<p>wow…I didn’t know the definition of test bank before. I searched online for practice exam for my specific text book, I just wanted more ways to test my knowledge of the subject, so I brought them. I realized on the website it says test bank, I thought it just means this site has a lot of tests for students to practice. I had no idea it was meant for professors only. That’s really the first time I came across the word “Test Bank”. I should’ve done more research before buying these. But isn’t it up to the professor to choose whatever he/she wants to test? It’s not like I knew what he/she was testing,</p>
<p>Given that sample tests are widely available for the ACT and SAT these days (which is interesting, since College Board used to vigorously protest that the SAT couldn’t be studied for – they now make big bucks selling prep materials!), I can see that it might be difficult for a student (particularly a non-native English speaker) to realize that a line could be being crossed in obtaining sample questions online or anywhere else, or to figure out where exactly that line might be. There are also student study guides available for many texts - online material could be coming from something like this and be totally “kosher”. Material from a “Profs only” site would be out-of-bounds of course, but it could be difficult to ascertain what the source of the questions was.</p>
<p>This student, like anyone else, certainly is entitled to due process in this manner, and should insist that s/he receive it.</p>
<p>yzhou, the past tense form and past participle of the verb “to buy” is “bought”, not “brought” (which is the past form and past participle of “to bring”)</p>
<p>I went through the entire thread with the same question: What kind of lazy professors (and I use the term loosely professor, that is) use premade tests? Do they use other people’s or professional lectures from the book company? </p>
<p>I have never heard the term of a test bank. I know that my kids have had books, given by the school district, with practice tests in the back of the book. The answers were also provided. They were on the honor system not to peek. What were the odds there? I know my kid (with the tutor) did the tests, worked and reworked the questions with the answer in mind.</p>
<p>I must be way behind the time too because this is the first I heard also about test bank that specifically made for professors to use to give to students as an exam. If it was very easy for OP to find and buy such tests, I can assure you that plenty of kids are getting the tests prior to the exam. I can’t believe that the schools/professors/administrators are ok and go along with this charade. Again, how hard is it to make a brand new test, administer and grade them a few times a year?</p>
<p>I am curious to know how the school found out that you had ordered these materials?</p>
<p>“When you were an undergraduate, did you ever use old exams provided by more senior students to help study for a class?”</p>
<p>@money - No. But, as I mentioned before, I can easily see where there might be a misunderstanding so I’m not out to cast any judgement. Buying a practice test would make me wonder if it’s ethically questionable. If I’m wondering, it probably is. But, I can certainly understand why someone wouldn’t question it at all.</p>
<p>OK, if buying a practice test is not ethical, what about buying another text books on the same subject not required by the course and do the problem sets in those books? Is it the buying part that makes it unethical? What if you get the practice test from a library?</p>
<p>The term test bank does not refer to specific tests. It refers to a large group of questions developed by the publisher of a book that can be used by professors to make tests. There are always far more questions than could be answered in a one hour tests and some questions ask the same thing in different ways so a professor would use only one of those questions. The professor will basically cut and paste the questions that they want to use to make their test. Usually, multiple choice, short answer and true false questions are all included in the test bank. After all, there are just so many ways you can ask what molecules make up water.</p>
<p>Yes, some professors just randomly take 50 questions and use those to make a test. Most do not. They pick the questions that they find most appropriate or most important to their class and their lecture. They will then frequently “tweak” these questions or add additional questions specific to their lectures. </p>
<p>Test bank questions do serve a purpose other than save the professor time. They tend to highlight the things the average student anywhere should remember from reading this particular text rather than what one particular professor sees when reading the text. This makes the questions more uniform across classes and universities. While the test bank may have 50-75 questions per chapter, depending on how frequently tests are given, a professor will generally use no more than 5-15 of these questions per chapter.</p>
<p>I first thought it was a ■■■■■, because it is OP’s first posting.</p>
<p>Now I am sitting back to read as the story unravels. I know everyone jumps to the opportunity trying to help the op and her twin sister. Clearly, from the statements of OP it looks like the incident has legs to it in favor of OP. However, lets not to forget that we are hearing from one side of the argument. We really don’t know what EXACTLY transpired and why the school react as such. And we have to give the school the benefit of doubt for their decision. All these will come out in the due process and we really should not second guess what the should or should not do without learning the whole story.</p>
<p>I suggest as serveral others also suggested before that the OP should get a lawyer involved ASAP.</p>
<p>I hardly had any tests in college. In law school, we had them for almost every course. And all exams for previous years were available in bound volumes in the library. Not just the ones from my school, either. We had Harvard’s and Yale’s exams as well.</p>
<p>I used old exams ALL THE TIME to prepare for exams. The point is that it was solidly part of establishment law school culture that students had access to all of a teacher’s old exams.</p>
<p>I left it in the Library and I guess a professor or student saw it and handed to the dean. I didn’t know I can’t use them, otherwise I wouldn’t be dumb enough to left them in the library.</p>
<p>Artloverplus-1) Why do we “have to give the school the benefit of doubt for their decision”? Schools do not always act in a fair and just manner.
2)How will “all of these come out in the due process” if the student is not being given due process in the first place? It does not sound like there has been any sort of hearing, and the dean is basically refusing to talk to the student. Punishing the twin seems WAY over the line.</p>
<p>GTalum,</p>
<p>A lot of textbooks sell on-linestudy materials as an extra revenue generating opportunity for the textbook publisher. </p>
<p>I think a good revenue generating opportunity would be to write 3rd party sample exams that go with the textbook (like 3rd party accessories for iPods) and sell them to students. Would it be unethical to puchase a sample exam from a 3rd party? No, it wouldn’t at all.</p>
<p>But it would be unethical and in violation of the academic integrity policy to buy a exam that was intended for professors use only.</p>
<p>So I first got emails from my professors telling me that I have got a “F” grade for all these classes, I went to talk to them, they said they understand my situation, but nothing is in their control because the dean told them to fail me and my sister. So we went and talked to the Dean, the dean just keep saying “I don’t care, you violated our academic integrity policy as you used test bank. Please leave.” I think there is a due processes that come later on, but that has to wait until a official statement comes out. That might take a while too. In the meanwhile, I already failed all my classes and I can’t even retake them. No matter what the final consequences are, my this semester is ruined. </p>
<p>I told them if you think I cheated using these test bank, give me another exam and I will do them and you can compare the score. They wouldn’t let me do that either.</p>
<p>I think the school is trying to use us to set up a example for people in the future to see how severe the consequences can be for using these test bank.</p>
<p>All I can say is - what a mess! I’d talk to an attorney today.</p>
<p>While attorneys are expensive, the loss of tuition and fees x 2 will be much more expensive.</p>
<p>I’d recommend finding a bilingual attorney so you can speak in your native language…it always help convey complicated stories.</p>
<p>If what you are telling us is accurate, please try to fight this. There is no reason that the actions of one person should cause two students to fail.</p>
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<p>In the age of massive search engine that can find anything and anywhere official or personal data on the net, how does one really know when coming across a document, whether it is intended for professors only.</p>
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<p>It’d be wise for the publishers to write “instructor use only” at the top of every page in the document.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you really don’t know.</p>
<p>Or write their own exams, so it becomes a non-issue.</p>
<p>momcat2</p>
<p>I assume that you already know the whole truth, nothing but the truth by the story given here from OP’s point of view. If so, you can be the judge for the case. There is no need of appeal, the school should be give in by your words…</p>
<p>To anyone, is it normal to fail ALL the classes when someone is accused of cheating? What if the person is exonerated later on?</p>