Web sites offer test answers 'cheap'

December 26, 2007

A Web site in Ohio is offering answers to hundreds of questions on qualifying examinations for professionals ranging from computer technicians to pharmacists.

The Boston Globe reports cheaters can buy pirated answers to a business school admissions test for just $30. The Web site calls the answers to tests for professions requiring certification a "VIP Pass."

Other exam answer keys are available for everything from school bus driver to medical technician, and for a range of military skills. The sites are called "brainbumps" in Internet jargon.

"It's impacting any industry or any business that certifies or licenses," said Susan Underhill, vice president of Hewlett-Packard's global certification program. "We live in a world where IT supports everything."

Easy availability of high-tech cheating is of particular concern to the U.S. Army, which was surprised when the Globe reported this month that thousands of soldiers had cheated on certification exams.

TestExam.com, a site headquartered in Pakistan, makes about $10 million a year selling answers to technology tests, the Globe said.

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