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The body that runs the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme has pledged to review its time zone arrangements for tests after questions were leaked online before some students took the exam earlier this year between April and May.
But the IB Organisation refused to reveal how many candidates were penalised after it confirmed a small number of students appeared to have engaged in time zone cheating.
IB candidates in Hong Kong called the action taken by the assessment authorities poor, urging the organisation to arrange for students in Asian and European time zones to take different tests to ensure fairness in the future.
More than 190,000 IB candidates sitting the exam in May around the world will receive their results next Saturday.
The organisation said in an email to candidates dated May 3, when the time-zone cheating came to light, and seen by the Post, that it was aware a number of students had shared information about questions immediately after their exams.
Time zone cheating occurs when students who have completed their exams share what they can recall from memory about the questions on social media before students in other time zones take the test.
The organisation said it had identified a number of students who had driven these social posts relating to the leaked paper and was working with their schools to commence formal investigations. It also pledged to review time zone arrangements for subsequent tests.
“The IB is already part way through innovations to minimise the impact of any such behaviour by students, for example imposing formal start times for exams in each country and moving to having three exam zones across the world. We will of course review these after analysis of behaviours we see this year,” it said.
Another email on May 4 sent out by Matt Glanville, director of assessment of IB, said the mathematics analysis and approaches higher level exam was a particular cause of concern. A document, which was downloaded more than 10,000 times, contained suggestions on how to answer the questions and was published hours ahead of when western Europe students sat for the test.
“We are carefully analysing all the comments and questions to identify any unusual approaches, which if repeated in an exam may be an indication that a student has seen or utilised this material,” Glanville said.