TOKYO — A slew of suspected cheating cases have been uncovered in the Test of English for International Communication, known commonly as TOEIC, held in Japan. A Chinese student has been arrested over his alleged involvement, and is suspected to have acted as part of an exam cheating ring. A closer look into these cases reveals circumstances unique to China.
“We have a perfect test proxy group.” This is one of the ad copies on Chinese-language websites promising high TOEIC scores by hiring proxy test-takers. Some claim they will refund the fees if the scores are not met as promised. Detailed information, including prices and process, is not available on the website. A potential customer must scan a 2D code to access a messaging app, exchange messages individually with a representative, and then proceed to make a formal request.
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There were also ads for similar cheating tactics for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
About $8,000 to hire proxy test-taker; training session offered
In June, one Chinese woman in her 20s accessed one of the similar sites out of curiosity and exchanged messages with their representative through the Chinese messaging app WeChat.
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The representative presented two methods and pricing for taking the TOEIC: “Test proxy costs 59,000 yuan (about $8,200) and the earphone method is 29,000 yuan ($4,000).”
Proxy refers to someone impersonating the client taking the test, while the earphone method involves the client going to the test site themselves, wearing a device in their ear, and receiving answers via audio from another person solving the test questions elsewhere at the site.
Because this method requires the client to physically attend the exam site, it is considered burdensome and risky, and the representative told her that there was a preliminary “training session.”
In both cases, exam venues were located in Japan. Clients are instructed to pay half of the service fee upfront and the remainder after the results are released. The Chinese woman said she exchanged dozens of messages with the representative, but ultimately stopped communicating due to the fraudulent nature of the method.
Coordinated operation involving Chinese nationals?
The cheating techniques the woman was introduced to resemble those uncovered in a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigation into proxy test-taking and cheating schemes allegedly involving Chinese nationals.
In May, the MPD arrested Wang Likun, a 27-year-old graduate student at Kyoto University, on the spot for suspected unlawful entry into a TOEIC testing venue in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward, using someone else’s ID.
The MPD had been investigating after receiving reports by the TOEIC operator in May that they “found a test-taker muttering in Chinese during the exam.”
When Wang was apprehended, he was carrying a student ID under the name of another Chinese student, bearing a photo of his own face. Authorities also seized “smart glasses” equipped with a camera and communication functions, as well as a small microphone attached to a face mask.
Multiple cheating scheme businesses suspected
At the Itabashi Ward test venue, approximately 40 test-takers had registered with the same address as Wang. It is believed, by doing this, they sought to be assigned the same venue as him.
Based on these circumstances, the MPD suspects the involvement of organized cheating service providers. Investigators believe Wang not only acted as a test proxy under the instruction of a Chinese agent but also was planning to use audio to relay answers to other Chinese test-takers at the venue.
On June 7, after Wang’s arrest, the MPD voluntarily questioned 10 Chinese nationals suspected of attempting to cheat during another TOEIC session held in Tokyo.
Sources close to the investigation said there are multiple exam fraud businesses in China, and the fees paid by clients can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen (hundreds to thousands of dollars), depending on the provider.
They may be exploiting Japan’s lax countermeasures
One reason for the surge in exam fraud by Chinese nationals in Japan may be the comparatively lax anticheating measures at Japanese test venues.
A 26-year-old Yokohama woman, originally from southern China, says the country imposes strict cheating countermeasures. “In China, metal detectors are used to inspect belongings before entering the room for high school entrance exams or mid-terms and finals. If you have a cellphone, it will be confiscated,” she explained.
One investigative source said, “They think cheating is easy in Japan and they won’t get caught. We’re being completely underestimated.”
Social inequality in China
Some observers believe that the trend is also connected to the fact that there are Chinese individuals aiming to study or work in Japan due to unique social circumstances in China.
A 32-year-old woman from a farming village in western China, who now lives in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward and runs her own business, said, “If I had been born in Beijing or Shanghai, I probably would have just worked in China.”
According to Tomoko Ako, professor of modern Chinese studies at the University of Tokyo, China has a family registration system designed to limit migration into cities, which distinguishes between urban and rural residents.
Rural residents face discrimination in employment and other areas, while those who live in urban areas where universities are concentrated tend to have advantages in education and job opportunities.
Additionally, in China, there are “privileged classes” such as the so-called “Second-Generation Reds,” descendants of high-ranking officials who contributed to the Communist revolution. These elites often use money or connections to gain competitive advantages.
In contrast, Japan is said to have less pronounced inequality based on birthplace or social class compared to China. Achieving high scores on tests such as TOEIC can expand one’s options for school or employment.
These circumstances might encourage some Chinese individuals to move to Japan, where they can better leverage their abilities.
Ako added, “Among the privileged class, there may be people who engage in illegal behavior in Japan with the same mindset they had in China. For others, the inherent unfairness of China’s system might make them feel that rather than engaging in fair competition, it’s better to pay money to exploit loopholes — leading some to turn to cheating.”
(Japanese original by Kengo Suga, Tokyo City News Department)
