reminds me of an earlier thread I started on "Unconventional MCAT Strategies":

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=129390

 

[Wrigleyville]

I was chastized for bubbling in my information on the answer sheet too early. The proctor was instructing us to bubble in our first names, and I went ahead and did my full name, SSN, address, etc. I got a stern talking to about the importance of not skipping ahead.

 

[!dr_nick!]

I cheated on the mcat.
With its lesbian sister the DAT (well i guess she's bi.)

 

[liverotcod]

I should think it would be easiest to pull an inside job: hire a proctor.

 

[Ibrahim05]

how about cheating across time zones? i believe there are 6 different forms of the exam and some of the paragraphs overlap. whats sto stop someone on the east coast calling friends on the west coast and giving them a heads up on what to expect

 

[Ibrahim05]

Like I said in an earlier thread, you should just have someone that looks a lot like you take the exam for you (make sure they are smart!)

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white and can't tell one URM from another anyway.

well that makes no sense since you have to provide a photo and a fingerprint

 

[OHare]

Like I said in an earlier thread, you should just have someone that looks a lot like you take the exam for you (make sure they are smart!)

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white and can't tell one URM from another anyway.

All of the proctors in every room at my site at Northwestern Univ were black

 

[45408]

well that makes no sense since you have to provide a photo and a fingerprint

a fingerprint to compare to what? there is no fingerprint to compare it to - and the photo? Like a small Asian guy can't find a guy who looks enough like him.

 

[b-real]

What about knowing the FedEx guy/gal that delivers the exams? Anyone know how they are packaged/boxed en route to testing sites?

 

[Severus]

During our ten minute break Saturday, I think I devised a fool-proof plan for pulling the wool over the MCAT's eyes. Of course, it is not all that plausible because it requres identical twins, but, I think it could be done nonetheless.

Two identical twins, one of which (A) is in need of a good MCAT score (with absolutely no inclination for it)... the other is quite capable (B). So, the way I figure it, A would sign up, show up for the examination, and get to the head of the registration line. He would provide a thumb print and move to his assigned seat. Now, at least where I sat for the MCAT, A could get up and go to the bathroom while the other students were being signed in. In doing so, A would meet up with B (who had secretly entered the compound without detection). Being dressed exactly the same, A would hand over his admission ticket, hide out for the duration of the examination, and let B go do his dirty work.

It is not perfect, and might not be applicable to all testing centers, but it would have been quite effective at my center. Oh well,

Sev

 

[Tiddly of Winks]

Like I said in an earlier thread, you should just have someone that looks a lot like you take the exam for you (make sure they are smart!)

I bet that is the most common way that people actually cheat...especially minority students. Most proctors are white...

I worked with a guy who did just that for his brother on the SAT... His younger brother was in high school at the time and he was a third year in college. He bragged to me the week before that he was doing it. What an ass.

I'm just jealous my older brother and I don't look like twins.

 

[Chouster]

Somehow we need to sneak onto the plane or truck that ships this stuff and modify our tests en-route to DC or Ohio or wherever it goes.