Understanding academic integrity
Content Summary
As a professional membership organisation, we’re committed to upholding the integrity of the designation you’re striving to attain, modelling the behaviour and standards we expect of members, and supporting you to achieve your personal and professional goals.
The information on this page clarifies how we uphold academic integrity at CPA Australia. Make sure you also read and understand our Academic Misconduct Policy in full, to ensure you understand all actions that constitute academic misconduct, how we identify incidents of academic misconduct and the consequences for candidates and members.
What is academic integrity?
CPA Australia has an expectation that all candidates and members display these principles and comply with our Academic Misconduct Policy. Together, this ensures the long-term value of the CPA designation, and preserves the reputation of members as trusted, world-renowned and of the highest professional standard.
Complying with the principles of academic integrity
The easiest way to ensure you uphold CPA Australia's principles of academic integrity is to:
- comply with our Academic Misconduct Policy
- value your learning
- understand the rules, regulations and policies that apply to you as a member.
What is academic misconduct?
Any action or behaviour that breaches CPA Australia’s Academic Misconduct Policy or violates the principles of academic integrity is considered academic misconduct. Committing academic misconduct can have serious consequences for your learning, reputation, membership with CPA Australia or other professional bodies, and your career.
The below scenarios will help you understand more about how to uphold the principles of academic integrity.
|
Situation |
Action |
|---|---|
|
A friend has completed an exam with CPA Australia. You’d like to ask them about it. |
You can ask your friend how they felt about the exam experience, but don’t talk to them about specific exam questions or content. You cannot discuss exam questions or receive information about exam content from your friend, regardless of whether you’re in person, or communicating via social media, through online forums or via messaging apps. |
|
You recently completed an exam with CPA Australia. Someone asks you about it. |
You can discuss how you felt about the exam experience, but do not mention specific exam questions or content. You cannot reproduce or share exam questions or content regardless of whether you’re in person, or communicating via social media, through online forums or via messaging apps. |
|
Someone shares exam questions or content with you. |
Avoid looking at or opening the content, and try to limit your exposure. Don’t share the content with anyone else. Accepting and using this information to improve your own exam performance or the performance of others is academic misconduct. You must report this to CPA Australia. Find out how. |
|
You prefer to learn in a classroom environment, with a tutor and other candidates. |
You may engage with CPA Australia’s list of registered tuition providers when seeking study support. Any providers not listed on our website are not affiliated with CPA Australia, and we have no visibility of the content these services use. |
|
Someone suggests you see if ChatGPT can help you with your exam. |
Any secondary device, such as a mobile phone or another computer, cannot be used during your exam. If you are using ChatGPT or any other generative artificial intelligence on a secondary device, this would be considered a breach of the Academic Misconduct Policy. |
|
You feel nervous before your exam and want to find a way to improve your performance. |
We recommend that you take advantage of the resources available in My Online Learning, including the quizzes and practice exams in Guided Learning. These resources can help you focus your study where you need it most and help you feel prepared. You cannot engage someone else to sit your exam for you, or complete your exam with help from another person or service. |
|
Someone tells you about a site that has leaked exam questions. |
Don’t visit the site. Visiting the site, re-sharing the site, and using the information to improve your exam performance constitutes academic misconduct. You must report this to CPA Australia. Find out how. |
|
Someone asks you to run an application on your computer as you sit your exam. |
You must decline the request. Running or using any hardware, program, process, software, or prohibited physical device during an exam may constitute academic misconduct. You must report this to CPA Australia. Find out how. |
|
You’re sitting an online exam and you’re not sure what you should do with your phone. |
Once you’ve finished checking in, you must place your phone out of reach. It can be in the room with you, but you should move it as far away from your desk as possible. You should only touch it if you’ve been completely disconnected from your exam and your proctor rings you, or once you’ve completed the exam survey and clicked ‘End Exam’. For more information, take a look at your exam requirements. |
|
You’re sitting an online exam and someone enters your room. |
You must tell the person you’re sitting an exam and ask them to leave immediately. You should say ‘I’m sitting an exam, please leave’. Interacting with the person in any way, aside from asking them to leave is prohibited. |
If you'd like more information or have any questions about the above, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Academic misconduct policy
Read through our Academic Misconduct Policy in full to ensure you understand all actions that constitute academic misconduct, how we identify incidents of academic misconduct and the consequences for candidates and members.