Title
Applying Monte Carlo Simulation to Determine the Likelihood of Cheating on a Multiple-Choice Professional Exam
Document Type
Article
Keywords
Monte Carlo Simulation; Exam Cheating Detection; Crystal Ball
Publisher
Bentley University
Publication Source
CSBIGS: Cases in Business, Industry, Government and Government Statistics
Abstract
This paper outlines statistical arguments used in an attempt to determine if cheating occurred on a multiple-choice exam. The arguments include the testimony in a court case involving accusations of cheating on a 100-question professional multiple-choice examination with four choices for each question. In response to the fact that the prosecution employed a witness who was an expert in statistical analysis, one of the authors was engaged by the defense to conduct an independent statistical analysis of the exam scores. The prosecution’s witness utilized a simulation to demonstrate, in his opinion, the relative certainty of cheating by the defendant in the case. The authors performed their own analysis, including simulations, to counter the testimony of the prosecution. The results presented in this paper highlight the fact that in the absence of definitive proof, in spite of a statistical analysis of data, there is still a need to make subjective interpretations when trying to decide if cheating has occurred on a multiple-choice test.
Comments
Published by Bentley University in CSBIGS: Cases in Business, Industry, Government, and Government Statistics, volume 3 issue 1, 2009. Users may access this article here.