'Cheating watches' warning for exams

Teachers have complained about "cheating watches" being sold online to give students an unfair advantage in exams.

These digital watches include an "emergency button" to quickly switch from hidden text to a clock face.

The watches hold data or written information which can be read in exams.

But a deputy head from Bath has warned about the scale of this "hidden market" and says it could tempt stressed students into cheating.

Watches are advertised on Amazon with the claim that they are "specifically designed for cheating on exams".

One model promises 4GB of electronic storage for text files or images, to be read on the screen of the watch.

If the "emergency button" is pressed, the other buttons on the watch are disabled, as the watch switches to a conventional digital clock face.

This "watch for easier studying" is also marketed as being compatible with a mini
wireless earpiece.

Another advert promises a watch that is "perfect for covertly viewing exam notes directly on your wrist".


Another is offering a new model for this year with 8GB capacity, which could hold video files.

Smart watches or digital watches with concealed content would be covered by rules banning electronic devices from exam halls, such as mobile phones or any other computer technology.


But Joe Sidders, deputy head at Monkton Combe Senior School in Bath, has contacted the BBC to warn that the rise of small wearable devices risks becoming a "nightmare to administer".

"I expect the hidden market for these sorts of devices is significant, and this offering on Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35716523



This is pretty bad news I must say. That these watches are readily available and being advertised!