More than 2,000 Chinese students caught cheating on national pharmacist test

China was shaken earlier this month by an elaborate cheating scam, involving high tech methods and more than 2,000 pharmacy students.

The South China Morning Post reported that proctors first detected abnormal radio signals in seven testing locations within China’s Shaanxi province, where 25,000 aspiring pharmacists were taking a national licensing exam. When investigated, 2,440 candidates were caught with an earpiece receiving answers in code, with 700 caught in one location alone.

The organizers behind the scam entered false candidates into the tests, which took place on October 18 and 19, to quickly memorize questions. The scammers left imminently, worked out the answers, then transmitted them for a fee of $330.

“It is the worst scandal over the past few years,” said Du Fangshuai, chief of the Shaanxi testing authority. He claims those caught must wait two years before being allowed to repeat the test.