MALPRACTICE

Cambridge English has a responsibility to candidates,
test centres and other stakeholders
to ensure the integrity of our examinations.

Cambridge Malpractice Procedure

The Cambridge Assessment English Malpractice Procedure deals with cases of suspected irregular conduct.

Irregular conduct is any action which gives or aims to give unfair advantage to a candidate or causes disadvantage to other candidates. The Notice to Candidates, which is displayed outside all examination rooms, warns candidates of the consequences of such actions. Cambridge English has rigorous procedures in place to detect instances of malpractice.


Examples of malpractice include:

  • obtaining unauthorised access to examination material
  • using or trying to use unauthorised material, e.g. notes, study guides, mobile phones
  • copying/collusion or attempted copying/collusion
  • disruptive behaviour or not following the instructions of an invigilator, supervisor or Centre Exams Manager, e.g. use of mobile phones or other electronic devices
  • impersonation (pretending to be someone else)
  • altering any results document, including certificates
  • any other form of cheating or gaining of an unfair advantage.

Cases of suspected malpractice may be reported, for example:

  • by the centre, e.g. a report from an invigilator
  • by an examiner, e.g. unusual incorrect answers, shared by candidates who were sitting next to each other
  • via an application for Special Consideration
  • by statistical analysis of candidates’ answer sheets.

Once reported, potential malpractice cases follow a process of investigation by Cambridge English staff, assisted as necessary by the Malpractice Panel, which may lead to results being permanently withheld.