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High tech medical exam cheats busted

Skim

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Skim Newbie

Skim

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/05/31/bc-high-tech-mcat-scam.html

 

"Two B.C. men are facing criminal charges for allegedly attempting a high tech scam to cheat on a medical school entrance exam using secret cameras, wireless transmitters and three suspicious tutors.

 

According to documents filed in provincial court in Richmond, B.C., Josiah Miguel Ruben and Houman Rezazadeh-Azar are each facing six charges including theft, unauthorized use of a computer, using a device to obtain unauthorized service and theft of data.

 

Police allege that on January 29 Rezazadeh-Azar sat down in a room at the University of Victoria to write the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, run by the Association of Medical Colleges.

 

Police allege he used a pinhole camera and wireless technology to transmit images of the questions on a computer screen back to his co-conspirator, Ruben, at the University of British Columbia.

 

Investigators believe Ruben then tricked three other students, who thought they were taking a multiple choice test for a job to be an MCAT tutor, into answering the questions.

 

The answers were then transmitted back by phone to Rezazadeh-Azar, as he continued on with the test in Victoria, police allege.

 

Tutors became suspicious

 

However, the would-be tutors became suspicious by the poor quality of the images of the test questions, and the fact that they were allowed to discuss the question together before giving Ruben their answers.

 

When Ruben left the room to transmit some of the answers, the would-be tutors checked online and determined the MCAT exam was being held that day in locations around the world.

 

They also found evidence on the computer's hard drives that the owner had been looking into pin-hole cameras and wireless networks.

 

So the three students called campus security and began submitting wrong answers to the scammers while they waited for the officers to arrive and arrest Ruben.

 

The documents said phone records also showed Rezazadeh-Azar was on an open phone line with Ruben during the exam.

 

Fraud cost testers more than $200,000

 

Teddi Fishman, the director of the International Centre for Academic Integrity in the Unites States, says most cases of cheating harm the testing organization and other students who are writing the test.

 

"This is unusual. This is just above and beyond what usually happens," said Fishman. "What's unusual here is that they actually conned the people who are going to be supplying the answers."

 

The organization which administers the Medical College Admissions Test told police the incident cost them more than $200,000 because the compromised test had to be discontinued and replaced.

 

Neither of the accuesed men offered any comment when contacted by CBC News."

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Mourning Cloak Newbie

Mourning Cloak

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However, the would-be tutors became suspicious by the poor quality of the images of the test questions, and the fact that they were allowed to discuss the question together before giving Ruben their answers.

 

When Ruben left the room to transmit some of the answers, the would-be tutors checked online and determined the MCAT exam was being held that day in locations around the world.

 

They also found evidence on the computer's hard drives that the owner had been looking into pin-hole cameras and wireless networks.

 

So the three students called campus security and began submitting wrong answers to the scammers while they waited for the officers to arrive and arrest Ruben.

 

Smart guys! (I'd give them points for that if they put it in their med school admission letter)

 

From now on the mcat will be done naked![/QUOte]

 

LOL!

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LeX- Newbie

LeX-

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I guess this means there will be another 'practice mcat' available to all from the aamc sometime in the next year or so...

 

Amazing what lengths people will go to try and beat the system.

 

Haha, was thinking the same thing!

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rmorelan Community Regular

rmorelan

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So... do you think he'll take it again? :rolleyes:

 

hehehehe what is the point - bottom line is these guys are black listed at every medical school they could logically apply to. Why would the mcat people even ever let them write the test again. They very likely just torpedoed their entire medical school chances. Not to mention potentially added jail time to the mix.

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charmer08 Newbie

charmer08

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hehehehe what is the point - bottom line is these guys are black listed at every medical school they could logically apply to. Why would the mcat people even ever let them write the test again. They very likely just torpedoed their entire medical school chances. Not to mention potentially added jail time to the mix.

 

they can always go to the Carribean :P

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Leon Newbie

Leon

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The organization which administers the Medical College Admissions Test told police the incident cost them more than $200,000 because the compromised test had to be discontinued and replaced.

 

What does that mean? That the exam cost $200K to make, or that the exam on that day was cancelled and everyone had to rewrite? O.o

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Mashmetoo Newbie

Mashmetoo

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What does that mean? That the exam cost $200K to make, or that the exam on that day was cancelled and everyone had to rewrite? O.o

 

 

For the non cheats who took the test, the score counts, but that particular test can no longer be used ever again since parts of it are floating around out there. To remake a MCAT test costs them 200k.

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Mashmetoo Newbie

Mashmetoo

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Lol.... its not even worth the effort they went through to cheat >_> it would have probably involved less work to just study for it.

 

I LOLd... You'd think that with the effort they put into conning people, and setting up that system.. the energy would be better used to simply study for it..

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lostintime Newbie

lostintime

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not that i would know but 200 grand seems to be a pretty steep cost if you look at per question cost..almost around $1400 per question :eek:

granted though, mcat has a VR section which probably contributes to greater cost

 

Yea but think about how much they charge each pre-med to write that test.

 

Maybe they'll get hired in some sleazy tech company who makes pirates DVD's or something lol.

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rmorelan Community Regular

rmorelan

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What does that mean? That the exam cost $200K to make, or that the exam on that day was cancelled and everyone had to rewrite? O.o

 

I thought it meant they may reuse the questions on other exams - there is some magical huge pool of questions that things are pulled from an - now those questions (which are validated etc) can no longer be used as for all the AAMC knows those questions have been beamed all over the place. Now they have recreate hundreds of questions (ie a complete test). What is there - around 200 questions give or take? 200k sounds steep but I would not be surprised that AAMC has some pretty strict rules involved in adding a question etc. If any doctor is reviewing anything well that isn't cheap :)

 

Just a guess though!

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