<p>A really close friend of mine was finished with his reading section just one minute early, and looked at the next page of his science test. He scribbled on the first three questions but did not answer anything on the answer sheet. The proctor came and snatched his test and yelled at him, then she ran out and gave the test to the supervisor. He ran out of the room too, in shock. As soon as he ran out, everyone else began the Science section. While he was out, the supervisor told him that he could continue the test but that they would have to fill out an "irregularity report". After 10 minutes, they sent him back to the class to complete the Science portion. He looked panicky and fidgety. He had a lot less time than everyone else did, and he seemed to look more like he was having a panick attack than actually concentrating on the questions. He told me later that he may have bombed the science portion. After he calmed his nerves and wrote the essay (he said he wrote an amazing essay), they asked him to stay longer and they wrote an irregularity report explaining the situation, and how he had lost time in the outside discussion and that they still allowed him to finish the test. I stayed with him at the end and the supervisor said that the ACT would most likely let this slide, but they could also void the test too. What do you think will happen? Do you think voiding the test is fair? I think it was penalty enough for him having not only less time on the science, but also having to finish the test with an accelerated pulse rate and trauma. He has taken the ACT previously. The supervisor said whatever happens on this test will not effect any of his future ACT scores or his past ACT scores.
Do you think ACT will void his test?</p>
<p>It sounds like the proctors need some training dealing with these situations - I don't think she should have yelled at him. She should have quietly told him what she was going to do and what she wanted him to do, and she or the supervisor should have known how to handle the situation. I think your friend was not thinking when he started the next section early - really a bad idea. If his test is voided, that seems fair to me. Also fair is that it shouldn't affect past/future tests. It sounds like khe was not paying attention to what he was doing.</p>
<p>why would you ever call that fair? do you have a heart? do you realize that over 50% of ACT test takers cheat in some way? Do you think ACT will void his exam? (Not whether or not you think it's fair if they do, but if you really think they would.) I think it's bogus to void it after they allowed him to finish the exam. Even if they do void it, do you think they would give him the grade he WOULD have gotten, just for sake of curiosity? Does this poor child deserve to be tortured like this? Hasn't he already suffered enough? If anything, isn't it the proctor who should be at fault for not handling the situation properly? I was in the room, and she failed to read the instructions properly, stumbling on each word. I don't think english is her first language. The supervisor told him that even if she didn't read properly, it was his duty to read the instructions on the page himself. With all do respect, do you think he had any time to read anything beyond the passages and the questions form the reading section? He had to read 4 passages and answer 40 questions in under 30 minutes...not an easy task to accmplish on its own. They did not provide us with enough time to read anything else, so the instructions given by the proctor are very important, and highly necessary to be read clearly. I think they should give him a red flag warning, that if he ever does it again they can void it, along with his future tests, but not void this test he spent 4 and a half hours taking. There's only so much the young guy can take. Why would they want to see him suffer like that? Now, with all this said, do you still think it would be fair to void his test, or do you agree with me in that it should be red flagged as a final warning? I mean it would probably be justified if he had an answer key with him, or if he obviously glanced at someone else's test. But all he did was look ahead for 30 seconds. And he got 10 minutes off outside during the discussion. I don't think the punishment of voiding his test would fit the "crime".</p>
<p>"do you realize that over 50% of ACT test takers cheat in some way?"</p>
<p>Ok...never post again. Please.</p>
<p>"why would you ever call that fair? do you have a heart? "</p>
<p>...ok you psychotic person. You asked a question and eg1 offered his/her opinion; if you don't like the answer, then don't ask the question. I'm getting the feeling that this isn't "your friend" who cheated, but a certain someone who has one too many sixes in their screen name. If you want to convince yourself of your own self-righteousness, go buy a diary or get a dog and stop posting on CC.</p>
<p>^^LMAO. Seriously, "he" cheated and was caught. "He" should be punished, if not for the act itself, but for being stupid enough to get caught. If you're going to cheat, at least know what you're doing.</p>
<p>yeah, im pretty sure not going ahead was in bold letters with a giant STOP sign at the end of the page. even 1st graders know not to go on. So if you go on, its only fair that they throw out your test.</p>
<p>Umm, most of us have taken standardized tests since what 3rd grade. Instructions ALWAYS are DO NOT OPEN till instructed to, or turn ahead pages. Every study guide first suggestion is be familiar with the instructions so you don't have to waste time reading them the day of the exam. </p>
<p>My proctor didn't speak English well either, two kids started fighting in the classroom, hey not ideal testing conditions, but what recourse do the other kids in the class have their tests were interuppted by the yelling.</p>
<p>Life aint fair. </p>
<p>If 50% cheat, well then Im in the other 50%. Those 50% that do, well it will eventually catch up, sometime.</p>
<p>...Go jump off a cliff. Seriously. "your friend" broke the rules. If they don't punish "him", they're telling everyone else that it's okay to cheat.</p>
<p>By the way.</p>
<p>60% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Or maybe it's 56...</p>
<p>you guys aren't funny. why don't you try helping someone out rather than criticising them? You guys never made a mistake in your life? Do you have to make rude comments like that? Very mature. As for the 50% thing, I read an article about it, and you'd be surprised by what they call cheating. Did you know having a water bottle present on your desk is cheating? Because many proctors are just there for the money, they don't really care to do anything about it...
Anyway my point is that my friend ben has done so much favors for a lot of people, he's caring and sincere towards everybody. it just crushes me to have to see his test get voided. He doesn't deserve this. For those of you who think he does please don't post youre rude comments. I want to here from an optimistic person who has actually experienced something like this, rather than your crude and childish suggestions that you make up without knowing anything about it.</p>
<p>"You guys never made a mistake in your life?"
- Yes, I did make a few mistakes in my life. First, by actually reading your posts. Second, by bothering replying to such a dumb post.</p>
<p>"you know having a water bottle present on your desk is cheating?"
- And did you know that people have cheated by posting notes behind the paper logo that rapped around the bottle?</p>
<p>" Because many proctors are just there for the money, they don't really care to do anything about it..."
- So...what? I'd proctored for the money, that fifty-buck was the easiest I had earned. That doesn't mean I'll let you cheat in during my protorship.</p>
<p>"Anyway my point is that my friend ben has done so much favors for a lot of people"
- And this is relevant to him being caught cheating because? I'm sure your friend is a nice guy in his heart and his actions are very altruistic, but he broke a rule and has to suffer the consequence, which probably means he has to redo the test...BIG FREAKING DEAL. </p>
<p>Here is an optimistic suggestion for him:
Move on. The test is over with. Take it again. In the larger scheme of thing, one "irregularity" doesn't mean he has been rejected from colleges. Finally, stop crying us a river. If he is afraid of the word "irregularity" now, wait until he applies for health insurance.</p>
<p>P.S.
If you are looking for optimistic cheer-up for someone who cheated from battle-hardened high school students whose sole purposes to be on this forum are to gain an edge and check out the competitor, then quit this forum. Better quit the internet altogether.</p>
<p>This is ridiculous. If your friend cheated, his test should be voided, end of story. His proctor violated the rules by giving your friend the chance to finish the science section. Your friend should have been kicked out of the room immediately after he was caught working on a section at an improper time.</p>
<p>Want to be optimistic? Great! Keep it off the forums.</p>
<p>If he gets it voided, he deserves it. /thread</p>
<p>I am thinking that it was you that did it. You suck for cheating. Cheating is for losers.</p>
<p>And why bring this sob story to a forum when you probably knew all you were going to get were replies like this? No one cares. You/Your friend should have been thrown out, not given a second chance. Stop complaining.</p>
<p>Even IF 50% do cheat, there's a whole other 50% that manage to take the test honestly. That 50% deserves a fair testing.</p>
<p>Like I said earlier, if they don't punish everyone who cheats (or at least everyone who gets caught), they might as well post a big sign in each room that says "please feel free to cheat". </p>
<p>Like others have said, there are humongous "STOP" signs. We've all been taking standardized tests since 3rd grades. It doesn't matter how great of a person he is, he still broke the rules. The proctor was doing his/her job.</p>
<p>What did you think was going to happen when you posted the question, </p>
<p>"What's the worst case scenario for CHEATING on the ACT EXAM?"</p>
<p>Cheating, ACT Exam and your special brand of leniency don't go together - especially on CC.</p>
<p>
[quote]
you know having a water bottle present on your desk is cheating?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, it's breaking the rules.
It's only cheating if there are answers/formulas/whatever on the bottle or wrapper.</p>
<p>Regardless of it being "cheating" or "against the rules", if they specifically say "don't have a waterbottle on the desk" it is unacceptable and perfectly fair to void the test for having a water bottle on your desk.</p>
<p>"Your friend" deserves his test to be voided. If it's not, the ACT really needs to work out some issues it clearly has.
"His" personal character means nothing if he cheated on the ACT. Big deal that he lost time. Take it again.</p>
<p>As for your 50% comment, it sounds like a load of bull. Back yourself up before you say something that ridiculous.</p>
<p>^^
Ehh, I'm not sure it's that ridiculous. Seriously, cheating can mean a lot of things. Like putting formula in your calculator, or looking back after a section. I think people here are being too hard on him/his friend. Hopefully his test is not voided, but if it is, just sign up for the ACT again. It's simple. You're actually lucky, on the SAT, you get like a note on your score report that says you cheated that screws you up on all your SATs/SAT II's. This happened to a bully in the year ahead of me, I can't say that I wasn't laughing. Also, if you're going to cheat, for your sake, don't get caught.</p>
<p>Yea you guys are really blowing this out of proportion, he filled in what? Three questions? regardless, this lady definitely handled it very unprofessionally, and moreover, it really wasn't that serious. I would've walked by gave him a quick reminder and kept it moving. It's not like he continued going on after he realized he made the mistake.</p>
<p>^But if you're going to take that approach, where do you draw the line? 5 answers? 10? Or hell, just let them keep going through the whole section?</p>
<p>Cheating=bad. Period.</p>