I had my MA1104 Multivariable Calculus paper last Thursday evening. 5-7pm. It’s a bad timing, I swear. I had my General Biology paper the next day, and finishing the paper at 7pm meant that I would reach home at 9pm. And I did.

But that’s not my main point.

Everyone waited impatiently outside MPSH2 that day (ok, every paper also like that). When the doors finally opened, everyone rushed in, squeezing and pushing and displacing those who were less kiasu.

Then everyone took out their 2 helpsheets, pencil cases, jackets, calculators, water bottles, and placed it on their desks, and then went to the sides of the hall to put their bags. Then I sat down at my seat. I hear people shuffling it, and the invigilators asking everyone to quickly find their seat and sit down. Wait! I think I hear the sound of papers flipping. Oh, that must have been the helpsheets. No. I looked to my right (I was at the first column). This girl sitting just next to me was flipping through her exam booklet. And there were no instructions to check our papers or to open the exam booklet. Then the one in front of her was also doing the same thing. The one behind her as well. I stared in disbelief. And this guy a few columns away was flipping the pages too.

I thought they would leave the exam booklet alone after checking through the pages (The invigilator will give you time to check the papers lah!). No! They were staring at the questions, and in their minds, already thinking how to do the questions. And the invigilators seemed oblivious to what was happening! People were still coming in, and these people were already starting to look at the questions. That’s so unfair!

Then the invigilators gave instructions to check that all pages are there, and there’s no missing pages. And I was still staring at the girl beside me. She didn’t even bother to notice that I was staring at her. Her exam booklet is already opened to this particular question which she must have felt was more difficult. The booklet was opened, and she just kept looking at the question. Couldn’t she have done it more discreetly? This is considered cheating, right? Or maybe she does this for every paper and never gets into ANY trouble. Not even warnings. And this is not an isolated example. Many others were doing it as well.
I was angered that they could flip through their exam booklets and leaving it open at a page even before instructions were given. More so, I was really disgusted that no invigilators stopped them. It was so obvious. They should have seen it. If not, hear the sounds of students flipping through the pages. It was a closed book exam, and there shouldn’t be any flipping. Even the 2 helpsheets wouldn’t make so much noise. Totally appalled. And there were many of them doing the same thing. Which was wrong!!!!!!!!

The next time I see them opening the exam booklet before we were told to do so, I’m going to report. I’m just afraid that they won’t be punished. Shit.