Surprise! They do cheat in Korea on unprecedented scale

Parents Forum
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<p>Thank you for sharing the link, Xiggi. This is an important issue for American families and universities. The scale of cheating is huge, and insttitutional, compared to the Long Island imposters. </p>

<p>Until there is enough pressure on the College Board to clean up its methods, rampant cheating will continue by those study services. Only by bringing the news of these scandals to the U.S. public will the CB, and universities, feel compelled to resolve them. </p>

<p>Are you listening CB?? I think I’ll start by forwarding the articles to my senators and congesspersons.</p>

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<p>I agree with Xiggi to some extent. I do agree with the fact that cheating is common in Asia. (As I have heard of the cheating methods in China). However, I mainly agree with ucbalumnus. To say that a culture finds cheating necessary is too harsh. Plus being a Korean myself, I know that cheating is not tolerated under any cirumstances. I believe would be appropriate for Xiggi to delete or change that phrase as this can be the start of another argument.</p>

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<p>How much of a difference is it to spend 3 years studying for the ACT or SAT in cram school 3-4 days a week and outright buying the test answers?</p>

<p>I probably don’t speak for the majority but in my mind, not as much as one may think.</p>

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<p>I think the “cultural” part is not that the students are Asian, but the “do well or die” mentality about education.</p>

<p>This – cheating, but in the form of plagiarism – also happens in higher education and is in some places institutional.</p>

<p>[Another</a> case of misconduct at a private Indian college: Plagiarism at Nagpur College of Engineering | The k2p blog](<a href=“http://ktwop.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2011/10/01/another-case-of-misconduct-at-a-private-indian-college-plagiarism-at-nagpur-college-of-engineering/]Another”>Another case of misconduct at a private Indian college: Plagiarism at Nagpur College of Engineering | The k2p blog) </p>

<p>[Biotechnology</a> Advances retracts 3 papers from India for plagiarism | The k2p blog](<a href=“http://ktwop.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2010/10/05/biotechnology-advances-retracts-3-papers-from-india-for-plagiarism/]Biotechnology”>Biotechnology Advances retracts 3 papers from India for plagiarism | The k2p blog)</p>

<p>Lots more out there on this.</p>

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<p>I think memorizing is common in certain small pockets of college-bound, well-connected students in certain urban and suburban regions in parts of Asia (and, unless you have the answer key in front of you, or a cellphone calling in the answers, you can’t cheat without it.)</p>

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<p>There is cheating everywhere, but where there becomes a particular concern is when there is “systematic” cheating, where one can actually sign on, and usually pay to get on the cheat boat. It’s simialr to the scandals that hit the East German women’s swim team some years ago. Records have shown (yeah, these Germans do love their records) that the national team was on a systematic, deliberate cheating regiment. That is a whole other thing than individual athletes seeking out their own cheating venues.</p>

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<p>xiggi, you were clever to focus on Korea rather than China–avoiding the attention of the shills who bring up accusations of anti-Asian bias whenever anything about China is criticized.</p>

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<p>"How much of a difference is it to spend 3 years studying for the ACT or SAT in cram school 3-4 days a week and outright buying the test answers?</p>

<p>I probably don’t speak for the majority but in my mind, not as much as one may think."</p>

<p>???Can you clarify? I don’t understand. Are you saying cramming for a test for 3 years 3-4 days a week is the same as buying the test answers?</p>

<p>How so? One takes discipline, and investment of time and hard work, and one is CHEATING.</p>

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<p>I find this no different than the people who pay to have their kid’s scholarship and admission essays to IVY’s proofread (aka written) by professionals here in the US. I really wish for once a scholarship committee would acknowledge that some of these essays were not written by the applicant and “retest” their writing skills like having a teacher send in a class paper.</p>

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<p>I agree with oldfort. I find this thread offensive.</p>

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<p>I fail to see how Xiggi posting a news story, linked from another CC thread is offensive.
Here is the situation as I see it:</p>

<p>–U.S. public institutions hold spots for full pay foreign students (mostly due to our woeful funding). Spots that in the past would’ve been held by U.S. residents. Now, if these foreign students are cheating to get here, that means they are cheating U.S. students out of a seat.</p>

<p>ETA: And or a foreign student who worked his/her ass off to actually study.</p>

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<p>Hey all - for those defending OP on the basis of linking to another thread - I think you need to actually go read the other thread. </p>

<p>Xiggi links to a thread in which the OP states that there are rumors of cheating on the January 2013 SAT test. Then, in that thread, Xiggi him/herself links to a 2004 article about cheating. And, in this current thread, he/she states that the thread he linked to was started by a student who was concerned about how cheating would impact “his” score (or other students who “actually studied”). There is no current report on cheating on the SAT (yet) and that is stated by the other OP who admits it is “rumor.” And, the OP of the other thread is NOT a student, but is actually an SAT instructor (go look at his historical record of posts).</p>

<p>Therefore, I can live with those who think this is an inappropriate post which is bashing Asians (in particular Koreans) with no current basis in fact - because that is the case here. </p>

<p>I think the reality is that there is demonstrable cheating in taking various standardized tests everywhere. So, if we want to discuss cheating, then let’s discuss real cheating, how and why it happens and how to prevent it - and not make it about a particular category of cheater.</p>

<p>Edit: I feel confident that if it was reported in 2004 that copies of tests were made available to students in foreign countries in advance, that the College Board would have and likely has taken steps to mitigate this risk. It’s been NINE years. Believe me that the College Board conducts statistical studies of testing data all of the time, and if that was happening, it would show up.</p>

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<p>Yep, thank you KD – I stand corrected. Didn’t realize it was from 2004. I did find a few stories here and there regarding cheating, but mostly small scale.</p>

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<p>‘Institutional drivers of test cheating in Korea’ could make an interesting case study for other students, for example in a government class at Harvard.</p>

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<p>Agreed. No need to point our finger at certain racial or ethnic groups.</p>

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<p>Pointing out that cheating is rampant in a particular nation isn’t pointing a finger at a racial or ethnic group.</p>

<p>It’s possible that some countries do have or tolerate a culture of cheating–just as some of them tolerate bribery in the public sphere. One can discuss whether that is the case as a matter of facts.</p>

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<p>So how did you teach them to memorize, Mini?</p>

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<p>Perhaps mini used the traditional Indian method, as dramatized in Kipling’s book “Kim.”</p>

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<p>While I do not believe it is necessary to point out again to the nature of the “strawman argument” and the danger to read posts without sufficient attention to what is actually written, I prefer to address one erroneous assumption, and the subsequent conclusion that things must have changed since 2004, or simply do not exist because the publicity does not reach our shores. </p>

<p>For the record, I did link to a story of 2004 to show how little has changed in this arena. I have followed those stories mostly through my activity on the SAT forum since 2003. During the last ten years, I have helped countless people find access to LEGITIMATE sources of assistance, including officially released SAT and PSAT tests. I have also been repeteadly approached by plenty of students to obtain unreleased domestic tests. During the same time, I have also criticized the poor decisions of ETS/TCB, and specifically recycle US tests overseas, and thus fuel the frenzy to hire the unsavory characters that are organizing the dissemination of illegally obtained tests. And contrary to what the above poster intimates, the practice is alive and kicking … as we speak. Again, all that one needs to do is to follow the discussions on a Saturday morning when the SAT is offered to understand how it works. </p>

<p>But heck, you do not have to take my word for it. Here is what a rudimentary 30 seconds google search would reveal:</p>

<p>2007
[[Feature</a>] SAT scandal leaves many questions unanswered : National : Home](<a href=“National : News : The Hankyoreh”>[Feature] SAT scandal leaves many questions unanswered : National : News : The Hankyoreh)
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/272582-school-participates-sat-cheating-south-korea.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/272582-school-participates-sat-cheating-south-korea.html&lt;/a&gt;
Suspicions in regards to cheating and the testing center’s integrity stem from two incidents. The first is that in June of last year, the school supplied second and third year students in the overseas study track with advance copies of questions from the very SAT-II chemistry subject test they were slated to take. The second involves the distribution of modified questions from the math SAT II as a “model test” to prepare students for the real thing. As the College Board recycles many of the same test problems during the seven rounds of SATs a year that it administers, it adopts very stringent measures to restrict the distribution of questions other than those that have been officially released.</p>

<p>2007
[Gov’t</a> probes grade manipulation in study abroad programs : National : Home](<a href=“National : News : The Hankyoreh”>Gov't probes grade manipulation in study abroad programs : National : News : The Hankyoreh)
A few foreign language high schools, including Hanyoung Foreign Language High School in Seoul, have reportedly placed higher grades than were actually earned on transcripts sent to U.S. universities. According to the regulations set by the Education Ministry, students’ grades of "C’’ or "B,‘’ were recorded as “A” for students wanting to attend college overseas.
In the process, some students’ parents at Hanyoung have publicly demanded that the school manipulate their children’s records in this manner. It was reported that this practice was rampant in other schools, as well.</p>

<p>2009
[US</a> Looking Into Leakage of SAT Test Papers in Seoul](<a href=“US Looking Into Leakage of SAT Test Papers in Seoul - The Korea Times”>US Looking Into Leakage of SAT Test Papers in Seoul - The Korea Times)
Local media reports alleged that some South Korean applicants for an SAT test held in Seoul on Jan. 24 smuggled out test papers and sent scanned copies by e-mail to their acquaintances in the U.S. who were about to take the same exam a few hours later</p>

<p>2009
[?Hagwon</a>? Blamed for Cancelled SAT](<a href=“‘Hagwon’ Blamed for Cancelled SAT - The Korea Times”>‘Hagwon’ Blamed for Cancelled SAT - The Korea Times)
According to a news report published in the Times, ``At least one student who took the exam Saturday had access to the questions ahead of time.’’ In light of the emphasis on fair competition the ETS sets on SATs, this was indeed a serious security breach. </p>

<p>The pivotal problem of the test was that it recycled almost all questions previously administered in the United States in December 2005. Considering that many SAT hakwons in Korea have access to previously administered SAT Tests and many test-takers attend hakwons, the careless recycling of test questions by the ETS was the bedrock of the security breach.</p>

<p>2009
[Teachers</a> Detained for Selling Cheating Devices](<a href=“China Plus”>China Plus)
Two female high school teachers in northeast’s China Jilin Province have been detained by police for selling cheating devices to students before the country’s annual college entrance exam that was held from June 7 to 9.</p>

<p>2010
[In</a> Alleged Scheme, SAT Was Sent From Thailand via South Korea to Connecticut - The Ticker - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/blogPost/In-Alleged-Scheme-SAT-Sent/20557/]In”>http://chronicle.com/blogPost/In-Alleged-Scheme-SAT-Sent/20557/)
The South Korean police are investigating an alleged SAT-cheating scheme in which a lecturer was said to have e-mailed a copy of the college-entrance examination, with an answer key, to two students in Connecticut whom he had tutored to prepare for the test, according to the Associated Press. The lecturer allegedly got the copy from a Thai student in Bangkok last year, then quickly e-mailed the test to the two students, who were scheduled to sit for the exam within hours. The students, who may have passed the cheat sheet on to 20 other South Korean students in the United States, ended up receiving nearly perfect scores.</p>

<p>[Cheating</a> leads to complete overhaul of graduate exam - Taipei Times](<a href=“http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/03/10/2003351671]Cheating”>Cheating leads to complete overhaul of graduate exam - Taipei Times)
Rampant cheating by tech-savvy students in East Asia, including those from Taiwan, has forced the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the US-based testing organization with an annual budget of nearly US$1 billion, to promulgate a new, “cheat-resistant” version of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) worldwide, testing officials said yesterday.</p>

<p>2012
[Asians</a> cheat like mad on US college apps | GlobalPost](<a href=“http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/thailand/120103/US-college-application-fraud-asia-elite-economy-china]Asians”>Elite Asian students cheat like mad on US college applications | The World from PRX)
The path to US college acceptance, however, increasingly compels students to sacrifice their integrity. For the right price, unscrupulous college prep agencies offer ghostwritten essays in flawless English, fake awards, manipulated transcripts and even whiz kids for hire who’ll pose as the applicant for SAT exams.
“Oh my God, they can do everything for you,” said Nok, 17-year-old Thai senior in her final year at a private Bangkok high school. (She asked GlobalPost to alter her name for this article.) “They can take the SAT for you, no problem. Most students don’t really think it’s wrong.”</p>

<p>PS On a last note, some might be interested in the work of David Callahan or Pope. Check [Pressure</a> for good grades often leads to high stress, cheating, professors say](<a href=“You've requested a page that no longer exists | Stanford News”>You've requested a page that no longer exists | Stanford News) and [The</a> Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead: David Callahan: 9780156030052: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Cheating-Culture-Americans-Doing/dp/0156030055]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Cheating-Culture-Americans-Doing/dp/0156030055) and as the titles indicate, it is not about cheating in Asia. It is about the real issue, namely how quickly our society has cynically accepted that cheating is acceptable, or … that people who speak against it must have ill sentiments.</p>

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<p>Americans also cheat, remember the Long Island scandal a couple years back? But having said that there’s just something extra creepy about a foriegner doing it to a host country.</p>