Moral Dilemma

[Maus]

Hokay, question time folks. And this is totally not the correct kind of forum to ask this in, but meh.

Some of my classmates (and friends) have gotten hold of exam papers for a class ahead of the actual exam, from which they'll be trying to max out their test scores. Being a good upstanding fellow, I refused a copy when offered one. However, I despise the idea of cheating on a test - if you don't want to learn the course material, don't take the class - and sort of want to be a total grass. Nobody should have an unfair advantage.

Options:

1) Do nothing - it's none of my business what they do.
Pros: Ih, whatever. It's easy to keep one's mouth shut.
Cons: I don't want to be beaten by naughty boys and girls

2) Tip off the teacher, suggesting that he might consider changing the questions on the next test.
Pros: Fairer test
Cons: Chance of the teacher identifying the cheats as the friends I have in that class and likelihood of friends knowing I'm the grass, leading to disciplinary action for them and hatred-garnering for me

3) Anonymously tip off the teacher, and then as (2)
Pros: Fairer test
Cons: Chance of the teacher telling the class that he knows there are naughty people around,yada yada, being identified as the grass.

What to do, what to do?

[Blunt]

option1. do nothing...take the exam and let your teacher figure out for himself that people have cheated....he'll know by the inflated scores your friends will get...

risks. you might do badly* and he might not find out...you'll be behind your friends in class, but above them morally....

you might do really well and look like a cheat...when accused, you'll have to lie or grass your mates..in which case he'll know that you knew and said nothing, or not believe your innocence.

option2. tell him that the exam has been compromised and explain your position re your mates....hope that he sees it from your point and doesn't grass YOU up...

option3.anonimously inform him...you come under suspition from him AND your mates

I suppose it all depends on your relationship with the teacher...if he has the same respect for you that you have for him...then I'd go option 2...

if not,  consider 1 or 3

there is an option 4.... go sick for the exam*

*depending on the importance of the exam...if it's crucial to your course...then option 2

Hmmm...what a dilema

good luck with whatever you decide (can you talk to your parents about it?)

[Doorman]

My very first reaction was: How did they get hold of exam papers?  :eyebrow:

[JonnyAppleSeed]

I would do nothing ..but it depends on how unhappy u are with situation

Obviously you have been told this information by friends in cofidence .......
Depends on how good ya friends are to break that tust


 
The bigger down side...

Any choice you make will be wrong in the eyes of one party or another so go for the one YOU are slightly more comfortable with

Tough one ..best of luck in ya chioce
BTW respect on not having "Cheat like a bas***d as one of the options"

[Benny]

If it's a big exam, contributes to marks etc, grass 'em up and tell the teacher you want to remain anonymous.

I'd imagine that if he can change the exam and the fact you call him a teacher suggests it ain't that big an exam......roll with it.

IMHO.

CHeaters never prosper....well, they do.....but in this case that would sound bad.

[delanvital]

Ignore them and do the exams your way IMHO

[suicidal_monkey]

if they are exams that might affect your future (i.e. gcse, a levels, university end-of-year) then you want to be either sure you can do well enough without cheating to not worry that other people will get pumped up results, or you can cheat too (this disadvantages the rest of the class) or try the anonymous option (I'd never "grass" un-anonymously)

Perhaps drop an anon. note along these lines:
The exam paper has leaked, I request you announce that the paper has been changed, but to protect my identity may I request that you please say the reason for this change was something like the master copy being damaged or lost, or because you've realised the questions needed to be reworked to include some new infor, etc, etc...

If these are just run of the mill exams and doing badly (relatively) due to cheating won't affect you in any particular way then I suggest leaving it alone and making the point of beating your friends without cheating

[Maus]

Oh, I'll beat them either way

[big-paddy]

Originally posted by Maus@Nov 8 2005, 03:17 PM
Oh, I'll beat them either way

[post=101061]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Interesting problem.

If your teacher is worth respect then tipping them off need not result in anyone becoming aware. The paper can be changed without notice. Cheats learn wrong answers, workers revise properly. Cheats fail - and probably identify themselves by doing so - hard workers get results appropriate to the work they put in. No one knows why questions got changed - source of false paper hung drawn and quartered - no more confidence in cheating.

Worth a try?

[FBG]

to be honest i doubt the truth of the exam paper being the actual exam. Its not like these are left on a teachers desk. I'd just revise as normal and see how it goes.

[Doorman]

Originally posted by FBG@Nov 9 2005, 11:29 AM
to be honest i doubt the truth of the exam paper being the actual exam. Its not like these are left on a teachers desk. I'd just revise as normal and see how it goes.

[post=101145]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

Now I like that thought.  :devil:  So cheaters will be absolutely bolloxed come exam time!