Do Your Tests
Encourage Cheating?

Cheating is easier when you give a short-answer test -- for example, tests with true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or multiple-choice questions. Try instead to give tests that require short essay responses. Yes, essay tests can be more difficult to grade than the others, but it actually takes more work to design for short-answer tests valid and reliable questions that are not guessable.

If you still prefer short-answer tests, create two sets of tests. On one set, type the questions from 1 to 10; on the other set, arrange the questions in the opposite order. Copy one set of questions on white paper, and copy the other set on yellow paper. Pass out the two versions of the test to alternate rows of students; students in the first row get the white version, students in the second row get the yellow test, and so on. Tell the students you have done this so that if they are tempted to cheat, they'll be copying the wrong answers. Another good thing about setting up the test this way, is that you can use one answer key to grade both sets of papers.

Source: Cheating in the Classroom

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09/14/2010