Unchecked question paper leaks in public examinations blight 2017

The education sector was blighted by a series of question paper leaks in the year 2017 when papers from Primary Education Completion to Junior School Certificate examinations were made available online.

Isolated incidents of leaks were there before when the students had to buy leaked question papers at a high cost.

But in 2017 all that changed as those papers were made available online in exchange for a little sum of money and later free on different Facebook groups and pages, and through WhatsApp.

Worse, those papers were verbatim copies of the question sets used in the exams next day or on the same day.

bdnews24.com extensively reported on the leaks.

Question papers of a bank's professional entry examination were also reportedly leaked. The Agrani Bank later cancelled the test.

Admission test question papers of Dhaka University and Jagannath University were also allegedly leaked.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid blamed the teachers for the leaks saying that "it could not be stopped unless the ethics of the teachers rose."

Private coaching centres were also identified as the source of the leaks.

Some politicians and members of the civil society demanded the education minister's resignation for his failure in controlling the leaks that hurt the education system.

Some parents allegedly helped their young children to find the leaked questions online, but most others condemned the practice as it "degrades the morality of the youths."

They, however, demanded that this malpractice of 'question leaks' must stop because it was an obstacle to an accurate assessment of merits in competitive examination.

In addition to the leaks, many question papers were littered with mistakes.

In JSC Home Economics paper there were 12 mistakes. In Bangladesh and World Affairs question paper in PEC exams for the Sylhet region, mistakes were identified in 40 out of 50 questions.

After the JSC, twin blow of question paper leaks and mistakes hit PEC tests.

Later the alleged leakers announced on the social media that they would leak the question papers of SSC and HSC tests next year.

Headmasters of some renowned schools, angry at the unending leaks of question papers in public tests, have suggested a review of the exam system and, if necessary, printing the papers on the morning of the exams.

Prof Mohammad Kaykobad, who teaches computer science at BUET and has worked as a government consultant in stopping question paper leaks, has said the authorities can set up a 'strong room' with CCTV camera surveillance at the exam centres to receive and print the question papers.

Senior academic Dr Anisuzzaman's suggestion is to cancel tests marred by question leaks.

 

Leak-marred JSC tests end, Education Minister Nahid blames teachers

Twin blow for JSC test takers as errors follow leaks in question papers

After JSC, twin blow of question paper leaks, mistakes hits PEC tests

Hapless parents question morality as authorities fail to stop question leaks

Headmasters suggest printing question papers at centres to stop leak in public exams

After JSC, PEC question leaks, fraudsters target SSC, HSC exams in Facebook announcement

Jagannath University admission test questions ‘leaked’

Dhaka University refutes admission test question leak allegation

Agrani Bank’s job test cancelled over leaked questions