Avoid cheating in exams

Plagiarism is copying or imitating other people’s texts without citing the source. If you use someone else’s material as your own work in connection with an exam, you will be accused of plagiarism.

Plagiarism is also if you translate a text and do not state that it is a translation. This applies regardless of whether it is longer excerpts or short quotes, and regardless of whether the action is intentional or unintentional. 

Self-plagiarism, i.e. reusing your own previous exam papers or parts of them without precise source references, is also considered plagiarism.

At SDU, software programmes are among the tools used to check submitted written exam papers for plagiarism. 

It is your responsibility to know the rules for plagiarism. On this page, under the heading ‘How to avoid cheating in exams’, you can find useful information on how to avoid plagiarism.  

On stopplagiat.nu you can find information about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. You can also test your knowledge of correct use of references.  

Misrepresentation of  own efforts or contributions can be:  

• self-plagiarism (see above).  
• to add one’s name to a group paper to which one has not contributed. 
• using generative AI without citing the source or in exams where this is not allowed.  

Non-permitted collaboration includes  

• when students collaborate on an assignment that must be answered individually according to the course description.  
• if you receive external help for an exam or are in any way in contact with others in relation to answering your assignment.  

It is not permitted to receive help or to help others during an exam in which communication with others is not allowed.  

Any use of aids that are not permitted for exams is considered exam cheating. 

At the bottom of this page, you will find a link to the general rules for written exams under invigilation, including rules for the use of aids.  

The specific rules for aids for each exam are stated in the course description for the course in question or on itslearning.

Read about the rules for generative AI in teaching and exams here.

Falsification is e.g. if you ‘invent’ data in connection with the collection of empirical data. For example, if you claim in your exam paper that you have received 100 responses to a questionnaire, but in reality you only received 90 and thus have completed the remaining 10 questionnaires yourself. 

If you know about the exam assignment in advance and still participate in the exam, it is considered exam cheating. 

For some courses and teaching activities, the form of examination may be teaching participation, and attendance is considered a part of such an exam. If you get a fellow student to register you as present even though you are not present, it is considered exam cheating. You may not leave the class early if it is required that you attend the entire class. The same applies if you enter a provided code as verification of attendance without being present. 

If you ‘help’ a fellow student by registering them as present or by forwarding a code that is used to verify attendance, you are helping your fellow student cheating in the exam. This kind of ‘help’ is also considered exam cheating, and you can be sanctioned in the same way as if it was yourself who had registered as present without attending the class.

Any attempt to evade, disable or otherwise prevent the use of the University’s electronic monitoring programs, including failure to connect to Exam Monitor, are considered exam cheating.