The Development of Statistical Indices for Detecting Cheaters
Abstract Comparison data on SAT were collected on pairs of examinees in three samples for later use in detecting instances of willful copying. In each sample the answer sheet of each examinee was compared with the answer sheet of every other examinee to determine the expected degree of similarity among answer sheets for “honest” examinees. Eight detection indices were developed and bivariate distributions were run for possible operational use in making future judgments regarding examinees who were actually suspected of copying. The results of a series of analyses permitted the elimination of six of the eight indices. The remaining two have been used successfully at Educational Testing Service since 1970.