The Student Room Group

Caught cheating but note fault

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Original post by AishaTara
yes I know, but had the examiner said that? OP said that the invigilator came took the lid off before the exam when the note fell out.
Once I forgot to take my label of a water bottle. 20 mins into the exam, the invigilator did it, but obvs there were no notes there, so she didn't report me in or anything.


TBH I forgot what was in the first post. The invigilator was being kind, I suspect, or aiming at preventing a problem by taking the lid away. Kids do overlook things (I'm a teacher, btw, and have invigilated for more hours of my life than I care to think about, and god, it's boring) and because most of us know the students and don't want them to get into trouble, we'll do that kind of thing before the exam starts, but the regs are very clear that it's the candidate's responsibility as long as the centre has carried out all its duties in reading out the warnings, displaying warning notices, giving out notices to candidates in the weeks before the season starts etc. I imagine OP will be fine, especially as no one has said anything to him afterwards, but I think it's important to point out here for the benefit of other exam candidates that they cannot escape responsibility for the things brought into the exam room by saying that the invigilator didn't take them off them, for example. It's always going to be the candidate who suffers the penalty, ultimately. If the centre doesn't do its part properly, it can have its status removed, but I don't know of anywhere that's happened in 29 years of teaching, whereas an individual candidate being disqualified is relatively common.
Reply 41
you're not taking the exam until they say "you may start", if they had found the notes in the exam, it would be different. Moreover they know the calculator belonged to the school, not you. Think about how many people sit down at their desks and then realise they still have their phones in their pockets before the exam starts - they're not disqualified.
Original post by carnationlilyrose
TBH I forgot what was in the first post. The invigilator was being kind, I suspect, or aiming at preventing a problem by taking the lid away. Kids do overlook things (I'm a teacher, btw, and have invigilated for more hours of my life than I care to think about, and god, it's boring) and because most of us know the students and don't want them to get into trouble, we'll do that kind of thing before the exam starts, but the regs are very clear that it's the candidate's responsibility as long as the centre has carried out all its duties in reading out the warnings, displaying warning notices, giving out notices to candidates in the weeks before the season starts etc. I imagine OP will be fine, especially as no one has said anything to him afterwards, but I think it's important to point out here for the benefit of other exam candidates that they cannot escape responsibility for the things brought into the exam room by saying that the invigilator didn't take them off them, for example. It's always going to be the candidate who suffers the penalty, ultimately. If the centre doesn't do its part properly, it can have its status removed, but I don't know of anywhere that's happened in 29 years of teaching, whereas an individual candidate being disqualified is relatively common.


im not saying a student could use the invigilator as an excuse, if its not taken off them, i'm just saying in this case it was. I'm sure if the teacher took it off OP once the exam had started, even if he/she was innocent -they'd have to report it. Everyone makes mistakes and the fact that this was sorted before the exam was lucky for OP.
Original post by aliluvschoc
The fact that they actually allowed you to sit the exam and did not make you sign anything seems to indicate that you will be fine.


Indeed. If worst comes to worst - claim you have absolutely no idea what they're talking about and ask why, if any of this was true, nothing was said at the time? :wink:

Of course, you can prop this up by pointing out that the notes aren't in your handwriting anyway. OR ARE THEY?? :eek: dun dun deeerrrrr
Original post by aliluvschoc
The fact that they actually allowed you to sit the exam and did not make you sign anything seems to indicate that you will be fine.


I, too, think he will be fine, but being allowed to sit the exam does not signify anything because it's not the school's decision whether or not a significant breach of the rules has been made. The procedure in a case of suspected cheating is to continue as normal and then notify the exam board of the incident after the exam has been completed and let them make a ruling, because otherwise, if the school stopped the candidate from taking the exam in the belief that a breach of regulations had taken place, but the exam board disagreed after investigation, the candidate would have obviously been significantly disadvantaged.
Original post by AishaTara
im not saying a student could use the invigilator as an excuse, if its not taken off them, i'm just saying in this case it was. I'm sure if the teacher took it off OP once the exam had started, even if he/she was innocent -they'd have to report it. Everyone makes mistakes and the fact that this was sorted before the exam was lucky for OP.


Yes, I agree.
Reply 46
Original post by freedom
They never said anything during the exam


i don't think you'll be disqualified but only if the notes are irrelevant to the exams and you're actually sure you had no hand in it. plus you can always get the person you borrowed the calculator from to testify for you.. there's nothing to be scared about, if you're absolutely sure... its quite hard to believe...but i do get your point
Original post by Lumos
you're not taking the exam until they say "you may start", if they had found the notes in the exam, it would be different. Moreover they know the calculator belonged to the school, not you. Think about how many people sit down at their desks and then realise they still have their phones in their pockets before the exam starts - they're not disqualified.


Can I just make a plea to you all to make sure you hand in your phones? One of the saddest cases I've been involved with was a girl who forgot to hand hers in and it rang in the middle of the exam. The board had to be notified - there were 170 kids in the hall who heard it - and she was disqualified from the exam for that year. The terrible irony was that it was her mum ringing to wish her luck, not knowing what time the exam started.
Original post by und
If the notes related to the exam then I doubt your teachers would buy into your story that you didn't know about them, and nor would I. You may have got lucky in that they might just decide to ignore it, so as not to fail one of their students.

If you immediately conclude the notes were his without considering all possibilities, that simply makes you thick.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 49
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Yes, I agree.


If the exam board are notified, when will I get to know that they are investigating
Original post by freedom
If the exam board are notified, when will I get to know that they are investigating


I can't imagine a scenario in which your school wouldn't have told you immediately after the exam, so I imagine you're in the clear. To put your mind at rest, though, I suggest you speak to the teachers involved. BTW, it wasn't a school calcultor you borrowed, was it?
Reply 51
Original post by carnationlilyrose
I can't imagine a scenario in which your school wouldn't have told you immediately after the exam, so I imagine you're in the clear. To put your mind at rest, though, I suggest you speak to the teachers involved. BTW, it wasn't a school calcultor you borrowed, was it?


No it was a friends, he must of forgotten he had them in there,

The notes the were before the papers were handed out, so are their any breech of rules?
Original post by freedom
No it was a friends, he must of forgotten he had them in there,

The notes the were before the papers were handed out, so are their any breech of rules?


If the notes were removed before the papers were handed out and nothing has been said to you, then I should put it out of your mind. You would at least be expected to state your case if they were taking it further. If all the facts are as you tell them and you've missed nothing out (the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, remember), then I would just chalk it up to experience.
I think the only logical solution is to give up on education and become a stripper.
Reply 54
I'd expect you won't be disqualified... But I'm not really believing the eagle eyed teacher was able to spot hidden notes on this calc that you couldn't see.
Original post by freedom
I borrowed a sci calc, I went in the maths exam, put the calc on the table and sat down,

However a teach came and removed the lid and notes fell out, I was shocked as I had no clue about them,

He gave it to the head of maths who was in the room, she read them and put them in her pocket,

She did not say anything, and I was allowed to continue the exam, my paper was collected in normally

They found the notes before the exam paper was handed out,

Can I be disqualified?


They hadn't given the exams out, and so you technically weren't caught cheating. If anything it could be justified as extremely last minute revision. :tongue:
Original post by Joinedup
I'd expect you won't be disqualified... But I'm not really believing the eagle eyed teacher was able to spot hidden notes on this calc that you couldn't see.


The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a very good oath for a reason, is it not?
Reply 57
Original post by Astronomical
They hadn't given the exams out, and so you technically weren't caught cheating. If anything it could be justified as extremely last minute revision. :tongue:


Do you know if I have in anyway broken the rules?
Original post by freedom
Do you know if I have in anyway broken the rules?


Well usually at our school the exams officer always says "this is your last chance to hand in any items you shouldn't have - phones, USBs, notes, etc"

However, by the time she has said this, the papers have already been handed out and so on. I think you should be 100% fine.
Reply 59
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Can I just make a plea to you all to make sure you hand in your phones? One of the saddest cases I've been involved with was a girl who forgot to hand hers in and it rang in the middle of the exam. The board had to be notified - there were 170 kids in the hall who heard it - and she was disqualified from the exam for that year. The terrible irony was that it was her mum ringing to wish her luck, not knowing what time the exam started.


oh that's awful :frown: But if I had a penny for every time I've been in an exam and we have all heard someon'es phone buzzing with a call in the pile of bags... the invigilators seem to deliberately try not no find it before it stops ringing though.... putting your phone on silent is not equivalent to turning it off!

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