Calculators aid exam cheats

Photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Students have discovered a new way of cheating in exams, using calculators that can store crib notes and even whole essays.

The graphic calculators are used in exams for mathematical subjects, but newer models with increased memory and USB ports allow students to store hidden files.

Westlake Girls High deputy principal Julie Saikkonen warned her colleagues this week that students at another high school had been caught storing text on the calculators.

She said some teachers were unaware that this much information could be stored and so had not banned them in non-maths exams.

"We wouldn't even think to have cleared the memories for English exams. But now we have to be extra careful that they're not brought in."

High school students are taking "mock" exams, gearing up for NCEA in November.

Steve Rendle, spokesman for the NZ Qualifications Authority, said students were not allowed to take calculators into NCEA exams where the technology was not relevant.

New graphic calculators with USB ports and increased memory let students upload a false "memory cleared" screen so hidden information can be taken into exams.

Mr Rendle said the NZQA was aware of methods to hide information on calculators "and is extremely vigilant when clearing memories".

In exams run by high schools, teachers have previously cleared the graphic calculators' memories by inserting a pencil in the reset button.

However, Casio calculator distributor Derek Smith said this did not always mean the memory was wiped.

"Teachers and supervisors should be resetting through the menu to make sure it's cleared."