Drones are coming to catch students cheating in exams

The high stakes in the Chinese annual university entrance exams, the gaokao, have seen increased cheating by students to make the cut. In an effort to catch cheats, the Chinese exam authorities have resorted to the use of technologies such as facial recognition and drones.

With one of the highest populations in the world, China is a competitive place to be. The competition for resources begins as early as in school with such exams as the gaokao. The exams are known to be so competitive that a large number of students resort to cheating to pass them. The students have employed various cheating methods including smart gadgets disguised as belts, watches, erasers, pens, shoes and even earpieces so small it is hard to detect.

However, the examination authorities have also put in place measures to ensure that the cheating does not spiral out of hand. For this year’s exams, the government had employed the use of facial and fingerprint recognition technologies, metal detectors, wireless detectors, mobile phone signal jammers, drones and other technologies to stop cheating and catch those attempting to cheat. This is according to a media report.

According to a report from the Xinhua News Agency, Shandong province university students were not allowed to take leave on Tuesday and Wednesday. This would prevent any of them from impersonating other students when taking the exams.

The seriousness of the matter can be seen in the way 52 people were arrested in relation to the exam cheating fiasco even before the exams kicked off. Those arrested in connection with the exam cheating face up to 7 years in jail.

Multiple choice exams such as Mathematics and English are the ones most prone to cheating. However, essays are difficult to cheat given that they require each student to think on their own and come up with the right answers. Even better, each province is given its own topic to handle in the essay section. The disparities in the topics ensure that no one can cheat and that each student has a focus on their specific topic.