August 1 is D-Day for Uzbeks hoping to start their university studies in the fall. The day can also be quite profitable for cheating rings and professional test-takers, as documented by Daisy Sindelar and RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service.
This year, some 431,000 Uzbek youths are vying for just 56,000 spots in universities across the country. For some, mastering the art of cheating becomes a priority, as it’s the only way to beat the slim odds of eight students competing for each university spot.
This point was hammered home one day after the state exams on August 2, when the Uzbek website Gazeta.uz published some glossy close-up photos of students who were caught redhanded using various wheezes (such as taping mobile phones to their arms) in order to get the best exam results.
What remains unclear, is how, (what appears to be) a professional photographer was allowed inside the exam halls to take such high-quality close-ups.
PHOTO GALLERY: Uzbek University Entrance Exams
-- Deana Kjuka
This year, some 431,000 Uzbek youths are vying for just 56,000 spots in universities across the country. For some, mastering the art of cheating becomes a priority, as it’s the only way to beat the slim odds of eight students competing for each university spot.
This point was hammered home one day after the state exams on August 2, when the Uzbek website Gazeta.uz published some glossy close-up photos of students who were caught redhanded using various wheezes (such as taping mobile phones to their arms) in order to get the best exam results.
What remains unclear, is how, (what appears to be) a professional photographer was allowed inside the exam halls to take such high-quality close-ups.
PHOTO GALLERY: Uzbek University Entrance Exams
Uzbek University Entrance Exams
-- Deana Kjuka