170,000 sit police entrance exams under new anti-cheating conditions

[Khun Don]

170,000 appear for police entrance exams
The Nation August 4, 2012 1:00 am


Under tightened security to prevent cheating, about 170,000 people yesterday took part in the makeup entrance examination for the recruitment of noncommissioned policemen.

The annual exam, which was held in June, was scandalised this year by widespread cheating. Many testtakers and facilitators have been arrested.

"We have adjusted exam procedures to prevent all kinds of cheating," Police Education Bureau chief LtGeneral Ruangsak Jaritek said yesterday.

Police Region 4 deputy commander MajGeneral Boonlert Jaipradit said testtakers were now required to walk through Xray machines to prevent them from carrying communication devices into exam rooms.

"Examroom supervisors will not know beforehand which rooms they will be in. A drawing is held just before the exam begins," he said.

Testtakers' wristwatches are also banned from the exam rooms.

Although the exam started at 2pm, testtakers were required to show up at noon to undergo a rigorous identification check, which included fingerprinting. No one was allowed to enter the exam rooms after 1.30pm. Cellphone signals were jammed at the exam locations.

Deputy National Police Commissioner General Pongsapat Pongcharoen inspected an exam location at Ramkhamhaeng University's Bang Na campus.

Pol LtColonel Anan Pimcharoen, who is investigating the cheating allegations, said 17 suspects have been arrested and while another suspect remains at large.

"The investigation report has been forwarded to public prosecutors," he said.

The makeup exam continues tomorrow.

[Marie]

Ahh, it looks like they have implemented very strict measures to prevent cheating. Let's see how effective they are to neutralize cheaters' 'creativity'!

[misterA]

Interesting - of all the extra security measures mentioned most seem directed at the test takers and test room supervisors - someone has to write these exams - so that means someone knows the questions that are on the exams - or am I missing something? If someone is intent on finding a way to cheat there will always be a way to do so - especially when a promising career and money is at stake.