The GMAT scores of 84 wannabe business school students who have been accused of using a website to cheat on the test have been thrown out, the publisher of the entrance exam announced today. ScoreTop.com, which gave users access to unauthorized "live" test questions and answers, was shut down by the Graduate Management Admission Council after it won $2.35 million in a copyright-infringement lawsuit in June.
The council investigated 6,000 scores from 2004 to 2007 and has decided to bar 12 people who posted questions from retaking the exam for three years. The other 72 who posted messages saying they had seen questions from the site on their test will be allowed to retake the exam. GMAC also sent letters to more than 100 schools, notifying them of the students who have had their scores canceled.
GMAC® takes cheating very seriously, especially attempts to obtain access to live test questions in advance of an exam. We also take very seriously any unauthorized distribution of our copyrighted GMAT® preparation materials. GMAC® constantly patrols the Internet for:
Sites that claim to sell or distribute purportedly “real” GMAT® questions.
Unauthorized copies of our official study guides and supplements, GMATPrep® software, and other GMAC® products.
If you are caught disclosing, accessing, or using "real" GMAT® questions:
Your GMAT® scores will be cancelled.
You will not be allowed to take the GMAT® exam again.
Business schools will be notified.
You may be subject to a civil lawsuit or criminal prosecution.
You are responsible for making sure your preparation materials don’t violate our intellectual property rights. In other words:
Do not purchase, request, or share materials that claim to be “real” GMAT® questions in any form.
Do not download GMATPrep® software from anywhere but www.mba.com, where authorized GMATPrep® software is available forfree.
Do not request or distribute pirated software or books such as the GMAT® Paper Tests, GMAT FocusTM or the Official GMAT® Guide.
To learn more about what’s acceptable and unacceptable as you prepare for the GMAT® exam—or to report possible illegal activity—send an e-mail to pvtestsecurity@pearson.com. [/td][/tr]
