is it cheating to have old exams for a class to study from?

[biobrah]

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like my freind recently took molec bio, and offered to give me his notebook with notes and past exams. Teacher doesn't post the exams online for everybody, but she writes a new one semester to semester accordingly (old exam is not reused or anything). Is it cheating to have his old exams to help study and get an idea of the format of questions or is this perfectly acceptable?

 

[Bacchus]

Not cheating if the professor doesn't collect the exams. If the exams are collected then you have much bigger problems. Learning the format of testing by a professor is almost as powerful as learning the material.

 

[biobrah]

i mean its definitely an advantage to know the format for sure over someone who doesn't have the exams, and it will ultimately help my grade

but no, he doesn't collect the exams, students keep them. And many of the students retake the class and have their own old exams to study from.

 

[Endocannabinoid]

I agree. If your friend didn't intentionally deceive the teacher by carrying a test out of the class or testing center that he was supposed to hand in, I'd feel fine using it as a study guide. If it is your teacher's intent to not let those tests get out, then you'd probably be better of just giving them back (or throwing them away).

 

[Endocannabinoid]

i mean its definitely an advantage to know the format for sure over someone who doesn't have the exams, and it will ultimately help my grade

but no, he doesn't collect the exams, students keep them. And many of the students retake the class and have their own old exams to study from.

In other words, you shouldn't give it a another second's thought. Study away!

 

[njbmd]

like my freind recently took molec bio, and offered to give me his notebook with notes and past exams. Teacher doesn't post the exams online for everybody, but she writes a new one semester to semester accordingly (old exam is not reused or anything). Is it cheating to have his old exams to help study and get an idea of the format of questions or is this perfectly acceptable?

If the old exams were not illegally obtained, it's not cheating to use them. Even if the instructor recycles questions, as long as you didn't "steal" the exam (or know that the exam was stolen), you can use them.

 

[tianac2]

like my freind recently took molec bio, and offered to give me his notebook with notes and past exams.

Not only was this acceptable at my UG, but we had a name for it. We called them "yearbooks", as in, "I got a Fall 07 Biochem yearbook, so hopefully it won't kick my butt too badly..." (I unfortunately didn't get a biochem yearbook...but I did get Evolution, Stats, and Ecology...)

 

[butac]

I somewhat disagree with most of the above posts. If you truly feel you are justified in using the exams, you shouldn't be afraid to ask your professor about it. To just assume it's okay and use them makes it seem like you are worried the professor will say no if you ask.

 

[chessknt]

IMO it is cheating if it isnt easily available to everyone else taking that class (ie not posted on the website or handed out in lecture etc).

 

[Endocannabinoid]

There are a lot of things that only certain people in a course will have access to that will help them perform better. It doesn't mean that those resources are somehow "out of bounds."

 

[tvanhens]

If the tests are curved and you use material that is not readily available to the class, you are cheating your fellow classmates. It may not be cheating in the teachers eyes, but you are not only giving yourself an advantage, you are giving everyone else in your class a disadvantage.

 

[ntp021]

My feeling is that it's unfair, but I don't know if you'd call it cheating.
Ask yourself, if you found out that someone else in your class had the old exams (and they were apparently indicative of what would be on the exams in your class) you'd think it was unfair that they had them and you didn't wouldn't you?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

In times like this I ask myself "what would Obama do?" and go from there.😀

 

[Narmerguy]

If the tests are curved and you use material that is not readily available to the class, you are cheating your fellow classmates. It may not be cheating in the teachers eyes, but you are not only giving yourself an advantage, you are giving everyone else in your class a disadvantage.

Sure it sucks for the rest of the class but it's hardly cheating. Being someone that's never had a shot at an old exam I hate it when someone else does and it helps them. However, that's just the nature of college; it pays to have connections so long as the teacher doesn't forbid it.

 

[tvanhens]

Sure it sucks for the rest of the class but it's hardly cheating. Being someone that's never had a shot at an old exam I hate it when someone else does and it helps them. However, that's just the nature of college; it pays to have connections so long as the teacher doesn't forbid it.

Never said it was considered cheating in the class. I said that I would consider it cheating your classmates, which is perfectly legal as far as the college is concerned. So many pre-meds are selfish and do not consider their fellow class mates and would sooner toss their classmates to the sharks. I guess at the end of the day if you can sleep knowing you harmed someone's grade by messing up the curve go for it.

 

[Steeler7588]

If the professor makes no effort to collect exams or withhold them from future reference, then it's fine. I don't think not everyone having access to something makes it cheating - plenty of people can't afford expensive private tutors, but that doesn't make someone who can get one a cheater. If you don't know anyone who took the class previously personally, ask around.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

So its cheating to use old MCAT exams to prep for the MCAT......I wouldnt wanna hurt my fellow premeds, now would i.

 

[tvanhens]

Sure it sucks for the rest of the class but it's hardly cheating. Being someone that's never had a shot at an old exam I hate it when someone else does and it helps them. However, that's just the nature of college; it pays to have connections so long as the teacher doesn't forbid it.

So its cheating to use old MCAT exams to prep for the MCAT......I wouldnt wanna hurt my fellow premeds, now would i.

Those are available to everyone. Who's results are you hurting?

 

[DrYoda]

If the professor makes no effort to collect exams or withhold them from future reference, then it's fine. I don't think not everyone having access to something makes it cheating - plenty of people can't afford expensive private tutors, but that doesn't make someone who can get one a cheater. If you don't know anyone who took the class previously personally, ask around.

Exactly, it's not like these exams are hard to come by. I give out my old exams to people I don't, or barely know every year and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[chessknt]

At my university, my teachers are very restrictive in the sense that exams are collected with answer keys posted online, then removed once the quarter ends. For the next round of people that take that class, only a few have access to the old exams because the professor doesnt want them to, but some people from last quarter printed out the keys then handed them out to their fellow frat members. So is that fair to everyone else who didnt know somebody else who was in the class? Why do I have to hunt people down that give out their old exams in roder to be on even ground with these people? This isnt a matter of tutoring etc, this is a matter of having extra, valuable material that isnt easily available.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Some of my professors have acknowledged to me that they know students study from the old exams. ...My professors also claim to have a good idea of who is doing it and have stated that it doesn't seem to help the students out that much. I guess it really depends on whether the course grade is determined primarily through tests or if it is diversified with quizzes, discussions, labs, etc.

 

[bcat85]

like my freind recently took molec bio, and offered to give me his notebook with notes and past exams. Teacher doesn't post the exams online for everybody, but she writes a new one semester to semester accordingly (old exam is not reused or anything). Is it cheating to have his old exams to help study and get an idea of the format of questions or is this perfectly acceptable?

No it isn't cheating.

 

[Steeler7588]

Those are available to everyone. Who's results are you hurting?

Some people don't have the money available to buy all of the AAMC exams, or enroll in a Kaplan class. These resources give students advantages over other MCAT takers. The MCAT is curved. So this isn't cheating?

If old exams are available (the professor doesn't take them up), ask around. You'll be able to find someone somewhere who can you help you out.

 

[135892]

Who cares if it's considered cheating...

 

[chessknt]

Who cares if it's considered cheating...

Ethical people?

 

[cpants]

Photocopy for everyone in the class. Everyone wins.

 

[135892]

Ethical people?

Haha, yeah, but even if this is technically considered cheating, its really not giving you a huge, unfair advantage that no one else has access to.

 

[DrYoda]

At my university, my teachers are very restrictive in the sense that exams are collected with answer keys posted online, then removed once the quarter ends. For the next round of people that take that class, only a few have access to the old exams because the professor doesnt want them to, but some people from last quarter printed out the keys then handed them out to their fellow frat members. So is that fair to everyone else who didnt know somebody else who was in the class? Why do I have to hunt people down that give out their old exams in roder to be on even ground with these people? This isnt a matter of tutoring etc, this is a matter of having extra, valuable material that isnt easily available.

It's not hard to get these exams, just ask around. Everyone is capable of getting their hands on these exams, it's just a matter of if they want to put in the effort.

It seems that alot of frats keep libraries of old tests, so if you could always ask frat members.

 

[chessknt]

It's not hard to get these exams, just ask around. Everyone is capable of getting their hands on these exams, it's just a matter of if they want to put in the effort.

It seems that alot of frats keep libraries of old tests, so if you could always ask frat members.

I ask again, why am I forced to go on a hunt to be on the same level as everyone else despite the teachers efforts to control for this by removing old exams from the repertoire of easily found materials? Imagine if a group of people memorized chunks of USMILE questions and reconstructed a test and distributed it to a small group of people. Would you feel they had an advantage against you/everyone else even if they gave it to you if you found them and asked?

 

[DrYoda]

Imagine if a group of people memorized chunks of USMILE questions and reconstructed a test and distributed it to a small group of people.

There was actually a problem regarding his on the GMAT recently. Except they founded a practice test website with them.

Would you feel they had an advantage against you/everyone else even if they gave it to you if you found them and asked?

No, if everyone can get them then the playing field is level which is a rare thing in life. In fact, even if I couldn't get them I really don't care. People should use whatever advantages they can get in life without violating the law, honor codes ect. I'm not the ethics police and life is to short to waste counting who got handed what and if it was deserved.

 

[xiaoyi666]

If I remember correctly, this topics been beaten to death already on a few other threads.

 

[Steeler7588]

I ask again, why am I forced to go on a hunt to be on the same level as everyone else despite the teachers efforts to control for this by removing old exams from the repertoire of easily found materials?

I think most of us are arguing that it's okay if the professor makes no effort to restrict old exams.

 

[xiaoyi666]

Never said it was considered cheating in the class. I said that I would consider it cheating your classmates, which is perfectly legal as far as the college is concerned. So many pre-meds are selfish and do not consider their fellow class mates and would sooner toss their classmates to the sharks. I guess at the end of the day if you can sleep knowing you harmed someone's grade by messing up the curve go for it.

pssshhh as if it's my job to make sure my fellow classmates are all as prepared as I am. would it be cheating my classmates if I bought extra books to help me study? I suppose you're one of those people who would be perfectly happy getting a C thereby not destroying the curve in either direction. Score one for the fairness of life.

 

[chessknt]

I think most of us are arguing that it's okay if the professor makes no effort to restrict old exams.

Well Yoda seems to think that it is ok even the professor does restrict old exams since all you have to do is be annoying and ask random strangers for information that isnt normally available in order to be on the same level as everyone else.

 

[175961]

the prof doesnt seem to make efforts to keep the tests off the market, I dont see how it could be considered cheating.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Those are available to everyone. Who's results are you hurting?

What about those that cant afford it🙄

 

[mizzbee]

It's definitely not cheating and I wouldn't even say it's unfair. Most people know someone who knows someone who has taken the class before and has old midterms for the course. I have gone to two different universities and both have exam banks where you have access to old tests. At my current school there is a website where students post to sell textbooks and old midterms so it's pretty much status quo for people to have access to old midterms. If you feel guilty about it, start a study group and share it.

 

[chessknt]

It's definitely not cheating and I wouldn't even say it's unfair. Most people know someone who knows someone who has taken the class before and has old midterms for the course. I have gone to two different universities and both have exam banks where you have access to old tests. At my current school there is a website where students post to sell textbooks and old midterms so it's pretty much status quo for people to have access to old midterms. If you feel guilty about it, start a study group and share it.

Its unfair to make the assumption that we can obtain these exams through connections. What if I am a transfer student? Or a foreign student?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Different schools have different policies on this. At my school, it is explicit in the honor code that consulting past exams that haven't been made available to everyone is cheating. That said, while in your case you're probably getting an unfair advantage, it may not technically be cheating. If that's the case, use your own conscience.

 

[mizzbee]

Its unfair to make the assumption that we can obtain these exams through connections. What if I am a transfer student? Or a foreign student?

Not everything in life is going to be an even playing field. That's the unfortunate truth.

...and I'm a transfer student, connections aren't that difficult to make if they are there to be made.

You seem to come from a uni where it is not acceptable while others are attending universities that it is fair game so obviously we are not going to come to an agreement on the subject. Bottom line is that it seems to differ from one uni to the next so it's up to the OP to make that judgement call.

 

[chessknt]

Not everything in life is going to be an even playing field. That's the unfortunate truth.

...and I'm a transfer student, connections aren't that difficult to make if they are there to be made.

You seem to come from a uni where it is not acceptable while others are attending universities that it is fair game so obviously we are not going to come to an agreement on the subject. Bottom line is that it seems to differ from one uni to the next so it's up to the OP to make that judgement call.

This seems self-defeating. You support something unfair because life is unfair? Or do you not see it as unfair?

I mean I personalyl got along fine without having 'connections' to get access to materials I wasnt supposed to be able to use, I just found it irritating that others stooped to those levels.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

like my freind recently took molec bio, and offered to give me his notebook with notes and past exams. Teacher doesn't post the exams online for everybody, but she writes a new one semester to semester accordingly (old exam is not reused or anything). Is it cheating to have his old exams to help study and get an idea of the format of questions or is this perfectly acceptable?

No way! That is SO fair game! That's how almost everyone studies for exams here! In fact, at the Learning Resource Center on campus, they keep copies of old tests for a lot of professors and you can request a copy! If you have an old test, it is a GREAT resource, so use it! If nothing else it helps familiarize you with the teacher's testing style which is huge. 👍

 

[mizzbee]

This seems self-defeating. You support something unfair because life is unfair? Or do you not see it as unfair?

I mean I personalyl got along fine without having 'connections' to get access to materials I wasnt supposed to be able to use, I just found it irritating that others stooped to those levels.

I've made it pretty clear that I do not see it as unfair. Like I said in my post before, it depends on what university you go to as to the policy and whether it is in fact unfair/unethical to have access to past exams.

 

[Fakesmile]

If the past exams aren't made accessible to everyone, then I'd say it's cheating because you have an unfair advantage over others.