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Taking tests should be easy and simple. We shouldn't worry about taking tests, but most of us do. It's called "test anxiety" (see this link also) or "test phobia." The medical term for this is "Social Anxiety Disorder" (SAD). I like using the three letters SAD to represent this, because it is sad when test anxiety keeps us from doing our best. Rose Oliver calls us a "test-addicted society." In "Overcoming Test Anxiety," she argues that

1. Test anxiety is evoked and maintained by irrational beliefs and irrational demands.

2. The perceived threat of harm stems from the anticipated inability to satisfy these irrational demands, and the catastrophizing of the consequences.

3. The catastrophic consequence is primarily to one's feeling of self-worth, which is irrationally equated with the test outcome.

4. Irrational beliefs, irrational demands and catastrophic predictions are over-learned responses (habits) which are rehearsed before and during a test.

5. Blocking on a test is an avoidance mechanism which is momentarily anxiety-reducing, but serves to maintain both the anxiety and the irrational belief system.

6. Since irrational, self-defeating beliefs are learned habits, they can be unlearned.

7. New, self-enhancing beliefs and behaviors can be learned.

In summary, we are afraid when we take tests because if we fail, we appear stupid. We are afraid of being ridiculed or laughed at. We are afraid that parents or friends will think less of us. We are afraid because we may not be prepared. When our fears overcome us, we become anxious and we can't think clearly. Taking the test becomes an intense emotional experience with negative consequences when our fears turn into reality. We fail. We get a bad grade. Our parents and friends laugh at us. The next time we take a test our fear is even greater.

Taking a test shouldn't be hard. Nearly always, we take tests for positive purposes. It's important to find out how much we know. If we are really interested in learning, we should test ourselves all the time. But when we stress out some of us resort to cheating.

Cheating on tests increases our fear, because we might get caught. After looking at a lot of data, I have concluded that students who cheat generally do not do well on exams. Besides the fear of getting caught, there are a few reasons why cheaters struggle. First, cheaters don't usually prepare well, so they're not ready to take the test. Second, cheaters often have negative feelings about themselves and that's why they need to "cheat to succeed." Third, they often cheat with their friends who are struggling the same way.

We break the cycle of cheating and test phobia by confronting our fears and resolving to be academically honest. When we are prepared we will not fear. As one student told me, "Academic honesty means that I truly want to learn. If I cheat, I cheat myself out of learning." Test taking should be simple. It should be as simple as learning your ABC's. I have given you some simple suggestions below to overcome this. I hope that SAD will not overpower you the next time you take a test.

ABC's for taking a test

If you enjoyed the above article, I have written other thoughts on ethical test taking that you might be interested in:

A discussion of stealing test questions and its potential consequences: What's the big deal with sharing a few test questions?

A fable in two parts concerning Santa's elves and cheating: The Discontent of Santa's Lazy Elf and Trouble in Section K

Thoughts about what cheating is and what the rules are for taking a test: The rules for taking a test

I have put the above ABC's into a PDF file that you can download here.

Posted in ethical test taking, test anxiety | 1 Comment »

Trouble in Section K

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

Elf mistress Heloise entered Elvin's office (Head of Section K) quickly. "For the eighth week in a row, the reject rate from Section K is three times the rate from the previous twelve months," she said, handing the weekly quality report to Elvin. She continued, "I was so impressed when your section scored higher on the elf proficiency exam than any other section in the Mechanical Doll Department nine weeks ago that I awarded your elves with assemblage of gears and levers, but this is unacceptable." Heloise crossed her arms and waited for a reply.

Elvin wrinkled his brow and frowned ruefully. This was unwelcome, but not unexpected, news. He picked up a thick folder and opened it. He leafed through one report after another and muttered, "We have eliminated transportation, storage, tools, assembly, parts, fatigue, and sabotage as explanations. There's only one conclusion. At least one, and maybe several, of the elves in Section K is incompetent. But how can that be? Is the proficiency exam flawed?"

"Let's find out," replied Heloise. And together, they visited the proficiency exam designer. After explaining the problem, the proficiency exam designer shook her head and said, "You need to see the data forensics analyst." The data forensics analyst listened with deep concentration, scanned page after page of test results, whistled softly, and finally exclaimed, "It looks like elves in Section K have cheated on the elf proficiency exam. Now, how to prove it?" he said mysteriously, and then immersed himself in complex symbols and calculations. Heloise and Elvin excused themselves, but the data forensics analyst didn't even turn his head as they left. Much later, the proficiency exam designer listened intently while the data forensics analyst described his plan for catching the cheaters in Section K.

Three weeks later, the schedule for the quarterly elf proficiency exam was posted throughout the Mechanical Doll Department. On the day of the test, elf examiners throughout Santa's workshop reported to a different department than usual to conduct the examination. For example, elf examiners from Remote-Controlled Toys reported to the Games and Puzzles Department. It so happened that an elf examiner from each of the other departments reported to the Mechanical Doll Department. Some administered the elf proficiency exam, and others just watched and waited. All test responses were recorded meticulously. After a long and grueling day, all the elves had been tested.

The data forensics analyst worked all night, making calculations and graphs and charts. At the break of day, Heloise and Elvin knocked at his door. "Enter!" they heard. They stepped into a bizarre scene: scraps of paper were strewn about, charts with bars and circles were plastered on the walls, and a wizened elf was humming in the midst of chaos. "Done!" he shouted. "Oh, it's you. Well, I have the answer," he said with absent-minded aplomb.

Then noticing their impatient expressions, he said, "Oh, let me explain."

"None of the examiners are involved. I know this because there are no patterns of inconsistent answering associated with the examiners. It was important that no examiner give the test to any elf with whom he or she normally associates.

"There were extremely similar test answers between four elves in Section K. It is almost certain that they did not take the tests independently," The data forensics analyst concluded.

"But, how can that be?" queried Heloise. "They were all watched carefully. There was no way that they could have shared answers or communicated during the test!"

The data forensics analyst minutely explained, "I suspected this might be the case. So, I asked the proficiency exam designer to create two test forms. She very carefully changed a few of the questions between the first and second test forms, so that the correct answers would be close, but not the same. The master test booklet for the first form was locked away in test booklet storage. The proficiency exam designer kept the master test booklet for the second form with her at all times. Even though the elves in the Mechanical Doll Department were given the second form of the test, our four culprits answered all the changed questions with answers from the first form of the test. There is no doubt in my mind. They broke into test booklet storage and memorized the test answers!"

Elvin brought the four suspected cheaters into Heloise's office. Each elf vigorously denied any wrongdoing. At that point, the data forensics analyst dimmed the lights. He splayed an infrared beam across the hands of each suspected cheater. All of their hands glowed eerily with a blotchy red hue. Then, using gloves to handle the master test booklet from storage he shined the beam on the pages. They glowed red. He touched the booklet pages against his bare arm. Shining the bean on his arm, it also glowed with a blotchy red hue. Heloise barked, "You are red-handed! Now stand still while I consider your punishment!"

"Tomorrow," pronounced Heloise. "You will report to the master of the Quality Department for ‘R and R,' where you will begin the repair and refurbishment of all toys in the Rejected Toy Warehouse. You will work there until all the broken toys are operating perfectly and to the satisfaction of the master of quality."

"Elvin," Heloise continued. "Section K can no longer be responsible for assemblage of gears and levers. Your section must repair its damaged reputation from producing so many rejected mechanical dolls. Even though you will not receive replacements for these culprits, your production quota will remain the same."

Elvin wrinkled his brow and frowned ruefully. This was unwelcome, but not unexpected, news. He remembered another time, when he was an impetuous, lazy elf; and when he had cheated. The punishment seemed harsh, but he had learned his lesson and was glad that the cheaters had been apprehended.

Moral: Just as dishonesty betrays the cheater, it injures all who are around him.

Addendum: The cheating detection and prevention techniques described in this story are among best practices. I have described use of the data forensics methodologies in two actual cases we have analyzed at Caveon: The case of the waylaid answer key and The case of the befuddled answer copier.

The State of Mississippi has put together a very nice power-point presentation on test administration auditing and monitoring: www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/osa/DTC_Test_Security_Fall_07.pps

If you are interested in learning more about these or other solutions to test fraud please contact us, at Caveon Test Security.

Posted in Cheating detection, administration procedures, data forensics methods, ethical test taking | No Comments »

The Discontent of Santa's Lazy Elf

Monday, February 4th, 2008

The lazy elf pouted and made a grimace as he sanded wooden toy blocks. As the master elf passed by, he asked, "What's wrong?" "Master, I want to work on mechanical dolls, not wooden blocks," the lazy elf replied. The master elf stroked his beard and nodded his head. As he peered piercingly at the lazy elf he said, "To work on mechanical dolls, you must pass three tests: the Test of Intricate Design, the Test of Gears and Levers, and the Test of Electronic Contraptions." And, then the master elf walked away.

This was awful! How would he pass those three tests? They were some of the most difficult elf tests written.

At this point, the sneaky elf who had overheard everything came up behind the lazy elf and whispered, "I can help you pass those tests. Meet me at the back door late tonight, when the moon is low." The master elf looked over his shoulder knowingly, and went on with his inspections.

That night the sneaky elf and the lazy elf carefully picked the lock of Santa's workshop and went into the master elf's office. After several minutes, they found the test booklets for the three tests. As fortune would have it, the booklets were all in the same folder along with several other newly printed booklets. Excitedly, the lazy elf read, "Test of Intricate Design: The elf will successfully engrave Santa's name on a clock face, with flourishes and a sunburst pattern in 10 minutes. Test of Gears and Levers: The elf will assemble a running electric train locomotive in 10 minutes. Test of Electronic Contraptions: The elf will take a digital photo of Santa's workshop and embed within the photo Santa's digital watermark." As the two elves left Santa's workshop, the sneaky elf smiled, while the lazy elf placed all his coin into the sneaky elf's extended hand. "It was a pleasure doing business with you," hissed the sneaky elf. And then expressing an afterthought he added, "I'm sure that you will remember me with gratitude when you are a master of mechanical dolls."

The lazy elf was sleepy the next day as he sanded wooden blocks. In fact, he was sleepy most days because he was staying up late mastering the tasks of the three tests. Finally after several months, he told the master elf that he was ready to take the three tests. "Oh, really? Then, come with me," said the master elf.

Amazingly, the lazy elf passed all the tests, and the next day he reported as an apprentice to the Mechanical Doll Department. But, it was all wrong. The intricate design for dolls was not the same as engraving clock faces. The gears and levers were not wheels with pulleys and cam shafts. The manipulation of electronics involved radio communications and audio pickups, not digital photos. The other elves in the Mechanical Doll Department began whispering and pointing and then finally laughing as the lazy elf struggled unsuccessfully to assemble even one doll.

Lazy elf assembling a doll

In shame and embarrassment at the close of the day, the lazy elf approached the master. "I cheated on those tests. I can't do this work!" he blurted out.

The master elf replied, "Yes, I know. You are young and foolish. I needed you to learn three lessons: the Lesson of Hard Work, the Lesson of Being Honest, and the Lesson of Trusting your Teacher. Tomorrow, report to work in the Department of Marbles. You will polish marbles for the next six months."

"But, master, polishing marbles is a waste of my ability!" protested the lazy elf.

"Yes, now you begin to see! Which is a greater waste of your ability: polishing marbles or cheating? Don't you see that when you cheat you do not develop the ability that you desire to have?" asked the master elf, ever so gently.

Moral: He who cheats may appear to prosper but eventually his folly is seen by all.

Posted in cheating methods, ethical test taking | No Comments »

When it comes to cheating, is there such a thing as free will?

Thursday, January 31st, 2008

Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota and Jonathan Schooler of the University of British Columbia have created a series of experiments involving cheating on tests as an attempt to associate behavior (specifically cheating behavior) with moral beliefs and free will. In essence, they ask the question, " ‘If people came to believe that their behavior was the inevitable product of a causal chain beyond their control â€" a predetermined fate beyond the reach of free will' how would their behavior change?"

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/media/releases/2008/vohs.cfm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125354.htm

This is a fascinating subject and idea. I have personally felt that an individual's code of ethics is a stronger deterrent against cheating than anything else. Don McCabe from the Center for Academic Integrity has shown through research the positive effect of honor codes (http://www.academicintegrity.org/educational_resources/honor_code_101.php) in maintaining academic integrity. From the Josephson Institute's 2006 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth, we read, "Widespread and deep youth cynicism often reflects itself in a rationalization process that nullifies ethical judgment and condones conduct that is contrary to stated moral convictions. Thus, the same youngsters that speak of the importance of ethics, character and trust, frequently lie, cheat and even steal without much guilt or hesitation." http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/pdf/ReportCard_press-release_2006-1013.pdf

Although eighty-three percent of high school students believe "It's not worth it to lie or cheat because it hurts your character" (please note that 17% feel that lying and cheating do not hurt your character), fifty-nine percent believe "In the real world, successful people do what they have to do to win, even if others consider it cheating." In other words we can visualize these young people saying, "It may hurt me to cheat but I must cheat if I want to be successful." The way the question is worded, definitely affects the response rate. For example, only forty-three percent agree that "A person has to lie or cheat sometimes in order to succeed." Relevant dishonest behaviors from the Josephson study are shown below:

Youth involvement in cheating

On September 19, 2006, The Chronicle of Higher Education stated, "More than half of the graduate business students surveyed recently admitted to cheating at least once during the last academic year." (Survey Finds Widespread Cheating in M.B.A. Programs).

More recently, Caveon's "Cheating In the News" referenced a story where Marianne Jennings of Arizona State University recounted recent and notable ethics lapses.

http://www.caveon.com/citn/?p=415

After thinking about these issues, I have the following personal observations:

* Honor codes and codes of ethics are critical to maintaining an ethical testing environment. Test taker agreements (e.g., non-disclosure agreements) are essential for all testing programs and should contain honesty covenants.

* Not all testing programs are in a position to require a code of ethics, but if you can do it as a part of your association or organization, you should.

* Even without a code of ethics, you should emphasize the importance of ethical test taking. This should be a fundamental message that is always championed.

* If you believe the adage that "the pen is mightier than the sword," then you will direct significant resources towards ethics education, while at the same time making an example of miscreants.

In my opinion, the challenge to educate and inculcate ethics into test-taking behavior must begin with an understanding of cultural influences, moral beliefs, and perceived acceptability of such behavior. For example, our data analyses indicate that "cheating for the common good" on tests may be condoned in some Asian cultures. It seems reasonable to conclude that high-profile role models who have been caught cheating will provide others with an excuse or rationalization to "cheat."

Here are a few other recent articles that are relevant to this topic:

Ethical Conduct continues to Spiral out of control

F for Conduct

Cheaters never win - Unless Penn lets them

Posted in Policy, ethical test taking | No Comments »

What's the big deal with sharing a few test questions?

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

It's easy to understand the pressure that you, the test taker, face when you take a high stakes test. It's also easy to see why you might want to discuss the test with others. As an example, consider one student's request for help on the DAT (Dental Admissions Test), posted on August 16, 2007: "For those who took the DAT, can you guys help me out and post some of the question that you remember from the exam?" After a bit of harassment for making such a blatant request, the would-be cheater finally wrote, "k my bad, …" (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-436557.html)

My advice to you, as you prepare to take your high stakes test, is to shy away from any individuals who want you to share test questions or who try to sell you "remembered questions." Thirteen students from UCLA have been implicated in question stealing and sharing. The American Dental Association has found "their names next to ‘remembered questions.'" "As a result of an investigation last year, the UCLA students face having their passing scores from a 2006 exam session voided and being barred until 2009 from retaking the test, according to documents." The students have filed a lawsuit stating that "they have suffered personal and professional humiliation because of the allegations and that their careers and plans for further specialized study are in jeopardy." http://www.latimes.com/features/health/nutrition/la-me-dental23jan23,1,2797664.story?coll=la-health-nutrition-news

To my knowledge, all high stakes testing programs will require you to agree to a confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement before you take the test. Generally you will agree if you violate your agreement and share the test questions with others that the testing program may exercise certain remedies, such as cancelling your score or even banning you from testing. You may also be required to pay the development costs of the exam or be prosecuted under the Trade Secrets Act. As an example, consider the following excerpt from the ADA (American Dental Association) website.

"Examinees cannot disclose (in whole or in part) any test questions or answers to anyone during or after the test, whether orally, in writing, on Internet chat rooms or blogs, or otherwise. The Dental Admission Test is a secure test, protected by U.S. copyright laws. Any unauthorized disclosure of the test's contents could result in civil liability, criminal penalties, and/or cancellation of test scores." http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_examinee_guide_2008.pdf

In addition to agreeing to keep the test questions confidential, you will likely agree to not use any stolen or shared test content. By way of example, the ADA Examinee Guide states, "You will not give, receive, or obtain any form of unauthorized assistance prior to or during the test or break periods. By way of example, you will not use or share unreleased test content." If you breach this agreement or are found guilty of unethical conduct, the testing program may apply penalties, including the cancellation of your test score which may result in the revocation of your license or your expulsion from your selected educational program. A finding of unethical conduct could follow you for several years. You really do not want that.

If you feel that you need help in preparing to take your test, you are not alone. The ADA reports that 46% of those who take the DAT enroll in some test preparation course. Of those individuals, 92% take the course from a private corporation. This is where you need to be a very, very careful. You do not, under any circumstance, want to be involved with an unethical test preparation course or cram school. Gregg Colton stated, "Preparatory schools that are traditionally not licensed or regulated are for the most part corrupt. The school's sole existence is dedicated to the theft and resale of active examination items. There have been numerous documented incidents of cram schools stealing examination material for almost every occupational or professional licensing exam and certification." (http://www.ipmaac.org/conf/98/colton.pdf) Let me emphasize this point: If the cram school is raided and your name is found, your standing may be in jeopardy.

Here are some warning signs that you are enrolled in a cram school (Adapted from Gregg Colton's article, previously cited.). The course may:

1. Emphasize "acing the test" rather than refreshing the subject matter which you should have already mastered.

2. Emphasize the resemblance of their practice questions to the actual test questions.

3. Solicit you to share examination items with course instructors.

4. Start class by asking if anyone in the room is affiliated with the District Attorney's office, Law Enforcement or other State official.

5. Focus on memorizing test questions and answers and not provide real instruction.

6. Prohibit you from

1. taking notes,

2. removing materials from the room,

3. bringing briefcases, jackets, purses and other such items into the "classroom"

7. Recruit you to work for them by taking tests and remembering test questions.

8. Teach you how to smuggle "study aids" into the testing event.

Lastly, you may feel that it is alright to purchase test preparation materials from the Internet. In addition to the reasons that I cited above, you should be very selective if you do this because, contrary to their claims, many of these websites do not offer any substantive help. They are just operated by scammers who prey upon the desperate. You might be tempted to purchase "remembered questions" from somebody on eBay or through e-mail. Don't do that. You risk losing your money for nothing of value, or you risk being caught in unethical conduct. Testing programs are getting wise to the fact that high-quality braindumps are available and they will take countermeasures (At least they will, if they follow my advice) which will allow them to detect you.

As an example that countermeasures are being implemented, I quote from http://testbusters.net/ "Microsoft® and CompTIA® have gotten real smart to the brain dump scene, and use it to their advantage to make more money from those of us that use brain dumps. They know we are not memorizing the complete question and answer, thus they use those questions and just change a few words here and there, and ‘Bingo', a fail, and thus we line their pockets! Questions are reworded every 30 days in some cases!"

Truly, honesty is the best policy. I wish you luck as you prepare to take your test.

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