Japan teen faces criminal charge for alleged high-tech cheating on exam
By Ryan General
A teenager in Japan is facing prosecution for allegedly using high-tech glasses to cheat on a university’s entrance exams.
Key points:
- The 18-year-old university applicant took exams for Tokyo’s Waseda University in February.
- He allegedly used camera-equipped smart glasses to photograph questions.
- Ahead of the exams, he allegedly paid people online to act as “tutors,” tasked to answer the questions he eventually sends them.
- Waseda filed a criminal complaint, hoping to deter future cheating attempts.
The details:
- The alleged cheater was a senior high school student in Tokyo when he took the entrance exam at Waseda’s School of Creative Science and Engineering on Feb. 16.
- During a separate exam for the School of Commerce on Feb. 21, an official reportedly noticed a small camera in the frame of his glasses. The university then contacted local authorities to report the incident.
- The student allegedly asked X users for assistance during the exams in exchange for several thousand yen each.
- Equipped with his glasses, the student sent images to the smartphone in his pocket and secretly sent them to his “tutors,” according to police.
- The student was referred to prosecutors on Thursday over allegations of obstructing the private university’s operations.
- Waseda says those who provided answers did not know that they were answering actual exam questions.
- The teen, who was not admitted in the university, reportedly expressed regret and acknowledged his actions as “worse than cheating.”
What’s next:
- Local prosecutors will decide on potential charges. Waseda, for its part, says it will “respond harshly” to maintain fair testing environments.
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