25th September 2019 15:03
By Blue Tutors
An inquiry into exam malpractice has highlighted smart watches as a potential problem area, and suggests that all watches should be banned from exams. Reported on the BBC, the issue revolves around the problem that watches which can connect to the internet, and therefore be used to cheat, can look very similar to a basic watch. Smart watches are already banned, but the inquiry expressed concern that some were slipping through the net.
Some exam centres already have a blanket ban on watches, but there are calls to extend this for all exams in England. This would mean that each centre would have to ensure that there were enough visible clocks on the walls.
Another issue highlighted was the number of pupils who receive 25% extra time in exams due to special educational needs. This has long been something available to disadvantaged students, and although there is no evidence to suggest that schools are incorrectly diagnosing students, the increase in numbers was described as “remarkable”.
Overall the report showed that there was very little evidence of malpractice and it only occurred in 0.02% of exam entries, most of them for GCSE exams, and using email through mobile phones. However, there have been high profile cases of cheating, particularly for recent maths exams, and the leader of a teachers’ union said that it is important to continue to work to eradicate exam cheating to maintain public confidence in our exam system.