Guidelines To Cheating In Exams.

Read on with a pinch of salt.

First off let us describe the examination. Here we consider a scenario where candidates sit in a hall and are given some sort of question paper and answer sheets upon which answers must be written.

There are one or more invigilators and they keep the cheating in check. Ok then let's get started.

On an individual level

• This is the ultimate gig. You are a one man army of complete incompetence and are set up to fail but are not prepared to give up on the test yet.
• I admire your spirit but WTF girl(man if you please), you should have studied.Ok, let's see what you can do.
• Before the exam:
• Remember that short term memory is pretty useful in such situations.
• Risk: low
• Use: high
• Volume: low
• Death: you start writing before the writing time.
• Memorize key information. If you do not know what is key ask around (remember that you are in a room full  of people who studied)
• You will forget all of this in due time (it's called short term memory for a reason) but you have about 15 minutes to jot it down on the answer sheet before that. 
• Chits are a classic way to cheat on an exam.
• Risk: low-medium
• Use: high
• Volume: medium-high (depends on writing size)
• Death: If you get caught by an invigilator (more on that later)
• You essentially write stuff down on a piece of paper.
• You hide it somewhere (washroom, your clothes etc)
• You see what is required.
• You dispose it (throw it from a window, eat it ?)
• Environment tampering
• Risk: high
• Use: medium
• Volume: low
• Death: If anyone sees it you are done for
• Involves writing things on walls, desks etc instead of paper as in the chit model.
• I would prefer a better model of cheating.
• During the Exam:
• You had time and you did nothing. If you are reading this you probably tried and failed. Ok, moving on.
• Unless answers come to your mind magically, you will have to ask someone the correct ones.
• I don't know. If you have a good one tell me.
• After the Exam:
• While the paper is in transit.
• Have a genius friend create a copy of answers for you.
• While the paper is in transit to the examination authority, switch the answer sheets in a Mission-Impossible style.
• Pray

With a group

• Now this is a different beast altogether. You have allies!
• Distracting the invigilator:
• The invigilator is human. Meaning he has the same model of attention that everyone else has. Meaning he can be putty in your hands.
• Help me!
• Decide on an initiator and reciprocator among the group.
• Initiator calls the invigilator to her side to clear up a 'misunderstanding' in the paper.
• Everyone else quickly does the dirty while the invigilator is occupied.
• Reciprocator then calls the invigilator to her side and the Initiator then completes her cheating.
• Something strange
• Drop your pencil box, get up suddenly from your seat, ask for extra sheets. In general do something which grabs attention.
• For the rest of the people, while the attention is diverted, exchange info. 
• Keep them walking
• Asking for more sheets is a good way to keep them walking and thus keeping a moving field of attention.
• An invigilator in one place is a dangerous person. they see everything and you do not know where they are seeing.
• Call signs:
• For MCQ type examinations, touching the nose for option 1, ears for option 2 etc are common things to do.
• I have known this to work across 2 different halls.
• Answer sheet circulation:
• Using any of the above methods of distraction, exchange answer sheets between groups.
• Use rules of exchange, thus making sure every one's chances of passing the test are maximized.
• For example, "Pass clockwise"