Would this be considered cheating?

HealerWoman · Feb 20, 2010

Good grief. YES, it is cheating. I can't believe you even have a question about it.

BTW, I am in the middle of a divorce, I have 3 kids to raise (ages 8 and younger), and I DON'T cheat (and many of the other girls in my class do, and the majority of them don't have any responsibilities outside of school). I have gotten A's in all my classes except for one, in which I got a B. I'm also in an accelerated nursing program. Having a child and a job is not an excuse to cheat. She needs to apply herself, and you need to stop enabling her. Sorry to sound harsh, but I have one week left til I am done w/my LPN, and as of yesterday, there were still people in my class cheating on tests. So the cheating issue is a sore point w/me. (And yes, I and a couple of others in my class have gone to faculty about it, but they don't see it happening, so there's not much they can do).

It's nice of you to want to help someone, but the nature of school is that you should and do have to study to do well. If she can't cut it, then she needs to work harder. If you keep giving her your tests and hw, you are giving her a huge edge against others who are working their butts off, possibly, but not doing as well b/c they aren't cheating.

mom35 · Feb 20, 2010

I would feel so akward with this situation. On one hand, you dont want her angry at you, but on the other hand you earned your grades and everyone should earn their own grade. That way she will actual learn the material. I feel bad for you in this situation, because you will have to let her know that you cannot give her answers to the tests. Good luck to you:):redpinkhe:)

computer101 · Feb 20, 2010

At my university, profs often have previous years' exams on reserve at the library for people to go over when studying. These profs have a huge bank of questions and you will typically only see a few repeat questions, but it gives you a good idea of the kind of questions they ask, and what material to focus on. In a case like that I would have no trouble sharing a test or exam with someone a year behind me. Other profs don't allow us to keep our exams for the very reason that they don't want them shared with future students.
I kind of feel like if they are allowing you to keep tests/exams, they should be smart enough to switch up the questions. They have to expect that things like that will be shared, and I don't see that as cheating at all.
That said, if you feel uncomfortable at all, tell your friend you can't find that second exam

I never even thought about that! I honestly think he is a lazy professor and he's too lazy to change the questions...

destiny5 · Feb 21, 2010

If the professor gave you the tests back with no "disclaimer" then I think its ok to share. I'm sure he mixes up the questions and adds other questions during the subsequent exams. As I am sure he knows people share information. Im confused though. You wanted 2 help her at first but when she aced the test you suddenly didn't feel so good about your decision. Did you really think she wouldn't ask for the rest of your tests and homework? Are you assuming that she only used your exams to study or did she tell you that? I think it would be less of a dilemma if she hadn't done so well. In the end you should be honest with yourself and with her. You'll be a better person for it.

dgbruton · Feb 21, 2010

Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the post at the following link: https://allnurses.com/male-nursing-student/expelled-once-previous-441194.html

Rednights · Feb 21, 2010

Because the teacher didn't really change the questions around

Yes it's cheating

allnurses Guide · Feb 21, 2010

Yes. That is cheating/collusion. Completely differently for a student to provide test questions to another student than for a professor to give out sample test questions as a form of review!

If you truly don't know the moral answer to this, then go to the instructor. Tell him/her what you did and that the student is asking for more of the exams. And see if the instructor minds. If not, you are in the clear. If so, you aren't. And if you feel uncomfortable with asking the instructor or are unwilling to, you just answered your own question. If you thought it was okay on any level, you would not mind the instructor knowing.

LovebugLPN · Feb 21, 2010

I do love though how supposed adults try to convince themselves that it is not cheating. These are the same people that are going to be guiding kids on right and wrong. :rolleyes: It shouldn't even be a question of whether it is cheating or not.

caffeineRx · Feb 21, 2010

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newway · Feb 21, 2010

I understand you wanting to help someone out, but yes that is cheating. I am in anatomy right now and we only get our test back for a short review. The instructor counts them and has us write our name on the actual test. I have no problem with this. The thing is I work very hard to get the grade I get, and it is very competitive to get in. this unfair advantage is hurting someone else, who may also have limited time studying, and working very hard to get in. offer to tutor her if you have the time. if that is not good enough. say oh well.

lilag02 · Feb 22, 2010

Yes. That is cheating/collusion. Completely differently for a student to provide test questions to another student than for a professor to give out sample test questions as a form of review!
If you truly don't know the moral answer to this, then go to the instructor. Tell him/her what you did and that the student is asking for more of the exams. And see if the instructor minds. If not, you are in the clear. If so, you aren't. And if you feel uncomfortable with asking the instructor or are unwilling to, you just answered your own question. If you thought it was okay on any level, you would not mind the instructor knowing.

This is what I was going to say. Most of my instructors do not allow us to keep exams for this very reason, and they re-write the tests every semester. However, my sociology instructor allowed us to keep our exams when we were done. After we handed in the scantron, he gave us the key so that we could check/copy the answers then and there. The purpose? To study for the final, which was the same material but different questions. I was shocked at the leniency allowed to us (though I loved not having to wait for my grade!), but this was also the prof that said, "Show up or don't. It's your choice, but it's your grade, too." I have to say, amazingly, most acted like the adults that he treated us as.

It could be that she's like me and learns from quizzing herself/being quizzed repeatedly. I learned (while taking A&P I) as a matter of fact, that the best way for me to study is to quiz/test myself over and over after reviewing the material. If I'm not given a study guide, I make one--in question form. Maybe that's what she did with the test. Unless the tests are identical, she is still having to learn the material. Chances are that if it's the same instructor the tests won't be all that different--like everyone else, instructors probably get in ruts and use some of the same questions again and again.

That said, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it myself. Notes are one thing, tests are another. Again, chances are the instructor makes a new test each time, or he/she wouldn't allow students to keep it, but you have to ask yourself if it's really a chance you want to take. And quite frankly, you may want to go to the instructor about the first one just in case...

hearts895, RN BSN · Feb 22, 2010

I don't know what I think about it. My reason being the teacher gave back the tests. To my mind, if a teacher gives back the test, its pretty much your "property." You can do what you like with it. If he didn't want the test floating around, he would've taken it back. That being said, your friend is definitely using you, which is never nice. And she does need to study for real. You and me are alike in trying to take care of our friends by giving them tests and wanting to tutor them. :) Problem is, sometimes our friends take advantage of us.