Medical students entering their sixth and final year have learned they will all have to resit one of their exams after the Proctor’s Office was alerted to allegations that some students had cheated. All marks from the examination have been wiped, as the integrity of the examination was called into question.
Some members of the cohort allegedly received and circulated materials which could have given them an advantage in their Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE). The OSCE is used to assess how students respond to patients in a clinical setting.
The Chair of Examiners, Dr Sanja Thompson, said in a letter seen by Cherwell that it was “impossible” to know how many students cheated. As a result, all students in the cohort would have to resit the paper. Oxford University said they would not provide specific details about the allegations because of an ongoing investigation.
The date on which students will resit the exam in Michaelmas has not been finalised. In the meantime, a provisional ranking of students in the cohort will be made using other exams which have not been disrupted. The paper will be weighted the same as if it had been sat normally.
A spokesman said the University recognises the anxiety having to resit the exam will cause, and that it is in touch with affected students for pastoral and assessment support.
