New-age cheating: IB board students leak exam questions taking advantage of time zones

IB Board exam: Meanwhile, the time zone difference suggested that the paper leak was less likely to benefit Indian students.

Published on: May 6, 2024, 11:36:44 IST

By HT News Desk

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In new-age cheating, students who appeared for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDB) (Class XII board exams) reportedly memorised their Mathematics questions and shared them on social media, potentially assisting students in other time zones who were yet to take the papers.

The two-hour Maths exam were held on May 1 and 2, and the purported paper leak was discovered on May 3 (Hindustan Times file photo)

Also Read: CBSE issues DigiLocker access codes, Class 10, 12 results ‘shortly’

The Times of India reported that the two-hour Maths exam was held on May 1 and 2, and the purported paper leak was discovered on May 3. The IB board holds the annual exams in three time zones.

The board acknowledged the situation, but it has not specified the country of origin for the leak. The report claimed the principals in Mumbai believe that the paper was leaked from Turkey.

The time zone difference suggested that the paper leak was less likely to benefit Indian students, but those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, and the Americas might have benefitted.

The report added that this is the first instance of a paper leak in the over 55-year history of the Switzerland-based board.

Also Read: ICSE Result 2024: Overall 99.47% pass percentage registered in Class 10 CISCE Board exams, details here

The IB said on Sunday that it discovered a small number of students had engaged in “time zone cheating” and there was “no evidence” the practice was widespread. However, the Post found the materials had been downloaded more than 45,000 times, reported SMCP.

What is International Baccalaureate (IB)?

International Baccalaureate (IB) is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and was founded in 1968. It is a non-profit organisation governed by a Board of Governors representing cultural and geographical diversity. IB curriculum is divided into 4 programmes:

(i) Primary Years Programme for children aged 3-12

(ii) Middle Years Programme for students aged 11-16

(iii) Diploma Programme for students aged 16-19

Also Read: CBSE Class 10 and 12 results likely after May 20

(iv) Career- Related Programme for students aged 16-19

There are 210 IB World schools in India, with larger concentrations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.

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HT News Desk
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