IB Exam Time Zone Cheating: Will Students Suffer After Leak Discovered?
The IBO has released a statement, following news that information from IB exam papers had been leaked by students prior to those in other time zones sitting the exams.
Information on exam questions in subjects including mathematics and biology were reportedly leaked online via messaging app, Telegram. Students reportedly shared a 'mock-up' of exam papers, sending this to individuals sitting the exams in time zone B.
IB exams are sat by students taking the same exam papers across three time zones:
Exam Zone A: UTC +12 to UTC +3.5 - Australia and Asia
Exam Zone B: UTC +3 to UTC +0 - Africa and Europe
Exam Zone C: UTC 1 to UTC 10 - North and South America
The number of students who saw the content online before the exams is unclear, although according to reports from the South China Morning Post, there have been over 45,000 downloads of the papers.
In a statement published on its official website, the IBO assured students of the integrity of the May 2024 exams:
"We are acutely aware that IB students around the world have worked tirelessly to be ready to sit their exams and have held themselves to the highest of academic standards, and we are taking active steps to ensure that the integrity of the remainder of the exam session remains intact."
However, for those who have shared or received this information, or otherwise participated in any form of cheating in exams, the consequences are significant. The IBO shared the following information:
"We have identified the source of this activity and are taking appropriate steps to hold those responsible accountable. Where we have identified students, the IB will open a formal investigation for malpractice, and students may receive no marks for their examinations or no grade for the relevant subject. As a consequence, no Diploma certificate will be awarded, and students can also be banned from re-sitting any examinations."
The IBO provided information on the time zone cheating claims and investigations:
"We have taken immediate action to investigate the claims and have discovered a very small number of students appear to have engaged in online “time zone cheating”.
"Time zone cheating occurs when students who have completed their examinations share what they can recall from memory about the exam questions on social media before other students take the examination.
"Time zone cheating is explicitly forbidden under our academic integrity policy."
The IB exams started on April 24 and run until May 17.
When do the 2024 IB results come out?
IBDP and IBCP results for the May 2024 session will be officially out on July 5, 2024, but they'll be accessible to students online on the next day, July 6, 2024.
Read more: A Level, GCSE Students Risk Disqualification If Searching for Leaked Exam Papers
