Contract cheating
Contract cheating is when others complete an assessment for you. This is often, but not always, in exchange for some form of payment.
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What is contract cheating?
Contract cheating is when others complete an assessment for you. It is often in exchange for some form of payment but does not always include the exchange of money, goods or services. Contract cheating can take the form of:
- giving another student money or goods, even as little as a meal
- paying a company, many of whom will advertise their services in a very official way and try to convince you that this is not cheating
- hiring a private tutor to write your assessment or provide extensive input
- using artificial intelligence or chatbots to complete all or part of an assessment.
What are 'chatbots' and why is their use considered contract cheating?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, such as chatbots like ChatGPT, can generate responses to quite complex questions and these technologies are developing rapidly. Use of Chatbots or other AI applications, even if they are freely available, is a form of contract cheating because you are instructing a third party to complete the work for you.
As a University, we recognise the potential of artificial intelligence and we want our graduates to be able to use such tools in a responsible manner and understand their limitations as well as their benefits.
To reflect this some assessment tasks may be designed to incorporate using such tools as part of the assessment. Providing you are following exactly what has been requested by your School this is acceptable and will not be considered contract cheating. Your school will make clear if you can use artificial intelligence as part of an assessment process.
How to avoid contract cheating
Contract cheating companies often use social media to target university students.
Use your critical analysis skills to consider if what a company or individual is offering you fits with the University's academic integrity values. Ask your personal tutor or another member of University staff you trust for advice if you are concerned.
If you feel that you have no other choice because of a competing deadline or a change to your personal circumstances, please contact your personal tutor or get in touch with our Students' Union Academic Advice team for free and impartial advice and support.
It is helpful for us to know when our students are being targeted so we can provide support and advice. If you are contacted by a company offering this type of service, please let your personal tutor or another member of staff know.
The risks of entering into a contract cheating arrangement
- You will get caught by the University and a serious penalty could follow.
- Getting someone else, including artificial intelligence, to undertake your work means that you will not have the skills to undertake future work, exacerbating the problem.
- The company blackmails you into paying more money with threats of exposing you to the University. If this happens to you, we suggest you let your department/school or the Students' Union Academic Advice Team know.
What happens if you are suspected of contract cheating
Contract cheating is a serious offence. If suspected, you may be asked to attend an interview with senior members of the school or faculty where you will be given the chance to discuss the issues. This is outlined in our Procedure where there is a suspicion of contract cheating (PDF, 189kB).
Any work which has been produced by contract cheating is unacceptable. It will be penalised according to University assessment regulations. (PDF, 258kB)
If you are the person who completes another student's work for them you may also face disciplinary action under our regulations.
If you are being investigated for contract cheating you can contact our Students' Union Academic Advice team for free and impartial advice and support.