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A cheating scandal that impacts prospective and current graduate business students has expanded to as many as 6,000 test-takers of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), those involved cheated by accessing actual live test questions. These questions were taken from the current GMAT and placed illegally on a website called Scoretop.com, which was advertised as a GMAT test preparation business.

The GMAT is a prerequisite for admission to most graduate business schools, including traditional and online MBA programs.

The website apparently advertised that live questions would be accessible to those who paid additional fees to become VIP members of the website. Legitimate test-preparation companies, like Kaplan Inc., purchase ‘retired’ questions from the GMAC.

A few days ago, the GMAC won a $2.35 million judgement for copyright infringement against the owners of the Scoretop website, along with legal permission to seize both the domain name and a hard drive listing names and payment information about those who purchased VIP status. The FBI was instrumental in helping the GMAC build a case against Scoretop administrators.

Now, GMAC is investigating information on the hard drive in order to determine who will have their scores cancelled. Some test-takers are already enrolled in MBA programs, while others used the scores to apply to their desired colleges and universities.

The cancelling of scores could be devastating to those involved; since cheating is not tolerated in any form by reputable on-campus and online business schools.

The GMAC plans to go after any websites that illegally obtain live GMAT questions; and test-takers who access those sites could also face repercussions down the road.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page from the GMAC is available to those who have further questions about the Scoretop scandal and how it is being handled.

GMAT, online MBA, MBA, graduate school, business school, Kaplan, colleges and universities, online schools, scoretop.com, FBI

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Apparently the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers online education to be an excellent source of training for its employees.

In fact, the organization has entered into a formal educational agreement with Capella University, an accredited online school, to provide professional development opportunities to its staff through the FBI’s University Education Program (UEP).

In cooperation with the FBI, Capella University will provide a business administration focus to employees who require preparation for management positions, or who are already performing jobs in which leadership skills are necessary for competency.

Under the cooperative agreement with Capella, eligible FBI employees may pursue online bachelors and graduate degrees on a tuition-free basis. This e-learning opportunity is expected to strengthen the FBI workforce in a way that is convenient, stimulating and motivating to the students.

This past December at the FBI’s National Crime Lab Symposium in Atlanta, Donna Brandelli, a Capella doctoral student, delivered a presentation on the permanence of fingerprints. The Ph.D. student is a forensic identification specialist with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and is conducting a long-term research study that is expected to show that fingerprints are durable and unique. The FBI commissioned the study; and Brandelli, along with 5 other specialists from around the U.S., will continue to gather and analyze fingerprints over the next several years.

The FBI is one of many organizations and businesses that utilize the latest distance learning capabilities to give their employees a leading edge. With a computer, a modem and an Internet connection, online students gain the knowledge, skills, certification and college degrees that aid in on-the-job promotion, increased productivity and higher salaries.

online education, distance learning, online school, FBI, Capella University, professional development, higher salary, business administration, employee training, forensic, online bachelor’s degree, leadership training, management, college degree, knowledge, skills, fingerprint analysis, job promotion, National Crime Lab Symposium

Popularity: 8% [?]

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