Exam cheating

Private schools Eton, Winchester and Charterhouse, have been caught up in claims of exam cheating after teachers shared confidential test content with pupils in advance.

Winchester has since suspended its head of art history and nullified the results for two exams, while Charterhouse has also confirmed it has been investigated by the exam board.

In response to the news, Ofqual released a statement:

In any given year there are unfortunately a very small number of incidents such as these. The relevant exam board is responsible for informing Ofqual when situations like this occur and for taking any actions it considers appropriate in response. CIE has kept us informed of developments in relation to this incident and we have been closely monitoring its actions.

We analyse all instances of malpractice every year and we will summarise the issues that arose in 2017 in our annual report on the summer, published in December. Each year we consider whether any changes to the regulatory framework are necessary.

Any suggestion of malpractice is a cause for concern and must be looked into by Ofqual and the exam board.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

Parents and students must be able to have faith in the exam system. Any suggestion of malpractice is concerning and should be looked into. “Cambridge International Examinations board are dealing with the incidents ‎and have made the exam regulator Ofqual aware.

Parents and pupils must be able to have faith in the exam system and any suggestion of malpractice must be looked into.

Ofqual is reviewing these cases and will be considering if changes to the rules are required.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

The public must have confidence in the integrity of the exam system and cheating of any kind is unacceptable. Exam regulator Ofqual is now reviewing the rules under which teachers take part in writing and reviewing question papers and have confirmed to me that they are considering whether action is needed.

The overwhelming majority of teachers act appropriately when working with exam materials but where they do not schools have a responsibility to report it to the exam board for investigation.