- By Matthew P. Binkewicz
- Around Town
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Ask IMOAsk IMOLansing's Advice Column
Dear IMO,
I’m a college student at a large university in Boston. My major is engineering, and I spend a lot of time studying especially mathematics and science. I work very hard and get solid B’s for my effort. A few months into the spring semester, some friends began circulating older math and engineering exams. These older exams were a big help at times, especially when some of the questions would appear on exams during the semester. My grades have improved to B+ and even reach the A mark, but I’m worried. Is this a form of cheating? Should I not look at these older exams?
Sincerely,
Rick
Dear Rick,
From what you have described, it seems that these exams are merely old exams and fair game to use as review. In some colleges and universities, old exams are placed on reserved reading shelves for students to get an idea of what to expect.
If you look carefully at these older exams, you may find similarities between them and the problems assigned as homework prior to the exam. If your professors are too busy (lazy?) to create new questions and choose to repeat some questions on exams from year to year, then you are not guilty of cheating. They ought to spend more time preparing a fair, yet challenging exam that does not have questions from previous years.
What might be unfair is the availability of these exams to all students in your engineering classes. If only a few of you have access to these tools, then you might consider having them placed on the reserved book shelf. You and your classmates should meet with your professors or the department chair and see if a policy on old tests might be implemented in a way for all to benefit.
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