Dean of Registrations at the university Abdul Fattah Mushat told Arab News that cheating on exams could not be totally stopped, particularly considering the huge number of students appearing for the ongoing examinations.
“More than 20,000 university students are taking their examinations, so it is no wonder that a few commit violations and get caught,” Mushat said.
He said that students did not use old cheating techniques anymore. “So the university also had to switch to the latest technology in supervising the examinations to cope with students who resort to advanced technology to engage in their malpractices. We have allocated 15 computers to verify the identity of each student before entering the hall. The computers compare the students’ admission cards with the original documents,” he said.
According to Mushat, the university recruited a large number of supervisors to work in examination halls, as students tended to cheat when there were few supervisors.
He also noted that male students were more inclined to cheat in examinations than females.
Another new policy adopted in university examinations to eradicate the practice of copying from other students is to supply different sets of question papers to students sitting in adjacent seats. “So a student cannot get answers from the next boy or girl,” he said.
However, a student who preferred to remain anonymous told Arab News: “No matter what precautionary methods examination officials adopt, some students find ways to sidestep them and get their answers from outside.”
“For instance, some students bring in mobile phones hidden deep in their clothes. They call their friends with the help of a hidden microphone and get the required answer. Others use wristwatches with small computers attached to them, while others hide pieces of paper inside their watches,” the student said. He added that there existed plastic rulers that hide writings and can be read only when put against a sheet of white paper.