The authority managing the continuing Worldwide Baccalaureate (IB) exams will launch an investigation into check papers being allegedly leaked on-line after it discovered proof of dishonest.
The IB mentioned on Sunday that it discovered a small variety of college students had engaged in “time zone dishonest” and there was “no proof” the follow was widespread, though the Publish discovered the papers had been downloaded greater than 45,000 occasions.
The leaks have prompted widespread outrage amongst college students, together with these at present sitting the exams in Hong Kong, with some calling for the checks to be cancelled or sat once more.
“We have now recognized the supply of this exercise and are taking applicable steps to carry these accountable accountable,” the organisation mentioned.
“The place we’ve recognized college students, the IB will open a proper investigation for malpractice, and college students might obtain no marks for his or her examinations or no grade for the related topic.”
Time zone dishonest happens when college students who’ve completed their exams share their recollection of questions to assist others in areas who’re but to take the checks. It’s prohibited underneath the IB’s educational integrity coverage.
“Up to now, there isn’t a proof of widespread dishonest and we’re assured that this exercise stays on the fringes of what’s in any other case a typical examination session.”
From hyperlinks circulating on the net discussion board Reddit, the Publish had earlier discovered the alleged leaked questions and solutions for arithmetic papers.
Screenshots of a Telegram channel additionally had hyperlinks to questions for enterprise administration, international politics, arithmetic, physics, biology and chemistry.
A downloading web site confirmed that two paperwork – “Paper 2 Math AA HL” and “Maths AA HL Questions” had been downloaded by greater than 17,000 and 18,000 folks, respectively, as of Saturday evening.
Paperwork labelled “Enterprise Administration Paper 1” and “International Politics HL Paper 2” had additionally been downloaded over 8,000 and a couple of,000 occasions, respectively, as of Sunday afternoon.
The exams for the 4 papers passed off between April 26 and Could 2.
Greater than 2,800 folks have additionally signed an internet petition urging the IB to cancel this yr’s examination or to make sure justice for college students who didn’t learn the allegedly leaked supplies.
The Switzerland-based IB diploma programme, which lasts two years, is an internationally recognised college entrance qualification. It was taken by nearly 180,000 college students globally final yr. Final yr, 2,275 pupils sat exams for the programme in Hong Kong, up barely from 2,213 in 2022.
The IB and Diploma of Secondary Training are Hong Kong’s two main college entrance exams.
The 2024 version of the IB examination is being held between April 24 and Could 17.