So far away: threshold copying distances for multiple-choice answers in different exam room settings

Paper-based multiple-choice exams are commonly used to assess students. Answer sheets for these exams have a configuration which affords a potential opportunity for cheating.

A proportion of students report cheating on assessments. This research assessed maximum distances at which multiple-choice answer sheets could be copied in different rooms and for different viewing conditions.

Participants were 10 healthy observers. Stimuli were generated on a University standard multiple-choice answer template with 40 answer responses recorded for each sheet. Responses were recorded at a range of test distances. Method of constant stimuli and probit analysis was used to estimate the threshold copying distance at which 62.5% of responses were correctly identified. With the copied sheets flat on a desk, testing took place in a tiered lecture theatre, a flat exam room, and with the exam positioned at different angles of regard: straight-ahead, at 45 degrees to straight ahead (oblique), and sideways.

Threshold distances were greater in the tiered lecture theatre than the flat exam room and were greater in the straight-ahead position than the oblique position, in turn greater than the sideways viewing position. In the straight-ahead position in the tiered lecture theatre, exam answer sheets could be copied from 7.12 m; and in a flat room, from 3.34 m. For the sideways viewing condition threshold copying distances were 2.58 m (tiered lecture), and 2.36 m (flat room).

Multiple-choice answer sheets can be copied from relatively large distances, a potential opportunity for academic dishonesty. Tiered lecture rooms should not be used as venues for multiple-choice exams. Multiple-choice answer sheets can be redesigned to reduce the risk of copying. These results will be of practical and theoretical interest to educators, administrators and students.