Does everybody cheat?

When you look at survey results of high school and college students, it appears cheating has become not only widespread, but openly acknowledged.

A survey of 24,000 students at 70 high schools found 64 percent admitted to cheating on a test, and 58 percent owned up to plagiarism. Overall, 95 percent said they had cheated, whether on a test or by plagiarizing material or copying homework.

The assumption weaker students are more likely to cheat has been challenged in surveys done by the California Department of Education and Who’s Who Among American High Schools. The findings indicated top students may cheat more than peers, possibly because of the arms race to get into elite colleges.

To read more about cheating, including a survey done at a local high school, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Fulton County Schools is participating in OpenAI’s pilot of a version of ChatGPT built specifically for schools, guest contributor Joe Phillips writes. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

A MARTA operator is seen inside the control room of one of the new MARTA trains during the unveiling of these trains on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez