Hi all, I cheated on the CFA exam 2 years ago and was caught by the similarity analysis and I was banned permanently. Over these years I’ve thought a lot, and I’m really guilty of my sins, and I urge everyone of you out there to not ever cheat. I really do want a second chance, and I can prove to them that I’ve changed. So do you guys think the professional conduct team would give me a second chance and lesson my ban to a 5 year suspension instead if I write them a decent letter? Do you know anyone who succesfully reduced their suspension period ever? Thanks all.
Testing
Did Itera rat you out?
I’ve never heard of CFAI reducing sentences, but 1) I don’t follow it regularly, and 2) if you have any chance at all, it’s to write a contrite letter and hope for the best. If you want to do the exams, the cost-beneft of writing a letter seems good.
I do know that WITHOUT writing a very good (and heartfelt) letter, the chance of getting a reduction is pretty much zero. So unless you have exactly no free time, give it a shot.
Would love to hear how and why you cheated in the first place just out of curiosity if youre willing to share.
If they reduce your sentence (and that’s a big “if”), then I seriously doubt they’d do it after only two years.
Only if John Rogers turns into Pope Francis.
Thank you for sharing!!!
and i too want to knoow what exactly did you do? like looking at people’s answers??
I think there are a million ways to cheat if you want to at the test site, but i wouldn’t dare because it is an instant humiliation in front of thousand of people.
How were you able to cheat? At my testing center we had security everywhere - bathroom included. I was scared sh*tless to look anywhere except at my paper or up at the ceiling when my eyes needed a break.
If you got caught cheating - not the appearance of cheating but “actual” cheating - I don’t see how they’ll ever let you take the exam again. Not to be an arse, but as a Charterholder who busted his rear end to get through these things, I applaud CFAI for being so strict.
Anyone who cheats on the CFA exams is a pathetic loser. “We all make mistakes, blah blah” - get over it, this isn’t kindergarten, you should have known better. CFA requires you to have an undergraduate degree (I believe) to be a charterholder. That means you’ve had ample time to figure out what kind of personal integrity you have. Almost all our college exams were unproctored and you could take them whenever you like - I’m sure some people did cheat, but they would have been disgraced and expelled by a jury of their peers if they were found out. Plus even if they were never discovered, they’d have to live with breaching the university’s community of trust, which is what you tried to do to the CFA community. I’m guessing it wasnt the first time in your life you pulled something like that.
There were almost as many procters than candidates where I was, and there were thousands of candidates. It takes ball$ to attempt to cheat.
This x 100.
This isn’t grade 6 anymore. Real life has consequences. Forgiveness is a virtuous thing, but forgiveness doesn’t require giving you a second chance. Nor should it.
Most cheaters think they’ve repented and what not, but it’s just a matter of being caught. If you got away with it I doubt you’d be surrendering your Charter today. Maybe I’m wrong, but in 99% of the cases these folks are just sorry for being caught.
This comment reflects what I said above. Most cheaters are only embarassed because they’re caught or outed in front of their peers. Someone that thinks like that, I would suggest, is a likely cheater at some point (at work, school, whatever).
I wouldn’t dare because it destroys the integrity of my accomplishment, my career and therefore my life
undecided on this.
one side of me says that a person should be allowed to repent and be given 2nd chance
another side agrees with the statement that forgiveness does not have to come with a 2nd chance
what if an organisation is allowed to cheat, got found out, fined, then allowed to carry on again? is that acceptable or just becos its an industry too big to fail? banking crisis of 2008 and its subsequent , anyone?
lets not be self righteous here. i will say give it a shot michelle, never try never know. gd luck
Give a shot, if you can actually demonstrate real remorse, maybe they’ll reduce the sentence. I don’t think they will, and I wouldn’t agree if they did, but it’s worth a shot if you have indeed really changed.
In another life I have failed exams and wrote them knowing I deserved it. But cheating was never an option for 95% of us. Personal integrity is like golf, we all keep our own scores.
i recommend you take a trip to Charlottesville and do it in person.
if you got caught out by similarity analysis presumably you copied answers from the person next to you? if so, what happened to the person you copied from?
+1. very curious. although based on the fact that you cheated means it will be tough to believe anything you say. sorry.
I can’t imagine that the Institute that touts ethical standards is suddenly going to start letting cheaters back into the fold just to be nice.