plagiarism in gcse coursework

This website works best with JavaScript switched on. Please enable JavaScript

• Centre Services
• Associate Extranet
• All About Maths

Malpractice in exams

Sometimes there might be issues or concerns about the validity of your work. While we don't want to see anyone jeopardise their grades or marks, we must investigate any suspected breaches and students could face a penalty if found to have committed malpractice. Make sure you understand the rules and boundaries.

Social media and online networking groups

We all like to share our experiences when taking exams. However, it is important to consider what you say and to think about what information is being shared.

Sharing ideas with others online could be helpful when you're studying, revising or connecting with teachers and subject experts, but remember that all exam boards monitor social media sites and online forums for malpractice.

There are rules and boundaries on what you can share about your exams online and this is monitored by exam boards. Take care when talking about exams on social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, as well as group chat apps such as WhatsApp.

Examples of social media activities that could lead to a malpractice investigation include:

• copying or allowing work to be copied that is to be submitted for assessment
• allowing others to help produce your work, or helping others with theirs
• sharing assessment-related information if you’ve sat your exam earlier than other students
• passing on rumours about exam content
• exchanging, obtaining, receiving or passing on assessment-related information, or even just attempting to
• accepting or seeing assessment-related information without reporting it to your school/college.

Make sure you're not caught out. If you're unsure about anything above, speak to your teachers.

Follow this general guidance to avoid malpractice in your coursework and other non-exam assessment.

• Only submit work that is your own.
• Never lend your work to anyone. You can get in trouble if they copy you, even if you didn't know they had or intended to.
• Make sure you know how to reference other people's work. If you want to quote someone or use someone else's words, make sure you show or reference where the quote has come from, otherwise it could be seen as plagiarism. Check with your teachers which referencing or citation style you should use. The key is to be consistent.
• Type or hand-write your own work for submission. If you need help to do this, make sure you acknowledge that someone else has helped you. Speak with your exams officer for more information about access arrangements.

Speak to your teachers if you're worried about any of these points.

In the exam room

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has very clear instructions on what you can take into an exam room and how you should behave under exam conditions. See their  information for candidates and our exam day page for further details.

Remember, bringing mobile phones and other unauthorised items and materials into the exam room is malpractice.

What is investigated

Examples of statements or activities that will lead to a malpractice investigation include:

• copying or allowing work to be copied, for example posting written work on social media sites prior to an exam/assessment
• collusion: working collaboratively with other students beyond what is permitted
• allowing others to help produce your work or helping others with theirs
• being in possession of confidential material in advance of the exam
• exchanging, obtaining, receiving or passing on exam information by any means of communication (even if just attempting to)
• passing on rumours about exam content.

This is not an exhaustive list, as other instances of malpractice may be considered by exam boards at their discretion.

Reporting malpractice

If you suspect any form of malpractice either at school or online, speak to your teacher or exams officer. You can also get in touch with us directly by emailing [email protected] or calling 0800 197 7162 .

Our malpractice information for exams officers page has more information about the full reporting process, as well as JCQ guidance on making an allegation and whistleblowing.

Your school or college must report all cases of irregularity or misconduct to JCQ, including what might even be minor misunderstandings.

If you are found guilty of breaching any of the malpractice rules you could find yourself facing a penalty.

OCR homepage

Administration

• Active Results
• Interchange
• Submit for Assessment
• Teach Cambridge
• ExamBuilder
• Online Support Centre

Main navigation

Malpractice in exams and assessments.

Taking exams can be a pressured and stressful time, with a lot riding on your results. However, in order for exams to be fair for all and for results to be trusted, there are rules that apply to you and everyone taking exams and assessments. This doesn’t just mean cheating during the exam – there are also rules that apply before you take an exam or assessment, and afterwards. If you break those rules, this is known by exam boards as ‘malpractice’ and we have to investigate.

So, make sure you are aware of the rules you and every student are expected to follow. These are clearly set out in the Joint Council for Qualification’s (JCQ) information for candidates . We’ve summarised the main ones for you here.

Social media and online networking groups

Social media and online forums can be very useful for revision, research and advice but there are rules on what you can share and discuss about your exams online. Examples that could lead to an investigation include: 

• Sharing information about an exam or assessment if you have sat it before others 
• Passing on rumours or information about exam content 
• Posting your work online, in part or full, before an exam or assessment 
• Receiving help in producing your work, or helping others produce their work 
• Making comments about cheating in exams or assessments – jokes about this are not a good idea
• Failing to report exam-related rumours or information you have been sent by others.

Remember, we monitor social networking sites and internet forums.

Keep coursework, controlled assessment and non-exam assessment your own

Although some of the rules vary between qualifications, the general principles are the same: 

• All of your work should be yours and yours alone – even if there was some group work. 
• Do not loan your work to others – you can be penalised if they copy you, even if you didn’t know they were going to. 
• Make sure you reference your sources of research and anything you copy is marked as a quotation, including an acknowledgement of where it came from. 
• Type or write up your own work with your name and candidate number on every page.

Don't copy others – avoiding plagiarism

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as your own and/or not acknowledging your source correctly. It's one of the more common types of malpractice and can often occur by mistake. Here’s some advice on how to avoid it: 

• Planning – Writing a brief outline will help define the balance between your own original ideas and the ideas of your sources. 
• Research – Take thorough notes so your information is organised. Write down the key points in your own words and why they are useful for you. It’s good practice to look at more than one source for each aspect. Note down page numbers and URLs so you have a record of your sources and can easily find them again. 
• Writing up – Use your notes rather than the original sources, writing them up in your own words. Add a reference to all of the sources you used, even if you are not quoting directly. Remember to put direct quotes in quotation marks with a page reference or URL as acknowledgement. If you quote specific solutions or large sections of text, make sure you explain why you’ve quoted it and how it’s relevant, otherwise you may not be given credit and you may be penalised. It’s good practice to include a bibliography of all sources at the end. 

Remember, you don’t have to copy and paste something for it to be plagiarism – learning a passage off by heart and reproducing it also counts if you don’t acknowledge it.

Tips for success in the exam hall

Be prepared .

Try to arrive early, but don’t panic if you’re running late. Your school or college may allow you to start an exam late and still receive the full time (within reason). 

Take the time before you go in to make sure you’ve checked all your pockets and are ready to start. Make sure you don’t write any last-minute revision on your hands before your exam. Failing to wash it off properly is not an acceptable excuse. 

What not to take into an exam

Every year, invigilators discover students with mobile phones or other banned items on them. Many may have just forgotten to hand them in, but we can’t accept this as an excuse. Possession of a mobile phone (or any other internet-enabled device) in an exam, not just using it, is against the rules. 

What not to write in an exam

Some exams and assessments require you to discuss sensitive topics like race relations, equality or morality. It’s important to remember though that racist, sexist, lewd, homophobic or anti-religious group comments will be penalised. 

You must also not include obscene drawings or other offensive content. In extreme cases, penalties for this may extend to the rest of your exams.

How to report malpractice

So, you've followed the rules but you think other students may not. What do you do?

Your school or college must report all incidents of suspected malpractice – even minor ones – to the relevant exam board. If you suspect malpractice, talk to your teachers or exams officer and they can give you advice. For more information on how to report malpractice, see our whistleblowing section . 

When we investigate malpractice we follow the JCQ policies and procedures document Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments . 

Our investigations are confidential. We may ask for statements, documents, photos and any other relevant supporting evidence and anyone suspected of malpractice can submit a statement. They can also see the evidence against them, although we may delay disclosing all evidence if we feel it may affect our ability to investigate. 

We may share details of a malpractice decision with other awarding bodies, relevant authorities, and in some extremely serious cases, the police.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free plagiarism check.

• Knowledge Base
• Consequences of Mild, Moderate & Severe Plagiarism

Consequences of Mild, Moderate & Severe Plagiarism

Published on 13 December 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on 6 April 2023.

If you use someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting them, you could be committing plagiarism . The consequences of plagiarism vary based on the severity of the offence.

Plagiarism can also have serious consequences in secondary school . Some secondary schools use plagiarism checkers and treat plagiarism the same way universities do, and university admissions officers will typically disregard your application if they find you’ve plagiarised any part of it.

Table of contents

What universities say about plagiarism, why is plagiarism so serious, frequently asked questions about plagiarism.

Plagiarism in university has serious consequences, even when committed by accident. You can usually find the details of your institution’s plagiarism policy and examples of plagiarism in your code of conduct. If you’re unsure about the specifics, ask your instructor.

Some examples from different institutions are shown below.

‘The University regards plagiarism in examinations as a serious matter. Cases will be investigated and penalties may range from deduction of marks to expulsion from the University, depending on the seriousness of the occurrence. Even if plagiarism is inadvertent, it can result in a penalty.’

– University of Oxford

‘Plagiarism is dealt with very severely. All students suspected of plagiarism will be subject to an investigation. If found guilty, possible penalties include permanent withdrawal from the University.

‘If you are suspected of plagiarism, your school will hold a meeting where your case will be heard. If you admit the offence and it is deemed to be minor and a first offence, your penalty will be agreed by the school. If the case is more serious, or is not your first offence, your case will be referred to the Committee on Applications.’

– University of Leeds

‘Any suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated by the University. This might involve initially being interviewed by the Examiners and Proctors and could ultimately lead to suspension from the University or failure.’

– University of Cambridge

‘Plagiarism of any kind is not acceptable and is contrary to the Code of Student Conduct.

‘The Code also sets out what action can be taken against those who have breached the Code – this can include a reduced mark or a penalty grade H (effectively a ‘zero’). Grade H for a core course or a core piece of work can mean you are unable to complete your degree.’

– University of Glasgow

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

You might wonder why universities and other organisations impose such serious consequences for plagiarism, even when it’s accidental.

Plagiarism amounts to theft, and there are good reasons for institutions (and for you!) to take it seriously. Plagiarism:

• Is dishonest : When done deliberately, plagiarism indicates that the person responsible is not honest about their work, which is a problem in any context.
• Harms the person you’re plagiarising: It’s easy to see why you wouldn’t want your writing stolen and passed off as someone else’s – especially in publishing.
• Hinders the learning process: If you’re stealing words and ideas from others, your own creativity is not being tested, and you’re not learning.
• Obscures the sources of ideas: All academic writing builds on the ideas of others, and it’s important that the reader can clearly trace where those ideas came from.
• Results in bad writing: Whatever the quality of the text(s) you’re plagiarising, a paper made up of a patchwork of different unacknowledged sources is usually a mess.

The consequences of plagiarism vary depending on the type of plagiarism and the context in which it occurs. For example, submitting a whole paper by someone else will have the most severe consequences, while accidental citation errors are considered less serious.

If you’re a student, then you might fail the course, be suspended or expelled, or be obligated to attend a workshop on plagiarism. It depends on whether it’s your first offence or you’ve done it before.

As an academic or professional, plagiarising seriously damages your reputation. You might also lose your research funding or your job, and you could even face legal consequences for copyright infringement.

Plagiarism has serious consequences and can be illegal in certain scenarios.

While most of the time plagiarism in an undergraduate setting is not illegal, plagiarism or self-plagiarism in a professional academic setting can lead to legal action, including copyright infringement and fraud. Many scholarly journals do not allow you to submit the same work to more than one journal, and if you do not credit a coauthor, you could be legally defrauding them.

Even if you aren’t breaking the law, plagiarism can seriously impact your academic career. While the exact consequences of plagiarism vary by institution and severity, common consequences include a lower grade, automatically failing a course, academic suspension or probation, and even expulsion.

Plagiarism can be detected by your professor or readers if the tone, formatting, or style of your text is different in different parts of your paper, or if they’re familiar with the plagiarised source.

Many universities also use   plagiarism detection software like Turnitin’s, which compares your text to a large database of other sources, flagging any similarities that come up.

It can be easier than you think to commit plagiarism by accident. Consider using a   plagiarism checker prior to submitting your essay to ensure you haven’t missed any citations.

Self-plagiarism means recycling work that you’ve previously published or submitted as an assignment. It’s considered academic dishonesty to present something as brand new when you’ve already gotten credit and perhaps feedback for it in the past.

If you want to refer to ideas or data from previous work, be sure to cite yourself.

Accidental plagiarism is one of the most common examples of plagiarism . Perhaps you forgot to cite a source, or paraphrased something a bit too closely. Maybe you can’t remember where you got an idea from, and aren’t totally sure if it’s original or not.

These all count as plagiarism, even though you didn’t do it on purpose. When in doubt, make sure you’re citing your sources . Also consider running your work through a plagiarism checker tool prior to submission, which work by using advanced database software to scan for matches between your text and existing texts.

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker takes less than 10 minutes and can help you turn in your paper with confidence.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2023, April 06). Consequences of Mild, Moderate & Severe Plagiarism. Scribbr. Retrieved 6 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/preventing-plagiarism/consequences-of-plagiarism/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, the 5 types of plagiarism | explanations & examples, what is self-plagiarism | definition & how to avoid it, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Exam board surprise at 'obvious plagiarism' in coursework

GCSE students are blatantly plagiarising texts from the internet to use in their English coursework, says a report from the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance published today.

The exam board says in its report, published annually to give guidance to teachers on the year's exam performance, that it had found cases where coursework had been clearly copied from material available on the internet. In some cases, moderators were surprised that even obvious plagiarism had been overlooked by teachers.

"Moderators have expressed some surprise at the more obvious examples they have seen: the style and vocabulary of some pieces of writing have been so markedly different from the rest of the candidate's work that they have wondered how the teacher failed to challenge it, especially as the teacher knows the work of the candidate much better than the moderator."

The AQA proposes a lesson on plagiarism for students embarking on GCSE courses. It also says that sufficient class time should be given for coursework, so teachers can directly supervise pupils and be confident the result is entirely the student's work.

Another emerging trend in coursework is the use by pupils in their coursework of structures handed down by their teachers, a practice known as "scaffolding". Moderators said that they had seen some very obvious similarities in the work of different pupils and it had been difficult to distinguish between them. They found that pupils in the same class began paragraphs with the same sentences, and paragraphs followed the same running order.

AQA spokesman Graham George said scaffolding is helpful as a teaching tool, but that it restricts many pupils from demonstrating their true ability and that they won't get marks for work that is reliant on a teacher's structure.

"If you rely on scaffolding too much, you don't get the full range of marks. It's almost a self-penalising thing," he said. He said it is important to get the message across to pupils that "the more you rely on scaffolding, the less you've got available to show what you can do".

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the public exams regulator, is planning to publish a two-year study into coursework next month. The wide-ranging study will cover plagiarism, how to guarantee that the work is the student's own, and making sure that parents understand how far they can help.

• Secondary schools
• English and creative writing

Most viewed

Places on our 2024 summer school are filling fast. Don’t miss out. Enrol now to avoid disappointment

• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language. Follow the links below to find lots more useful advice on writing great essays.

• How to write dazzlingly brilliant essays
• How to write more original essays
• Techniques from creative writing that can improve your essays

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

Image credits: banner

Plagiarism in Assessments

Home » Exams Office » Malpractice » Plagiarism in Assessments

• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Search Engage

I’ve been accused of plagiarism, fabricated/fraudulent coursework or malpractice what can i do.

You can read the full definitions of what counts as plagiarism here , fabricated/fraudulent coursework here and malpractice here . 

If you have been accused of any of these you will be invited to a meeting with your School to discuss the allegation. 

This meeting is your chance to discuss what these allegations are based on and put forward your version of events. You can also make it clear if there are any special circumstances that are relevant to the situation. 

You can bring a Supporter with you who can be a friend, family member or colleague as long as they aren’t directly related to the case. 

LUU Advice can help you prepare and take you through what to expect. Please contact us so we can help you present you case. 

It is unlikely that we will able to be your Supporter, but in extreme cases we can try to provide support where no other supporter can be found and the case is complex.  

Before you attend the meeting it is important to decide whether or not you accept the allegation.

• Remember: even if you did it accidentally, you should admit to it if you think you have committed an offence.
• If you have included other people's work in an assessment without referencing it adequately, or submitted fabricated results, you will need to remember how this happened and explain why you did this. 
• If there were any special circumstances that may have caused you to act out of character or caused you to fail to use your normal approach to completing work it is important that you tell your department about these. If there is evidence, such as a Doctor's note, take it with you to the meeting.

You may find it helpful to write up a summary of your response to the allegation to take with you to the departmental meeting.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to search
• Skip to talk navigation

Advertisement

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

The staffroom

Gcse english coursework - plagiarism.

midnightlurker · 26/01/2017 10:07

Is it plagiarism if they have used ideas from a book/film but changed details and put it in their own words? So within a whole two page text, a couple of events are similar to those in a film/book, but not the same? E.g. in the book there is a homeless man shivering in a doorway who sees something special. In the coursework there is a homeless girl shivering in a doorway - she too sees something special but what she sees is different from the thing the man in the book saw (obviously my example is not what the candidate wrote!). A friend of mine's teen thought it would be ok to do something similar to the above example - college say no. Who is right?

I'd say no, too. Sorry! Clearly copied and recognisable.

I would say it's a bit of a grey area. Is every story of young lovers not being allowed to be together by their families a plagiarisation of Romeo and Juliet? There are, after all, only so many themes you can write about. I would raise my eyebrows at a young girl finding out she is a witch on her 12th birthday by way of an invitation to join a witchcraft boarding school a bit suspicious. The devil's in the detail...

Grey area. I suspect many children I teach have 'borrowed' plots from films or books I haven't read and we actively encourage it with tasks like 'write the scene from Lady Macbeth's point of view'. How are they still doing coursework?

Possibly the most superb piece of plagiarism I've encountered is the one where a student claimed that their introductory sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man, etc." was their own. Would not back down. Back to the OP's OP: if you recognise a resemblance, than it's a pinch. Am laughing my socks off at entertaining the preference of a teen's view over a college's. Seriously??

@echt How dare they? Clearly that line is completely mine.

Echt The college were not clear that this would not be allowed and in class they have been told to write things 'in the style of' and 'from another point of view' quite a bit. The teen in question is confused and upset as they were told plagiarism was a direct quotation only. A resit has been offered and it is necessary to fully understand exactly what they can/cannot do so the next piece is Ok. Imagine being afraid to write anything at all because you don't understand what is allowed. I offered to ask on here because they will not tell her the answer to that question!!

P.S. I found guidelines for examiners that suggest direct quotation only being a problem. No help at all!

I'm assuming the use of coursework means the student is either resitting or at a private school taking iGCSE (the posh can still do coursework, it's just the plebs that can't). To answer the point; anything that is clearly another person's work is plagiarism. That encompasses quite a range from copy and paste to pinching plot ideas but as a pp said, the details are what matters - if it feels familiar but is differently rendered it is probably OK. However, I'd be guided by the college. If they think it is plagiarised, they are probably right. It's a huge risk anyway - get caught by the exam board and you don't only fail their exam, but potentially every exam with the same board.

She needs to do the rewrite and ensure she writes something she ha never seen elsewhere.

We are doing our last year of IGCSE (at a school for students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties in south east London so the very opposite of posh). I tell my students that if I (I may also show it to a few of my video game playing/action film watching friends if I am suspicious) can work out what it's based on then it won't pass. If I can't/don't pick up on it then it will be ok. Feel free to PM me your actual example and I can try and give you some specific advice.

The teen in question is confused and upset as they were told plagiarism was a direct quotation only. You would not believe how often teenagers tell me and each other this, they also say it is OK if they change a few words, it is not. Some argue quite a lot because obviously a 15 year old knows better than a teacher. I use the analogy of burglary. If you come home and the TV and Sky box are missing and you find out the thief has put it in their house but have arranged it differently is it still theft?

Do you know what time title was? This might help us work out which unit it was and help a bit more.

Plagiarism is using anyone else's ideas and claiming them as your own without using a reference, which obviously you can't do if it's supposed to be creative writing.

I tell my students that if I (I may also show it to a few of my video game playing/action film watching friends if I am suspicious) can work out what it's based on then it won't pass. If I can't/don't pick up on it then it will be ok. And if the centre moderator picks up on something that you haven't?

Well, it would be the same as any student plagiarism that wasn't spotted? It hasn't happened yet and this is last year. I only have 5 students in year 11 and am very involved in completing the coursework with them. If there is an influence from somewhere I'm 99.9% I will know about it and will tell them it has to be changed. I do also warn them that a moderator spotting it is a possibility. My cynical opinion is that it costs around 3 times as much to take a Cambridge IGCSE as "normal" GCSE. They are very flexible with entry deadlines etc. It's a money making exercise.

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Copyright and Plagiarism

When looking at intellectual property rights we need to consider two key areas, copyright and plagiarism .

Plagiarism occurs when a person takes another person’s ideas/work and claims it as their own.

Although in itself not a criminal offence, such actions are certainly not ethical.

To avoid accusations of plagiarism it is important to acknowledge the originator in any work, e.g. as footnotes or as references.

In certain situations, people or organisations guilty of plagiarism may find they face prosecution under copyright laws.

Copyright laws were created to protect the interests of the authors of original work.

Without protection, it wouldn’t be in the financial interest of people to invest so much of their time creating original content or work.

It is only right (ethical) that people receive fair compensation (pay) for their efforts.

Copyright can apply to a wide range of media, including music, software, images, books etc.

Unlike plagiarism, breaking copyright is a criminal offence.

It is important to remember that just because something is online, or because you’re unlikely to get caught, doesn’t make it free to use or okay.

Related Theory

• Computer Ethics
• Computer Misuse Act 1990
• Data Protection Act
• Free Software, Freeware and Shareware

Related Quizzes

Sign up for guru news, popular downloads.

Von Neumann Architecture Cheat Sheet

• All Quizzes
• Computer Science Glossary
• Our YouTube Channel
• GCSE GURU Revision Tips +

Small Print

• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Downloads Shop

• Information & Terms

Copyright © Computer Science GCSE GURU

• About ParkNews
• Privacy Policy

FEIG ELECTRONIC: Moscow-City Skyscrapers Streamline Parking Access and Control with Secure RFID

Feig electronic partners with isbc group to deploy ucode dna rfid security and parking access control solution in moscow business district.

Weilburg, Germany  — December 3,  2019  —  FEIG ELECTRONIC , a leading global supplier of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and antennas with fifty years of industry experience, announces deployment of the UCODE DNA RFID security and parking contactless identification solution in the Moscow International Business Center, known as Moscow-City, one of the world’s largest business district projects.

The management of Moscow-City not only selected long-range, passive UHF RFID to implement in its controlled parking areas, it also chose to implement UCODE DNA , the highest form of secure RAIN RFID technology, developed by NXP Semiconductors.

Panoramic view of Moscow city and Moskva River at sunset. New modern futuristic skyscrapers of Moscow-City – International Business Center, toned

“Underscoring NXP’s innovation and leadership in developing advanced RAIN RFID technologies, our UCODE DNA was chosen to be incorporated with the FEIG and ISBC implementation of the contactless identification system in the prestigious Moscow-City,” said Mahdi Mekic, marketing director for RAIN RFID with NXP Semiconductors. “This exciting project represents yet another successful deployment of NXP’s contactless portfolio, and showcases our continued ability to meet the high-security requirements of highly demanding applications without compromising user convenience.”

“UCODE DNA is considered the only identification technology to match the physical protection of a barrier with the cybersecurity necessary to truly protect entrances from unauthorized access,” said Manuel Haertlé, senior product manager for FEIG Electronic. “As a respected contactless payment technology company, FEIG applies security know-how from its payment terminals, which are fully certified according to the latest high-class security standards, into our RFID systems. FEIG vehicle access control RFID readers incorporate advanced secure key storage elements, supporting various methods for secure key injection.”

FEIG’s partner ISBC Group provided the knowledge and support for this successful implementation using  FEIG’s long-range UHF RFID . The resulting system enables authorized vehicle entry into areas reserved for private residential use or corporate tenants, while also allowing availability of temporary, fee-based visitor parking. Thanks to the cryptographic authentication of UCODE DNA, both the tag and reader must go through an authentication procedure before the reader will validate the data from the tag, which is transmitted wirelessly. This level of authentication is typically used in the most secure data communication networks.

“The system’s two-step authentication means that only authorized equipment can handle the secure protocol and the data exchange with the UCODE DNA based tag. Without the required cryptographic secrets, other readers would query the tag in vain, because the tag’s response cannot be interpreted or understood,” said Andrey Krasovskiy, director of the RFID department at ISBC Group. “On top of this, each data exchange in the authentication process is unique, so even if a malicious actor were to intercept the communication, the transmission is only good for a single exchange and the tag’s unique identity is protected from cloning.”

Established in 1992 and still growing, Moscow-City is the revitalization and transformation of an industrial riverfront into a new, modern, vibrant and upscale business and residential district. A mix of residential, hotel, office, retail and entertainment facilities, it is located about four kilometers west of Red Square along the Moscow River. Twelve of the twenty-three planned facilities have already been completed, with seven currently under construction. Six skyscrapers in Moscow-City reach a height of at least 300 meters, including Europe’s tallest building, Federation Tower, which rises more than 100 stories.

Partnering with ISBC and deploying FEIG Electronic RFID solutions, the Moscow International Business Center is delivering security and access control to its city center today, as it grows into the city of tomorrow.

About FEIG ELECTRONIC

FEIG ELECTRONIC GmbH, a leading global supplier of RFID readers and antennas is one of the few suppliers worldwide offering RFID readers and antennas for all standard operating frequencies: LF (125 kHz), HF (13.56 MHz), UHF (860-960 MHz). A trusted pioneer in RFID with more than 50 years of industry experience, FEIG ELECTRONIC delivers unrivaled data collection, authentication, and identification solutions, as well as secure contactless payment systems. Readers from FEIG ELECTRONIC, which are available for plug-in, desktop, and handheld applications, support next-generation contactless credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, NFC and access control credentials to enable fast, accurate, reliable and secure transactions. For more information, visit:  www.feig.de/en

Founded in Moscow in 2002, ISBC Group provides knowledge and support to integrators for their successful implementation of RFID and smart card-based solutions. The company specializes in the distribution of smart card equipment, contact and contactless card manufacturing, smart card and RFID personalization services, and information security.  Its Research and Design Center is focused specifically on RFID, primarily HF and UHF solutions with NXP tags, and software development for the smart card industry. For more information visit:  https://isbc-cards.com/

← Previous Post

Next Post →

Privacy Overview