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The premature release of an online exam paper at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was due to human error by administrative staff, said Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang.

In response to parliamentary questions regarding the matter, Gan said staff failed to password-protect the electronic version of the test paper meant for students taking the test online.

"As a result, the students were inadvertently given access to questions before the test started," Gan said.

In addition, NTU is currently conducting an internal investigation into the test paper leak.

It will review its protocols and staff training to prevent similar incidents and look at further safeguards they could consider to avoid such human errors from affecting future examinations.

When asked if there have been similar cases in recent years, Gan said there had been five isolated incidents where examination papers were leaked ahead of time in the past three years.

This affected a "small minority" of the undergraduate student population in the more severe cases.

Retake exam

A total of 218 students had to retake the module's final test.

Year 2 Psychology students sat for the final test for the core module HP2200, Biological Psychology, on Nov. 7 at 9:30am.

This final test made up 40 per cent of the course grade.

About 20 minutes before the start of the test, students were notified that the question paper was uploaded on NTU's online learning portal, Blackboard.

Students who saw the notification on their phones could access the exam questions before the start of the test.

The online test was meant for students who were Covid-19 positive.

All students took the same paper and started simultaneously.

On Nov. 10, students received an email from the school informing them that all students had to retake the test on Nov. 14.

Protocols set in place

Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have protocols to prevent unauthorised access or premature release of examination papers, Gan said: "These include password-protecting digital copies of examination papers and only releasing the password to students just before the scheduled examination time, hosting e-assessments on internal platforms with controlled access, and storing printed copies in secure locations with restricted access."

IHLs also acknowledged the added stress on students who need to retake examinations.

She said: "Sufficient time is provided for students to prepare for re-examination. In addition, lecturers and mentors avail themselves to support affected students. Students who require more assistance can also turn to para-counsellors or professional counsellors in the IHLs."

Gan added: "NTU undertook remedial action to ensure a fair assessment process for all students by having a retest with reduced examinable topics and extended counselling support to affected students."

When asked for a standard protocol for IHLs to undertake when exam papers are leaked, Gan said it is not practical to prescribe a standard time for students to prepare for re-examination, citing the numerous disciplines and types of exams.

She said some students might need more time for a particular subject than others.

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