Leeds students are angry at lack of information about final results delay

By Anna Ellis studentBMJ

Final examination results at Leeds University were delayed by eight days, it emerged recently. Final year students were told by email that allegations of cheating had been made and that their results would be published the next week, pending an investigation.

The university had been made aware of a course run by a local general practitioner and preregistration house officer, who had paid former students to remember multiple choice questions that had been in the previous year's paper.

Final year students who had been on this course were deemed to be at an advantage, and students who had not been on the course complained.

The university marked the paper for a second time, taking out eight questions that had been in previous papers, and the results were published the following week.

But final year student Tom Fletcher was appalled at the subsequent lack of communication between the university and the students. Three weeks ago he presented a letter to the dean of students, Professor Levene, signed by 80 final year students.

Levene wrote to Dr Andrew Catto, who is the member of staff responsible for final examinations and fifth year education, enclosing the students' letter as well as asking for a message to be sent to the students stating the findings and conclusion of the investigation.

Fletcher said: "Eighty students and many of our parents have written, asking to be informed about what happened, and we have heard nothing. On day one at medical school we are taught about the importance of communication skills--yet they won't talk to us."

Information about the revision course was originally circulated to students by the university email system, although the course was not officially sanctioned by the medical school.

A university spokeswoman said, "We are surprised by what is being suggested, as we have kept students and their representatives fully informed.

"Serious allegations were brought to our attention by students, and an extensive investigation has taken place into all relevant issues. A full analysis by an education statistician of the results of the multiple choice paper has been carried out, from which we concluded that the circulation of eight previous questions (together with some inaccurate responses) had no effect whatsoever on the students' final results. When the questions were omitted from the final score, nobody's position changed, and there is no evidence whatsoever of systematic cheating.

"An interim report was presented to our MB ChB [degree] programme meeting on 7 May, where student representatives took part in a full discussion and were happy with the actions taken, and it was agreed at that meeting that a full report would be emailed to all students in due course.

"There are complex legal questions which needed clarification before going public. As we promised student representatives on 7 May, we will be publishing the full results of our investigation once we have done this, and we expect this to be very soon."

In 1995 final year students at Leeds were forced to retake a multiple choice question paper after the 1993 paper was sent to the library by mistake. The paper was declared void and all students sat another paper, slotted between their clinical finals.