CHEATED ON THE GMAT

[guru284]

For two weeks I've been working with my Kaplan tutor to get my score over a 550... let me share with you guysSo I'm working with my Kaplan tutor today, which I paid $1500 for, and she tells me that there's a way that I could cheat the GMAT. She continues to tell me that instead of paying Kaplan $1500, I could pay her $1000 and she could sit the test for me.

First of all, I was shocked that she even mentioned this to me. Secondly, I was thinking extremely hard as to whether I should let her do it for. Third, I was thinking to myself... "Is this even possible"?

She said that all I we would need is a fake drivers license and she would have have to memorize my credentials for the test. She said that she'll guarantee a 700 minimum.


My question to you guys is, what do you think about this?

Guru

[tohellandback]

DO NOT DO THAT!!!!!

[barira1]

i couldnt say that GMAT test cannot be cheated , but i would strongly suggest that DONOT trust anybody , what if you pay and u will get the score but the main point is , instead of cheating GMAT you actually CHEAT ur self and ur abilities , give ur self a fair try thats what i will say and get all your money back and pay somewhere else.

[zuleron]

I suppose it is doable if this is your first test because there is no way for them to match your palm prints and fingerprints to your ID... it's not like there's a general database (like the FBI) to which GMAC can compare every test takers prints to prove that you are who you say you are... So it can be pulled off... especially if you are in a less developed country...

BUT THIS IS A VERY BAD BAD IDEA...

1) It is dishonest. Pure and simple.

2) You are setting yourself up for failure later. I know someone who scored in the 99%ile and got a full scholarship to Yale, but when she got there she couldn't handle the math and flunked out after one year. Imagine that: in September, she has a free ride at Yale and is the toast of the school, she was a member of all the elite organizations on campus, and then 9 months later she is kicked out for failing nearly all her classes. Now I'm not saying she had someone do the test for her... but it seems unlikely that a 99%ile (with no distractions during the year) would flunk out of a 2nd tier B-school like Yale... or even a top tier like Stanford.

My point is though we treat the GMAT score like a trophy and a key to the best b-school, we forget that the test is there for another reason -- to make sure you will be able to handle what will be thrown at you in B-school in terms of the substantive work and in terms of the competition from your peers. If you buy your 700 for $1000 you will end up paying a lot more down the line when people find out you are not as good as you say you are (and they will). 550 to 700 is a HUGE gap to overcome coz if you are a 550 and you buy your way into Wharton with a 700 that you didn't earn, you will still be competing with 740s and 750s on a day to day basis and it WILL be brutal and you will not survive.

3) If you are caught, then no b-school for you EVER. Or any graduate program that requires the GMAT.

It is not worth it if you are caught... and it's a bad idea even if you are not.

[Ian Stewart]

I received a PM asking me to reply. It's the kind of thread I'd normally ignore, in part because I have no way to evaluate how credible it is. For a few reasons, mentioned below, I find the story implausible (though not impossible - I've certainly heard stranger things in the GMAT world). But supposing we take it at face value:

-Let's, for the moment, ignore the fact that this would be an entirely dishonest thing to do. We can also ignore the fact that such an arrangement would expose both parties to civil liability (when you agree to take the test, you enter into a contractual agreement with GMAC) and to criminal liability (to have someone pose as you to take the test is patently fraud). Say we also ignore the fact that GMAC has a long history of vigorously pursuing legal action against those whose actions damage the integrity of the test; the risk of litigation is real. We can also ignore the fact that anyone caught cheating on the GMAT will likely be prevented from ever pursuing an MBA, and that anyone incapable of attaining a score around a program's average will likely struggle to successfully complete that program (which makes cheating on the test a foolish decision to begin with). And we could temporarily ignore the stringent security measures implemented at GMAT test centers that make it very likely everyone involved in this plan will be caught. For now, let's just consider the practicalities of the proposal:

-If your tutor has ever taken a real GMAT before, her fingerprint or palm scan is on file. When you show up for a test, and have your fingerprint/palm scanned, the test center compares the scan with their database of prints from past test takers. So if the tutor has ever taken the GMAT under a different name in the past, she'd be caught before she even gets through the front door. And if she hasn't taken a real GMAT, you shouldn't be paying her $1500 to teach you;

-Because of this, anyone intending to sit a test for someone else could only feasibly do it once - and reputable tutors, all of whom will have taken a real GMAT, couldn't do it at all. Considering how much people pay for GMAT training, how much value people attach to a high GMAT score, and the legal risks involved, it would be absurd to offer to do it for $1000, especially considering that the teaching is being charged at $1500. It's because of this that I find the entire story unbelievable;

-I also find it difficult to believe any company-affiliated tutor would make such an offer in the first place, considering that it would lead to immediate dismissal from any reputable prep company;

-That's not to mention the complications of securing forged identification that passes the test center's security check.

If your tutor isn't confident of being able to help you achieve a 550+ score, you likely should be looking for a better tutor.

[hk]

Firstly, Cheating on the GMAT would not only be truly unethical, it would be like spitting on other test takers' face.. People are working so hard to get a good score and i would request you NOT to do such a thing.

Secondly, I totally agree with Ian. But this is scenario is totally possible if The answers to these 3 questions are a yes..

1. Is this scenario in a country outside the US?
2. Is the tutor working in a test prep company which is a franchise of Kaplan or Kaplan affiliated and not really Kaplan USA?
3. IS this scenario taking place in a city where Plagiarism is quiet common?

[VP_Jim]

I also received a PM asking to respond, and have nothing to add to Ian's post, which was accurate and entertaining. I too doubt the veracity of this post; I think that all Kaplan teachers (and especially all private tutors) would have taken the GMAT before, and they would know that their fingerprints and photo are on file.

[zuleron]

The only concievable way anyone would trust a tutor who has never taken an official GMAT to do a test in their stead would be to watch the tutor do 6 Manhattan Preps and 6 Veritas Preps and score consistently above 750. And then watch them do both GMAT Preps and score above 750 on both. That's the only way you'd have any confidence that said tutor could guarantee you a 700 on test day.

But for the reasons everyone has stated this is not a good path to follow.

[Stacey Koprince]

Also received a PM asking me to respond. Ian has said it all already, though I will add: if it were me, I would also report the teacher to the company. Cheating is cheating. Period.

I would also ask guru to send a PM to Eric, providing your name and the name of the tutor, in order to verify the veracity of the claim. If you are going to name the company involved, then we have to verify that the claim is true - otherwise, we are harming the company's reputation falsely. (And, even if it is true, this would obviously be a rogue employee situation - I am very sure that no reputable company, including Kaplan, would condone anything like this.)

[zuleron]

I just want to thank VP Jim and Ian and Stacey for responding because you guys always bring a different and unexpected and valuable perspective on issues. Thanks!

[amitchell]

Guru284, please follow up with me directly so that we may immediately address the issue you raised and take appropriate action.

At Kaplan, we maintain a code of ethics and strictly forbid any such activity - not to mention the fact that our instructors are well-versed in the GMAT and know that it's virtually impossible to cheat on the GMAT. We take any accusation of such conduct quite seriously and will investigate the matter thoroughly.

Thank you for posting this, and in the future, please report any such behavior directly to Kaplan so that we may investigate and ensure that you're getting the preparation you need to succeed on the GMAT.

[DanaJ]

For two weeks I've been working with my Kaplan tutor to get my score over a 550... let me share with you guysSo I'm working with my Kaplan tutor today, which I paid $1500 for, and she tells me that there's a way that I could cheat the GMAT. She continues to tell me that instead of paying Kaplan $1500, I could pay her $1000 and she could sit the test for me.

Guru

This is a pretty suspicious thread right here. The first warning sign is about the payment. I was under the impression that you are supposed to pay for your tutor before starting prep with him/her. If guru284 has already started prep for two weeks now, the $1500 would have been already transferred into Kaplan accounts. I don't see any prep company sending their staff to tutor someone on the basis that they might pay for the course sometime in the future... This is a legitimate business, not a charity!

If the poster has already spent $1500, then I see no reason to pay another $1000 without seeing the outcome of the first investment. And I'm not talking about the real thing, but at least wait a few weeks before absolutely giving up all hope of improvement.

Secondly, there seems to be some sort of Kaplan bashing recently, on absolutely no basis whatsoever. We've already banned a spammer claiming that Kaplan was good only for students aiming for lowers scores. I personally liked Kaplan! One should not necessarily take for 100% accurate the info they get from newly registered forum members. While we all assume that everyone writes in good faith, there will always be exceptions.

Thirdly, the fact that the original poster hasn't posted since is also a red flag. Why wouldn't he respond to the advice offered by experts?

[rahulsaroha]

tutor has nothing to loose..
the sore looser will be u my dear..
pls don't do that..
enjoy ur hard work and then enjoy after getting success.

[indir0ver]

I would suggest not to take these posts seriously.

I see these things out of the scope of our AIM here.WHY I am saying that is..anybody can accuse any tutor.
Foremost thing is How can you prove the identity of this member Guru , if he is just assuming or is it real situation? I can search on google and put in name of random instructor and tutoring company here, would you go back to office asking your directors to search/investigate the issue?

[nicky_basu]

While looking for GMAT test centers in India I bumped into this following url....

https://www.consumercomplaints.in/compla ... age/1.html

https://www.consumercomplaints.in/compla ... age/0.html



I am wondering how can this be brought to GMAT administrative body.
This is grossly unethical practice.