Half of job seekers cheated on online employment tests: Japan survey

TOKYO — Half of job seekers said they have cheated during online employment tests according to a questionnaire conducted by a Tokyo-based company that organizes business-related certification exams.

As online tests for job hunting have become common due to the coronavirus pandemic, an official in charge of carrying out the survey urged firms to strengthen measures against cheating, and stated that ignoring the issue “poses a risk to businesses.”

The online questionnaire was conducted by Certify Inc. from March to June targeting those who graduated university between the 2020 to 2023 academic years, as well as students scheduled to graduate this academic year. It gathered valid responses from 328 individuals about their personal experiences during job hunting.

When asked if they had ever cheated on an online test, 164 respondents, or half, answered that they had. When asked about the methods of cheating, 67 cited “using smartphones or tablets devices,” 64 mentioned “using a computer,” and 48 reported “help from friends or acquaintances.” In addition, 23 people admitted to “paying for proxy test takers.”

Respondents perceived companies that conducted employment tests in an environment where cheating was possible as having “weak crisis management,” “low security awareness,” and being “unfair in their evaluations.”

To a question asking what they expected firms should do to prevent cheating, notable suggestions included “strengthen proctoring by using AI (artificial intelligence),” “have examinees show their surroundings and pockets before taking the test,” and “implement penalties for cheating.”

The official in charge of the survey also pointed out that “while AI gaze tracking and other cheating prevention technologies are becoming more common, they may not be able to detect cheating using smartphones, tablets and other devices people have on them.” They added, “Overlooking cheating not only leads to missing out on the best talents through a fair selection process, but also increases compliance risks.”

(Japanese original by Buntaro Saito, Tokyo City News Department)