Some have probably cheated on their school exams at least once. After all, it was tempting at times. When a class was really hard or you struggled with the material, it seemed so much simpler to just take the easy way out.
And while academic honesty is good, itโs not hard to see why students cheat. In high school, many teens feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of schoolwork. They also feel as though they donโt have the right resources to help them study in a way thatโs beneficial to them. With a school day that starts at the crack of dawn and ends after extracurriculars and hours of homework, itโs not entirely difficult to understand why some students cheat.
Some say that there is an art to cheating. You canโt just write all the answers down and get them all right, especially if you havenโt previously been doing well in the class. Thatโs a dead giveaway. You could always peek at your neighborโs paper, but thatโs obvious โ and you run the risk of being noticed.
You have to come up with something more creative the teachers and other students wonโt notice. These 75 cheaters did just that to ace their exams.
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Flickr/Lohith H T
1) Got a ruler?
Itโs easy to write on a regular wooden ruler. All it takes is a pencil, which is easy to spot if youโre looking for it โ but also easy to overlook if youโre not.
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Flickr/Howard Dickins
2) When you need a hand
This one probably isnโt possible for most students, but you have to admit itโs clever. This nursing student took advantage of a dummy hand so he could look at his phone during the test. I hope heโs never my nurse.
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Bored Panda
3) Gotta stay hydrated
Some teachers allow students to have drinks during their exams. That provides the perfect way to smuggle in cheat sheets, all in the name of staying hydrated.
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Wikimedia Commons
4) Computer, calculator, whatโs the difference?
This student removed the guts of his calculator and replaced them with a cell phone. He could easily Google the answers to the exam while appearing to be doing calculations.
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Imgur/MatthewSabia
5) Thatโs pretty impressive
Morse code is an outdated form of communication. So, thereโs very little chance of anyone even noticing. These students just had the bad luck of attracting the attention of a teacher who did.
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Reddit/itellteacherstories
6) That takes some work
This student painstakingly recreated a Vitamin Water label, replacing all the nutritional information with test answers. Maybe they should have spent that time studying instead.
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Imgur/ipromiseimnotapotato
7) Clever and it involves chocolate
The teachers who allow snacking during class donโt know just how far their students will go to cheat. The only problem with this method is the potential to run out of one color of M&Ms.
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Reddit/babydragon0
8) There was no way to catch them
The sheer genius of this method was in switching the person who studied. By taking turns, the students made sure the teacher would never be able to catch them.
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Reddit
9) Looking out for their pals
This was spotted on a building across the street from a school. It was positioned at the perfect angle so students could look out the window during the exam.
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Imgur/outerspace
10) They canโt ask the student to show themโฆ
At one school, the girls took advantage of the cold weather to wear black tights. They also wrote the test answers on their legs. The notes werenโt visible to others, but by gently stretching the fabric, they were able to see them.
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YouTube/list25
11) Be right back, going to get a tattoo
This is pretty clever, especially since no one would ever think to look. And even if they did, how would a teacher examine a studentโs thigh without making the situation uncomfortable?
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Reddit/german900
12) It might make your eyes cross
This takes some next-level dedication. This student wrote his answers on the inside of his dreadlocks. It might be suspicious when everyone comes into the test with a new hairdo, though.
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Imgur/MinoritiesThatBench
13) It slipped beneath her notice
This oneโs almost on the teacher. If she allowed music in an exam, she shouldโve thought about the consequences. Itโs easy to record a text file.
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Reddit/Badgerpackbrew
14) When youโre only allowed one note card
Some teachers allow students the use of a single note card during an exam. This student found a loophole that wasnโt technically cheating. They wrote notes on top of one another in red and blue and used a pair of 3D glasses to isolate each color. That meant they had double the notes.
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reddit/f03vral0n3
15) Tap, tap, tap
Two students rigged an elaborate cheating system where they would tap out the answers โ one, two, three, or four, corresponding to the multiple-choice option. If one of them needed an answer, he would touch his head.
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YouTube/list25
16) She fell for it
Something tells me this teacher was a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. Not only did she not notice the tape on the ceiling, but she assumed they were having a group prayer.
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Reddit/cobiacaine
17) Two words: invisible ink
One student used invisible ink to secretly make notes for herself. Unfortunately, she was caught because to see them, she had to use a small blacklight.
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YouTube/list25
18) Donโt forget to wear the right shoes
What teacher would think to check the bottom of your shoes for cheat codes? All you have to do is sit at the right angle, which will look perfectly natural if you do it correctly.
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Reddit/version365
19) You canโt ask why theyโre blinking
Hereโs another method thatโs genius because it canโt be proven. What are you going to do, ask them to explain why theyโre blinking? Everybody has to blink.
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Reddit/blakecameron
20) He just went for it
Sometimes cheating hacks are as simple as hiding your phone under the table. Of course, the teacher would think he was just pulling his sleeve over his hand.
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Imgur/brightredlipstick
21) Destroy the evidence
This student mustโve eaten an enormous amount of gum. Is a bowel obstruction worth getting an A on a test? I guess it all depends on your point of view.
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Reddit/ogchickensandwich
22) All you need is a pen and a small piece of paper
A classic method of cheating is to write answers on a tiny piece of paper and roll it up inside your pen. It can be removed discreetly during the test by clicking the pen.
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Wikimedia Commons
23) Making use of the sun
This is incredible. To catch them, the teacher would have to be looking at the shoes from the perfect angle. The odds of that are almost nonexistent.
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Reddit/silentfartist
24) All it takes is a screenshot
Sometimes, studentsโ familiarity with technology can be their teachersโ undoing. In this case, while taking a graded computer test, one student simply took screenshots of the answers and sent them to the students in the next period.
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YouTube/list25
25) Apparently it works
Who wouldโve thought you could get students to get together and voluntarily conduct an experiment? The teacher would never be able to figure out how everyone was cheating.
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Reddit/derpacito
26) That takes dedication
This took a lot of creativity and a willingness to think outside the box. The teacher probably wouldnโt be looking out for something like this because who would ever think of it?
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Reddit/gmacWV
27) Does hard work count for credit?
When students know how to work with technology, almost nothing can stop them. This student figured out how to make their calculator look like it was reset when it actually stored all the formulas.
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Reddit/Staroze
28) Thatโs some legit nail art
Some people have a real talent for nail art. From afar, it looks like a pretty pattern, but up close, it contains all the answers for the test. What teacher would think to look?
29) Well, why wouldnโt you?
Pens and mechanical pencils are some of the best tools students use for cheating. They can easily smuggle small pieces of paper inside, and few teachers will look twice at them.
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Reddit/-eDgAR-
30) Simple and straightforward
This student not only had a cheating method, but also an excuse for it if they got caught. While thereโs no telling whether the teacher would buy it, they probably couldnโt give them a zero if they had a solid excuse.
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Reddit/ImadeAnAkount
31) Now thatโs global teamwork
Most students donโt have the opportunity to rely on classmates in other time zones. But these ones did, and they bonded together as only students can. The only ones who didnโt benefit were their future patients.
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Reddit/atticusfinch1973
32) What beautiful nails you have
Students have found some amazingly creative ways to use fingernail art to cheat. In this instance, one student hid notes under their acrylic nails, which they could access when the teacherโs back was turned.
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YouTube/list25
33) A phone is technically a calculator
Call it cheating if you want, but I maintain that a cell phone is a type of calculator. Or at least, thatโs what this student could argue if he was caught. I doubt theyโd accept that, though.
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Reddit/torbotoj_
34) He didnโt plan on their anticipation
One thing that catches many teachers by surprise? Their studentsโ ability to get ahead of them with technology. This teacher sabotaged himself, even though he didnโt know it.
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Reddit/AmericanMuskrat
35) When the teacher canโt decide whether they should be angry or impressed
Teachers know tests are important, but they also look for marks of creativity and self-reliance in their students. Itโs no wonder they were reluctantly impressed.
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Reddit/vancouver-duder
36) Hiding in plain sight
These students learned the value of hiding in plain sight. Itโs so obvious the teacher will look right through it. It takes some guts to tape a cheat sheet to the back of a chair though.
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Reddit/Ninjalord5
37) Foiled by a small detail
This just goes to show how little the student understood the coursework. That might not have been his fault completely. But it did foil his plan in the end.
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Reddit/Jubub0527
38) Iโve never heard of that
One student who was allowed a single notecard managed to fit the entire study guide on it. How? By making something called a microcopy, which printed everything in miniature.
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YouTube/list25
39) When you get tricked
This might be the simplest and most ridiculous way that anyoneโs ever cheated. If you can make the teacher zone out enough, they might just give you an answer to the test.
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Reddit/echelon_01
40) Werenโt they crinkly?
Even teachers who donโt allow food or drink in their classrooms will usually give a pass for candy or gum. If they were passing by, theyโd think the student was just waiting to throw the wrapper away until the end of the test.
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Reddit/1Cinnamonster
41) Youโll have to squint
If you can write really small, you can even put together a cheat sheet on your fingernails. Of course, youโll also need to have amazing eyesight.
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Flickr/Lohith H T
42) All you need is a rubber band
This one might take a little planning. Before the test, the student could make a habit of fidgeting with a rubber band during class. Then it would look like a restless tic instead of something out of the ordinary.
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Reddit/MayUseTheFuckWord
43) Sometimes it pays to be a girl
These students wrote or taped the answers to the test on their thighs and wore skirts on the day of the exam. The teacher could hardly ask them to pull their skirts up.
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Reddit/Rocky9211
44) Simple but effective
Sometimes, the simplest methods are the most successful. Itโs unlikely the teacher will think to go around and check each calculator โ unless theyโve seen this trick before.
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Reddit
45) โIโm just looking at the sugar contentโ
This is a pretty genius one. And they would have gotten away with it, except for one thing. The teacher had never seen that flavor before, so they picked the bottle up to read the label. Uh oh.
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Reddit/Alava
46) Book-ring
How clever is this? But if you only wore it on exam days, the teacher might get a little suspiciousโฆ Still, itโs a nice ring!
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Bored Panda
47) When youโre determined
Why not just study for the test? Something tells me that this person would have been fine if they applied themselves in their studies like they do with cheatingโฆ itโs just incredible.
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Buzzfeed/klobella15
48) Osmosis
The teacher would never know.
What would have been even cooler is giving one of your study terms as your name to the barista. Not sure how much it would have helped but it would have been funny.
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Buzzfeed
49) Water bottle tricks
Thereโs an actual video that shows people how to cheat using a water bottle. Itโs something you might not have seen before. Try at your own risk!
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YouTube/Nextraker
50) Hives
Crossing your legs can be uncomfortable at a desk. If you donโt do it daily, the teacher just might start to keep a close eye on you. But it sounds like it worked for them.
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Buzzfeed/wreckommender
51) Feeling under the weather
Well, it doesnโt get much more unoriginal than this. But then again, itโs been around for some time so maybe thereโs some luck to this method. Just donโt accidentally blow in it!
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Essaytigers.com
52) Bathroom trips
Itโs a good thing that the teacher didnโt suspect anything! Hopefully, it never got in the way of when you actually had to use the bathroom. How many trips is that?
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Buzzfeed/lukaisnotthatlame
53) Hollowed-out eraser
You can actually make put notes into your eraser! At least, some people can. This idea isnโt too shabby.
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YouTube/Nextraker
54) Lessons
I donโt think this is the education that the foreign exchange student signed up for! This was a class that Iโm sure wasnโt on her schedule. The stories she told to her friends back at home must have been interesting.
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Buzzfeed
55) What legends are made of
Really. This is what everybody wishes they could do at one point in their lives. How lucky they are to have a twin willing to do this for them. True twinning!
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Buzzfeed/ashleya48257e2ba
56) Tradition
Ah, the age-old, โnotes inside the sleeve.โ Teachers know this one pretty well. It may not be the most original but itโs proven to be pretty timeless.
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Bored Panda
57) Using ailment
Well, this is one way to do it. Itโs definitely a method of determination. Nothing odd about a pile of candy wrappers on the desk.
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Buzzfeed/rebeccalucys
58) All watches on my desk!
Those darn smart watches! These have become every teacherโs worst nightmare as some students are using them to cheat on tests.
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Bored Panda
59) Use your attire
Did the teacher see you trying to read it during the test? I figure it would be difficult to see. Still, it would have been funny to see the student try.
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Buzzfeed/saynotothis
60) Bandages
Before you know it, all students will be coming to class with bandages on them on test day. But this is pretty smart. To be effective youโll have to write pretty small!
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Bored Panda
61) All you need is friends
Thereโs one major requirement to pull this off, long hair! And if the hair is a light color, just hope the ink doesnโt leave traces in it. But it sounds like they pulled this off.
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Buzzfeed
62) Feeling parched
Those drinks really come in handy it seems. Just make sure the teacher doesnโt notice as they walk by! They might not have thought about that. Unless, they somehow made it look authentic.
Source:
Oddee
63) Accessorize the cheat
Letโs just hope those bracelets donโt cause too much noise! Itโs an interesting way to cover your tracks. Discretion is the lesson!
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Buzzfeed/eabaker32
64) Page of notes
You know when teachers allow students to bring one sheet of notes? Well, does this count? I really wonder how this played outโฆ
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Bored Panda
65) The buddy system
This is one way to study together. They literally passed notes back and forth during the exam. How intense!
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Buzzfeed
66) Is it worth it?
This would be pretty painstakingly tedious. Not to mention, pretty difficult to read! All that squinting just might look a little obvious to the teacher.
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Reddit
67) Lucky sweater
Letโs just hope that your parents never find it! Itโs a good reason to get into the habit of washing your own clothes. Iโm sure they would love that.
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Buzzfeed/j3lyfyshgal
68) Shhhโฆ
This isโฆ discreet. Not many teachers are going to be comfortable enough to ask their students what theyโre doing if theyโre looking inside their shirt. But then again, this is also be pretty obvious.
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Bored Panda
69) โIโm ready for my exam.โ
This person is always prepared! In front of the class nonetheless. Heโs lucky that none of the students ratted him out.
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Buzzfeed/mimicons100
70) When life gives you lemons
Talk about using unfortunate things to your advantage. This student did just that. This was very creative.
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Buzzfeed/laurar470241150
71) Just an eraser
Bring the eraser. Itโs not going to draw attention. But unlike the hollowed-out eraser, youโll have to write on this oneโฆ and erase it.
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Uphumor
72) The old hat trick
Some students wear hats with the notes written on the brim. Itโs why some teachers donโt allow them during tests. They simply duck down down and luck up.
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Jan Valle
73) Bring the extra pencils
Some students are configuring their pencils to hide little notes. This is next level stuff! Some people just have the time, I suppose.
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YouTube/kipkay
74) The whisperer
This student whispered to his watch for his grades. Did none of his teachers advocate for silence during the exam? Kids sure are sneaky nowadays!
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Buzzfeed/epotts0629
75) Changing mistakes
Now this is original! But how does one get the notes inside? Looks like you have to do some studying to find that one out!
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Bored Panda
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