NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research released today from leading assessment software provider Questionmark, shows that just over two thirds (72%) of US businesses are concerned about their ability to detect cheating during an exam.
The research also found that many organizations are failing to keep pace with cheaters, with almost half (47%) of the companies surveyed saying they relied on employee's honesty, (formal policies requiring honest test taking) as a safeguarding measure.
The temptation to cheat an assessment, particularly in industries with ‘high stakes’, can be overwhelming as tests play an important role in informing the decision-making process - From who to hire or promote to assessing potentially lifesaving skills and meeting compliance regulations.
John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “As we’ve seen this summer with leading professional services firms, there is a worrying trend in the willingness to cheat tests across all sectors. For employers this presents real challenges when it comes to preventing cheating - as the capabilities of those willing to cheat improve, so must the security in place.”
Questionmark, one the world’s leading assessment providers, who have used cutting edge technologies to build a secure assessment platform for the likes of the US Government, commissioned research to gauge perceptions and attitudes towards cheating from some of the biggest companies in the US.
John adds, “While of course organizations should have faith that their employees won’t cheat a test, fraud is a serious issue that faces employers. Relying on honesty culture is not going to cut it when it comes to high stakes exams and leaves organizations dangerously exposed.”
While organizations have concerns around their ability to catch those cheating, many have zero tolerance measures in place. Half of employers in the US would terminate a contract immediately should they suspect cheating.
And of those companies, nearly a fifth (17%) would only need to demonstrate cheating could have taken place should they suspect a fraudulent result before disciplinary action is taken.
Worryingly, from an employee perspective, research found that just under 7 in 10 (68%) organizations would consider the use of wearable tech, such as a smart watch, during in an assessment to be cheating - meaning employees across the US are potentially risking their jobs should they have wearable tech on them in an exam setting.
This research into the perceptions and prevalence of test fraud forms part of Questionmark’s whitepaper report, The Test Fraud Fallacy looking at the true nature of workplace test cheating. The full findings, methodology and insights can be found here.
Notes to Editor
About Questionmark
Questionmark is a leading assessment platform that helps businesses, governments and academic organizations test and prove knowledge. We enable organizations to author, deliver and measure assessments, in the cloud, with all the flexible tools they need from proctoring to translations.
For over 30 years our business has paved the way for more effective testing and certification worldwide. To date, we’ve been trusted by more than 2,500 customers worldwide and deliver more than 18 million assessments a year.
Research
The research was conducted by Opinion Matters, among a sample of 500 (250 based in UK companies and 250 based in US companies) UK and US middle, Senior Managers + (VP, Chief, Head, Director etc.) in Learning, Training and Development roles such as: L&D Manager, VP, head, etc; Learning & Development Manager, VP, head, etc.; Learning Manager; Head or Director of Training; Chief Learning Officer; Training Manager; Head of E-learning; E-learning Manager; Head of Digital Learning; Digital Learning Manager; Exam Officer; Exam Manager; Assessment Manager; Certification Manager; and Qualifications Manager. In companies with 150 + employees. The data was collected between 13th Sep 2022 - 20th September 2022.
Opinion Matters abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct which is based on the ESOMAR principles.