Examination malpractice is any deliberate act of cheating or misconduct before, during, or after an exam that breaks the rules and gives a candidate an unfair advantage.

What Is Examination Malpractice?

Examination malpractice (also called exam malpractice or cheating) is wrongful behaviour that violates exam regulations so that someone can score higher than they honestly deserve. It can be done by students, teachers, invigilators, officials, or even entire institutions, and it damages the credibility of certificates and the education system itself.

Think of it as any action that secretly tilts the playing field in favour of a person or group, instead of allowing everyone to be judged fairly on their own knowledge and effort.

Common Forms of Examination Malpractice

Some of the most reported forms include:

  • Use of unauthorized materials (crib notes, ā€œmicrochips,ā€ answer slips, phones, smartwatches).
  • Copying from another candidate or allowing your work to be copied.
  • Impersonation ā€“ someone else sitting the exam on behalf of a registered candidate.
  • Examination leakage ā€“ getting access to live question papers before the exam.
  • Collusion and conspiracy ā€“ planned cheating involving groups of students or officials.
  • Assistance from invigilators, teachers, or exam officials during the exam.
  • Bringing in preā€‘written answer scripts or smuggling them into the exam hall.
  • Falsification of marks, grades, or result sheets after the exam.
  • Disrupting or obstructing invigilators to hide cheating or destroy evidence.
  • Plagiarism in coursework and assessments, including copying internet material without proper referencing.

A simple example: a student hides tiny handwritten notes in a calculator case and secretly reads them during a maths exam. This is a clear case of examination malpractice because they are using unauthorized material to gain an unfair advantage.

Why Itā€™s a Big Deal Today

Across countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and others, examination malpractice is frequently described as a growing ā€œmenaceā€ to education quality. Authorities and courts now treat it as a serious offence, not just ā€œnormalā€ school misbehaviour.

Recent developments include:

  • Stricter national laws against exam fraud, with heavy fines and long jail terms for organized malpractice networks and corrupt officials.
  • Court cases over irregularities in major national entrance exams (such as medical or civil service exams), where candidates ask for investigations or even full reā€‘exams.
  • Public warnings that teachers and invigilators involved in malpractice will face suspension, dismissal, prosecution, or large fines.
  • Media and community campaigns calling for exam integrity and ā€œzero toleranceā€ for cheating.

On education forums, students and teachers regularly debate why malpractice is so common, how it undermines trust in results, and what punishments or reforms actually work.

Key Takeaways (Quick Scoop)

  • Examination malpractice = deliberate violation of exam rules to gain an unfair advantage.
  • It covers cheating by students and also collusion or corruption by teachers and officials.
  • Common methods include leakage of questions, impersonation, copying, unauthorized materials, and falsifying results.
  • Governments, courts, and education authorities are tightening penalties and procedures to protect exam integrity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.