EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AND ITS IMPLICATION 2023 ORIENTATION OF FRESHERS

 EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AND ITS IMPLICATION BEING A PAPER PRESENTED FOR THE ORIENTATION OF  FRESHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 2023 SETS ON 27TH JUNE 2023 IN THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, EHA-AMUFU

Written By

Boris H. Odalonu

 

Examination

Examination is a process of assessing learning outcomes. Through this means, teachers evaluate the extent to which the students have followed and understood learning experiences to which they have been exposed.

Ethics

-          A system of moral standard or principles. .

-          Ethics is a set of principles of right conduct.

-          Ethics is a theory or a system of moral values.

-          Ethical behaviour – behaviour that conforms to generally accepted social norms.

Examination Ethics

Exam ethics is the respect for the rules, regulations, expectations, codes of conduct and moral principles governing examinations as well as all other forms of assessment and evaluation systems in the college.

Any unethical action or practice that is action or behaviour that does not conform to the rules and regulations of an examination before, during and after the examination is termed examination malpractice.

Examination Malpractice

Examination malpractice is any act of omission or commission which compromises the validity, reliability and integrity of any examination.

Examination malpractice refers to actions and behaviours that negate the orderly conduct and procedures of examination and gives a candidate undue advantage over others ( SOURCE? ).

Damen and Datong (2006) define examination malpractice as taking undue and unfair advantage to pass an examination by circumventing laid down procedures.  

 Examination malpractice include acts as impersonation, smuggling in prepared answers, copying or reading from another candidates script or from any unauthorized material during an examination; bringing into the examination hall any unauthorized material such as books, notes, papers, device or manuscript; involvement in leaking of examination paper; lobbying for examination result by whatever means and any other form of cheating or other acts calculated to confer undue advantage on the student.

Sanctions for Examination Malpractice

Sanctions for examination malpractice comes in forms of failing a course, suspension for a period of time or even expulsion.

Forms of Examination Malpractice and Punishment in FCEE

S/N	Forms of Examination Malpractice	Punishment
1	Copying from another candidate during examination or Continuous Assessment Test.	The student should fail the paper.
2	Bringing into examination hall foreign material (such as copied materials on paper, desk, handkerchief, palm, lap, etc,. textbooks, notebooks, etc,) that would aid the student during examinations or CATs.	The student should fail the paper.
3	Writing of examinations or CATs outside the designated venue.	The student should fail the paper.
4	Impersonating another student during examinations or CATs.	The student should be expelled from the college.
5	Fighting,/molesting/intimidating/assaulting of an invigilator during examinations or CATs.	The student should fail the paper and be suspended for one session.
6	Involvement of examination leakage.	The student should fail the paper and be suspended for one session.
7	Non-submission of answer script after examination or CAT.	The student should fail the paper.
8	Refusal to stop writing when the order is given or obey the invigilator during examinations or CATs.	The student should lose 10 marks.

 

Right of the Students during Examinations

a. Students should know the date, time and venue for the examinations.

b. The timetable for the examinations should be out for at least two weeks before the commencement of the examinations.

c. Students are expected to draw the attention of their lecturers to any clashes in the timetable that may encumber the writing of examinations. On the receipt of such report, corrections may be made in the timetable to remove such clashes.

 

 

 

Expectations from Students during Examinations

a. Students are required to arrive the venue of the examination at least 15 minutes to the start of the examination.

b. Students are required to have before them, Admit card, receipts or evidence of school fee payment and ID cards.

c. Students are required to remove all incriminating documents around their seats in the examination hall.

d. Students must sit in the examination venue designated for them. Failure by any student to sit for the examination in the designated venue would lead to the failure of the course.

e. Students should not be caught cheating in the examination hall. Cheating comes in the forms of writing from another student’s paper, using external aid, copying from text or note books, impersonation, etc.

f. Students must not leave the venue of the hall until at least 10 minutes to the end of the examination.

g. Students should not come to exam hall with their smart phones.

Failure to Sit for Examination

a. A student may fail to sit for examinations due to ill health, child birth, financial challenges, bereavement, etc.

b. Such student is expected to inform the Registrar in writing through the HOD and Dean of School within 48 hours.

c. Any student who fails to sit for an examination in any course at the end of any semester on account of ill health shall within 48 hours from the date of examination in the said course(s) submit a medical certificate from the director of the medical centre to the Dean through the Head of Department.

d. On the approval of the application, such student is expected to sit for the examination at the next appropriate semester.

 

 

 

 

 

Dangers of Examination Malpractice/Consequences of Examination Malpractice

The incidence of examination malpractice has been mostly blamed on lack of seriousness of students in their studies.

-          Prevents you from identifying and pursuing your true talents

-          Promotes the habit of laziness.

-          Renders your certificate useless as basis for assessing your skills and capabilities.

-          Leads to production of armies unemployable graduates.

-          Negates the ideal of the institution as a place for transmission of moral and ethical values to youths.

The Benefits of Adherence to Examination Ethics

No student can achieve any meaningful and sustainable success without building on a solid foundation of examination ethics.

-          Examination ethics will help you to identify your true talent and achieve your destiny.

-          It helps you to cultivate the habit of hard work which is indispensable building block of all great achievements.

-          It makes your certificate becomes a true reflection of your skills and abilities.

-          A strict adherence to examination ethics helps you to form the habit of high moral and ethical standard in all undertakings.

-          Examination ethics helps to give practical meaning to the concept of academic excellence. It helps you to promote your institution as a place for breeding and transmitting high moral and ethics values.

Only through examination ethics can you discover your true talent, excel in your exams, arrive at your destiny and achieve sustainable success.

Therefore, to achieve sustainable success in your academic pursuit, say no to examination malpractice.

I enjoin/urge you all to observe and adhere to examination ethics throughout your stay in this college.

Thank you.