Over 800 people found to be involved in TOEIC cheating scheme
Wang Likun, a 27-year-old Chinese graduate student from Kyoto University, was arrested last month for taking the TOEIC exam while posing as someone else, according to Jiji reports. He was also arrested in May for entering a testing center under a false identity.
He is thought to have posed as a different person to take the exam and achieve a high score for whoever had commissioned him to take the test on their behalf. He also attempted to use a small microphone under a mask to tell other test-takers in the same venue the right answers.
Given the incident, the organization that administers the exams, the Institute for International Business Communications, conducted an investigation on the tests that were taken between May 2023 and June of this year.
So far, the organization found there were 803 test-takers who had submitted home addresses that were the same as or similar to Wang's, which would enable them to take the test at the same venue as him.
For those who were identified, their test scores have been nullified and their accounts for the exam have been suspended.
The organization is continuing to look into whether there are other cases where addresses that are similar to each other have been used when applying for the exam. There are also suspicions that Wang is part of a bigger cheating scheme involving more people.
The exam organization had also implemented new measures since last month to prevent such cheating from occurring, such as test proctors ensuring all examinee's electronic devices are turned off as well as emphasizing the rules of the test and the severe consequences of cheating, such as notifying police.
TOEIC is a widely taken English exam in Japan often required when applying for certain jobs or schools, as well as for some career advancements.
The test is thought to be valuable for examining the test-takers' abilities to understand English in the business world, as well as in regular conversations. The results are evaluated on a numerical scale where 990 is a perfect score.
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