Following allegations that students passed crucial information among one another before the test, all of the marks from the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations done by Oxford medical students have been nullified.
The entire cohort of students entering their sixth and final year of study will have to retake the exam, which requires medical students to engage with actors as though they were genuine patients.
The university will rank students in the interim using their performance on all other exams that were not the subject of any claims of cheating.
In a letter that student newspaper Cherwell obtained, Chair of Examiners; Dr. Sanja Thompson said that it was “difficult” to determine how many students had cheated.
Due to its continuing inquiry into the allegations, the university will not disclose any specifics.
The exam will need to be retaken by students in the fall, though a precise date has not yet been determined.
A university representative stated: “Following complaints about student conduct and the possible sharing of knowledge, the Year 5/GE3 Objective Structured Clinical Examination was submitted to the Proctors Office.
These issues are taken very seriously at Oxford University. As a result, it was decided to cancel the test, and a fresh session has been set up for the fall.
We are in constant communication with those affected to offer pastoral and assessment assistance and to provide platforms through which students’ issues and feedback can be addressed because we appreciate the uncertainty and anxiety that this will bring in students.”