Prometric Survey Finds That Cheating in the Testing Industry is Lower than People Perceive
Respondents are more than twice as likely to view actual cheating as a serious problem for the rest of the industry than for their own program
BALTIMORE, MD., February 16, 2010 – A clear gap exists between the public perceptions surrounding cheating in the testing and assessment industry and the reality, according to a survey recently conducted by Prometric, the leading global provider of technology-enabled testing and assessment services. The survey was designed to gauge perceptions about the prevalence of cheating across the professional testing industry, the reality of cheating as it exists in actual test programs, its real and perceived impact on the industry and the tactics and strategies employed by test sponsors to enhance the security of their testing programs.
When the data from this survey was viewed as a whole, the largest and most obvious conclusion was that respondents tend to perceive cheating as more prevalent than it actually is. The data illustrated that the actual occurrence of cheating incidents across testing programs is very low, yet awareness of the threat and action being taken to counteract it is very high. Other conclusions drawn from the data were:
• Almost all respondents (97%) agree that implementing and enforcing security measures of any kind helps maintain the value of a testing program. The differences arose when asked about perceptions surrounding various types of security measures.
• Respondents overwhelmingly believe that their testing program is far more secure than the overall testing industry. Overall, respondents are more than twice as likely to view actual cheating as a serious problem (high) for the rest of the industry than for their own program. While perceptions of overall risk are based on industry 'buzz' the respondents' views of their own program's risks are more informed and easily quantified, and this appears to account for the gap between the two numbers.
• There is a direct correlation between the existence of security measures in a testing program and the level of confidence surrounding the security and safety of that testing program.
• As such, the large majority of test sponsors take some type of action themselves to protect their content, separate and distinct from the protection provided by the test services provider as normal course of business.
Anthony Scicchitano, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Prometric, stated, "While the types of cheating threats and specific security measures available to a test sponsor will vary depending on their market space, every kind of organization, from Healthcare to IT, has options when it comes to enhancing program security. There are multiple layers of protection that exist at different points in the testing process to maintain the integrity and value of a credential. Oftentimes test sponsors remain concerned about security because of a perception in the industry that cheating is a widespread problem across the board; the data gathered by the survey suggests otherwise."
The survey involved credentialing organizations, primarily within North America, and spanning the many market spaces served by Prometric, including: Healthcare, Information Technology, Associations, Academic Institutions, Financial Services, Government Organizations and Professional/Corporate Services. These organizations, and the professionals to whom they grant credentials, directly influence the integrity of many professions and the value of credentialing programs around the world.
About Prometric
Prometric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETS, is the recognized global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services. Its comprehensive suite of services, including test development, test delivery and data management capabilities, allows clients to develop and launch global testing programs as well as accurately measure program results and data. Prometric reliably delivers and administers more than nine million tests a year on behalf of approximately 400 clients in the academic, professional, healthcare, government, corporate and information technology markets. It delivers tests flexibly via the Web or by utilizing a robust network of more than 10,000 test centers in 163 countries. For more information, please visit www.prometric.com.
