A good example is the instruction which is given at all exams and is sometimes printed on some question papers "do not start until you are told to do so" or "do not turn the page until you are told to do so. This is ignored by many students who keep one eye on the invigilators and use the other eye to quickly go through the questions after turning over the page. Some are even so disobedient that they start answering questions against all warnings. Another well-known form of malpractice in exams which is the most common is talking while the exam is in progress.
A lot of students make a habit of asking others answers to questions that they do not know or answering others in the exam hall. The warning of the invigilators on not talking often falls on deaf ears. It sometimes gets so bad that lots of murmurs can be heard in the exam hall that the place becomes like a market place. Some students hardly wait for the paper to start before they start whispering and murmuring.
It makes one wonder if they read at all for the exams! I have noticed that a lot of students do not see a big deal in this. Even those I thought should know better once told me that such an act meant "helping your brother or sister in need!" I wonder why helping ones brother or sister in need cannot be done before exams and have to be done when it amounts to disobedience to Allaah and constituted authority.
While others are burning the midnight candle, some students spend their precious time preparing what is popularly known as chips. :Chips are specially prepared notes on areas where questions are expected. Most times, chips are smuggled into. The examination hall and are used as a source of reference when the invigilators are not looking. In some cases, students discover that questions are not asked from topics on which they had jotted.
Such students end up failing such exams or performing poorly because they get destabilized. Whichever form of cheating we talk about, the well known truth is that it is very wrong. I have learnt that "it is better to fail honourably than to pass through cheating." As Muslims, we should always fear Allaah in all we do. If we know that by cheating we have disobeyed Allaah, then why do we do it in the first place? Remember that the punishment of Allaah is far more than the threat of failure.
Also imagine the trouble you will go through when you are caught. Some students are embarrassed or sent out of the exam hall. Others end up being dismissed from school for cheating. If one is dismissed for such a reason, what would you tell your parents at home? Others in the same class would continue their lives uninterrupted while you have to pick the crumbs of your elite. One sincere advice for us all is to avoid all forms of examination malpractice.
If you find this hard to do, imagine that you would be the only one in the hall during exams. Who would you turn to for answers? It is better to ask all questions before going to the exam hall. Most importantly, prepare very well and put your trust in Allaah. He will never let you down! CONCLUDED
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited