How to Deal With Being Caught Cheating on a Test

Confessing

Own up to your mistake. If you were caught red-handed in the moment, or if your teacher has irrefutable evidence against you, you should confess. The worst thing you can do after being caught cheating is to dig yourself into a deeper hole. While it can be scary to be completely honest with an authority figure, it may be your only choice. It’s also the easier thing to do, because you won’t have to rely on being a good actor or keeping your story straight. Think about the last time someone lied to your face, and you knew they were lying. Not only did it probably not feel great, it probably also increased your anger. Don’t escalate your situation further by lying.

Show remorse. You got caught doing something wrong, and you should act sorry. Whether or not you genuinely feel it in your heart, act like you regret your decision to cheat. If you admit that you cheated with a huge smile on your face, you’ll most likely get a harsher punishment simply to teach you a lesson. Be open about how you feel. If you feel the urge to cry, let those tears flow. The more emotion that your teacher sees from you, the better. If the authority figure sees that you are upset, they may be more lenient with punishment. Trying to play it cool is likely to backfire, because they'll think you need to be taught a lesson.

Explain why you cheated. This doesn’t mean you should start spouting off excuses, but rather give some rationale behind your actions. Instead of letting the teacher or counselor assume you are lazy or simply mischievous, try to offer them a reason they can understand. For example, tell them you were overwhelmed by the course material and simply were terrified of failing. It doesn’t undo the cheating, but everyone can relate to being scared. Make sure to tell your teacher that you studied for the test. It will look better for you if they know you did try to do well on your own.

Denying the Cheating

Evaluate the evidence against you. If a teacher saw you looking at an answer key in the middle of an exam, you aren’t going to be able to convince anyone that you weren’t cheating. However, if your teacher simply has a hunch that you cheated, you may be able to successfully deny the allegations. The repercussions of cheating can be intense, such as losing financial aid, getting suspended, getting expelled, and more. Unless you were caught red-handed, you may be able to convince your teacher that you’re innocent. If you aren’t exactly sure what evidence your teacher has against you, plan on denying. If they didn’t catch you in the moment, they may only have a suspicion.

Tell authorities you did not cheat. If you believe you can get away with it, go for it. The most important thing to do is to act surprised that they’re questioning you in the first place. Imagine if you worked hard and completed an exam or a paper without cheating… wouldn’t you be shocked if you were accused of cheating? Channel that reaction. If your teacher accuses you of plagiarizing, simply tell them that you used the source in question for research. After reading the information and going directly to your paper to write it, you may have unintentionally phrased things similarly. If your score was uncharacteristically high on a test, just tell your teacher that you studied intently for it, as opposed to other times. Each accusation will be different, but unless you have a great excuse, keep it simple. Repeat that you studied hard, you did your best, and you’re upset that you’re being blamed.

Stick to one story. Keep it simple. If you are going to deny cheating, you don’t need to come up with a winding, elaborate lie. Continuously repeat that you did not cheat, you are not a cheater, and you are saddened by the accusation. Do not tell different people different stories, and do not confess to a friend or sibling, no matter how trustworthy you think you are. Maintain one solid story, and don’t budge.

Dealing With Punishment

Accept the consequences. Tell your punisher that you understand whatever punishment or consequence they dole out, whether it be a week of detention, a month of detention, or a failing grade. Arguing will probably not make them change their mind about a punishment, but will only make you look worse. By accepting your punishment graciously, they will see that you have learned your lesson and understand the seriousness of your offense. Of course, this doesn’t have to be genuine. Having the ability to accept consequences can make you a stronger, more courageous person in the long run.

Prepare for a discussion with authorities. These can be different groups or people, depending on your situation. Often, schools will have “honor councils” that will determine your punishment, almost like a jury in court. Other times, a dean of discipline, the principal, or your teacher will decide your fate. It’s important to prepare for these discussions. Prepare a great explanation, rather than a whiny excuse. Explain what lead you to cheat, and how you will fix this moving forward. If you have a great academic or behavioral record up until this incident, point that out. It’s important to show everyone that the cheating was out of character and you are deeply sorry. Enlist the help of an older sibling or an adult you trust to help plan out your words. You may be required to write a statement. If so, edit, edit, edit. Read it to parents, teachers, and friends to get feedback.

Get it over with. Whatever your punishment is, just do it and move on. The longer you put it off, the longer it will stress you out. You did the crime, so do the time! If you have to tell your parents about what happened, go straight home and tell them. If you have to write a repentance essay, do it that night. If you have to accept a zero on the test, get to work finding extra credit. Not only will you be able to put this event behind you sooner, you will also show the authority figure that you are serious about fixing the problem.

Keep a positive attitude. This will make you look better to your teachers, but it will also make the punishment easier. Focus on making the best out of a bad situation, and use your punishment as a learning experience. Don’t mouth off or mope. Instead, keep your head up and deal with the consequences with the cheeriest outlook you can manage. Cheating on one test won’t ruin your life. While the consequences can be intense, as stated earlier, it doesn’t help to continuously beat yourself up or wallow in misery. Stay optimistic, and don’t dwell on the mistake you made.

Understand your rights. While it’s important to accept reasonable punishment, it’s also OK to fight back if you genuinely believe the punishment does not fit the crime, or if you don’t believe the punishment was determined properly. You have a right to due process from authority, and the teacher cannot dole out punishment without letting you share your side of the story. If you are facing expulsion from school, it is important to understand your rights. Laws about school expulsion vary from state to state, and from public to private schools. You have the right to be represented by a lawyer throughout this process. If you decide to appeal a suspension or expulsion that you believe to be unjust, you can learn more about that here.

Moving Forward After the Incident

Determine the cause of your cheating. This can be tricky, and it might take a little bit of self-reflection. However, it’s extremely important to determine what led you to cheat in the first place. Were you stumped by the subject? Were you too busy with extracurricular activities to study? Did you feel pressured by your parents to get a perfect grade? Be honest with yourself about why you resorted to cheating, whether or not it is a great reason. You don’t necessarily need to tell anyone what you figure out about yourself, but keep it as useful knowledge going forward.

Create a plan to deal with said issue. If you were confused about the subject matter on the test, make a plan to work with a tutor, study an extra hour after school, or meet with your teacher to ask questions. If you couldn’t find the time to study between your other after school commitments, you need to quit some of your extracurriculars (or rearrange your schedule) in order to make school a priority. No matter what caused you to cheat, you should be able to make a plan to follow going forward. While apologizing and accepting your punishment is OK once, making this plan will help it from becoming a routine occurrence.

Commit to your new plan. This is your chance to prove yourself and show that you are not a cheater. Hold yourself accountable, and remind yourself how unpleasant your punishment was. If you need to study more, turn off your cell phone and really commit to studying for a block of time without distractions. If you need extra help, reach out to your teacher and schedule a time to meet that you can’t flake on. You may need to make sacrifices in order to become a better student, but this will be worth it in order to avoid the temptation to cheat and the punishment that comes along with it.