Seventy-three suspected cheaters, one critical mistake.
Dozens of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were caught cheating on a calculus final exam in May after they all made the same errors on the test, according to officials.
Instructors at the Army’s premier training ground for officers revealed the academic scandal on Monday, saying it’s the worst they’ve seen since the 1970s.
So far, 59 cadets out of a suspected 73 have admitted to taking part in the scam in which the students “shared answers and made the same mistakes,” Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt, a West Point spokesman told NPR.
The test was administered remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Four cadets have resigned and another eight, who say they’re innocent of any wrongdoing, will face a full hearing led by seniors at the academy. The cases against two others initially implicated in the scheme have been dismissed for lack of evidence.
Cadets who commit to the rigorous military academy agree to abide by a strict honor code that holds them up to a high standard in exchange for free tuition and a $10,000 annual stipend to every student, in addition to the opportunity to become some of the nation’s top military leaders.