ODTÜ shaken by exam document fraud scandal

ANKARA

Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) rector has launched an investigation into hundreds of students, who allegedly forged English proficiency exam documents, a daily report claimed.

The ODTÜ Rector Ahmet Acar has kicked-off an extensive inquiry, acting upon a unanimous denunciation of university management, revealing around 400 students have bought counterfeit IELTS and TOEFL proficiency exam documents to pass the English preparatory year, the daily Zaman reported Dec. 2.

A gang allegedly forged the exam result documents in return for prices ranging between 2,000 and 5,000 liras. The same gang is also suspected of handing counterfeit ODTÜ diplomas for up to 50,000 liras within past five years.

The university’s investigation team has identified all of the students that passed prep-school exams by receiving external exam results such as TOEFL and IELTS and called these students to bring their exam documents.

The authorities then appealed to testimonies of the documents’ owners discovered to have been altered.

Some students admitted their actions, giving the details of fraud and how much they paid.
While the test results of those suspected are annulled, the students’ education has been frozen until they pass English exams.

They also face punishment of being suspended from schools for six months to one year, according to the High Education Board (YMK) Discipline Regulations.

The rector’s office has also ordered separate investigations to be launched against previous incidents and the claims of delivering counterfeit diplomas.

As all the obtained data will be collected and handed to the prosecutors as a report, the investigation is expected to deepen