Many students are uncertain about the rules that apply during exams and are unaware that this can have significant consequences for the individual student.
The following actions are considered cheating:
Having unauthorized aids available during exams
Presenting work done by others as your own
Quoting or otherwise using sources in written work without sufficient references
Quoting or otherwise using your own previous exam papers without sufficient references
Gaining access to exams by cheating on tests or similar conditions required for taking the exam, or by unlawfully obtaining approval for participation in compulsory teaching or other mandatory activities
Unauthorized collaboration between exam candidates or groups
Acting in violation of these regulations or guidelines for each exam
Writing robots like ChatGPT will be considered a legal aid in exams where all aids are allowed. However, if you submit text, calculations, etc. that are directly copied from a writing robot without referencing the source, it will be considered presenting someone else's work as your own, and therefore cheating.
What happens if you are caught cheating?
UiA takes cheating very seriously. If you are caught cheating, it may result in:
Invalidating the exam
Being suspended from the university for up to two semesters
Losing the right to take exams at all Norwegian universities and colleges during the suspension period.
Processing of cheating cases
It is the appeals committee at the university that deals with cheating cases. Normally, the appeals committee has decided to invalidate the exam/test and suspend the student for one semester in cases where gross negligence is involved. In cases of intentional cheating, the appeals committee has normally decided to invalidate the exam/test and suspend the student for two semesters.
Plagiarism is the direct copy or slight rewording of other people's texts (literature, articles or the internet in written home exams or mandatory assignments) without marking the whole or parts of the text as a quote (quotation marks) and with source references (footnotes or parentheses in text). In exam papers, you should write in your own words. Direct use of other texts should therefore be marked as a quote and with source references. Slight rewordings of other texts can also be considered cheating. For slight rewordings, you should mark this by indicating parts of the text as a quote, and by using footnotes or parentheses references. In addition, you can directly indicate the source in your running text.
What is illegal collaboration?
If you submit your own answer to a fellow student to assist in their answer, this will be considered complicity in cheating and can result in suspension for up to two semesters.
It is allowed to discuss and collaborate in exam preparations. But when you are given an individual exam, you are alone and must do everything yourself. Collaboration during the exam is considered cheating. If you are unsure about what applies to your exam, contact the course coordinator.
What are illegal aids?
As a student, you have a responsibility to familiarize yourself with which aids are permitted during the exam, and that the use of illegal aids can result in suspension. Remember to read the exam information carefully, and if you are still unsure, contact your teacher.