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Question about plagiarism

For GCSE English Literature, for the actual exam later this month, I have a question. It may sound kind of stupid, but I want to be sure.

Lets say, for the poetry section, you memorise a really good response for certain poems, from stuff directly from online, revision guides etc

Is it possible to be accused of plagiarism in an actual exam (not controlled assessment/coursework)

I am just wondering, because I have many notes for Eng Lit from online, and last thing I want is to get accused of plagiarism, so I am just checking.
Reply 1
It problem depends on what you are responding to. If you avoid using exact words, then I don't think it should be a problem
Reply 2
Original post by Wawasan
It problem depends on what you are responding to. If you avoid using exact words, then I don't think it should be a problem


Lets just say like, for the comparing poetry question.
Reply 3
Original post by Coke1
Lets just say like, for the comparing poetry question.


You should be fine if you just take the idea and respond in a similar manner...after all, it is under your own response :smile:. But just avoid exact words I'd say
Reply 4
Ehh... you probably can't get accused if its a really small amount, but you're far better learning to be adaptable and fluid in your answers than just straight up memorising. It will help you a lot later in life if you can start to do that now. Not just in A-Levels, but in discussions and conversation.
Reply 5
Original post by Coke1
For GCSE English Literature, for the actual exam later this month, I have a question. It may sound kind of stupid, but I want to be sure.

Lets say, for the poetry section, you memorise a really good response for certain poems, from stuff directly from online, revision guides etc

Is it possible to be accused of plagiarism in an actual exam (not controlled assessment/coursework)

I am just wondering, because I have many notes for Eng Lit from online, and last thing I want is to get accused of plagiarism, so I am just checking.


For my exams last year I compiled notes for each poem I was studying from like 20 different sources, and wrote down key-points in my notes, sometimes word for word, if they sounded good. I tried to memorise them, but in my exam I ended up kind of mixing different ones in and adapting them because I couldn't remember them properly, and anyway your response needs to be specific to your question. So yeah, I'd say you're fine using ideas/phrases you've remembered in your exam.
Reply 6
Thanks guys. Odds are I wouldn't remember word for word anyway, just roughly what the idea was.
You'd better not memorise the exact words because the exam board could accuse you of using a mobile phone/notes brought in from home. So yeah, why not put your notes into your own words as part of your revision?
Reply 8
Original post by ArtisticFlair
You'd better not memorise the exact words because the exam board could accuse you of using a mobile phone/notes brought in from home. So yeah, why not put your notes into your own words as part of your revision?


I guess lol. But surely if I was being supervised, how the heck could they accuse me of that?

As I said, I doubt I would actually remember things for the exact words, just the actual ideas and good quotes to use, etc.
Reply 9
A student of mine was accused of plagiarism last year and was disqualified from all of their exams, do this at your own peril.

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