What are some practical ways to minimize cheating during exams?
During an exam, I do three simple things. First, I make everybody sit every other seat. Second, I reserve the front row on one side of the classroom for what I call the “penalty box.” I then tell students that if I see them looking around during the exam, I will move them down to the penalty box so that I don’t have to worry about watching them and they don’t have to worry about me staring at them. And third, I actually proctor the exam by walking around during the test and keeping an eye on students. I think all these techniques are a credible deterrent which is about all you can hope for. I should also say that I’ve never had to move any one down to the penalty box or caught someone cheating. I don’t know whether my techniques are effective or not, but the bottom line is that I have avoided the very unpleasant and time consuming problem of dealing with a student who was caught.
