Forms of Examination Malpractice Experienced by Invigilators in Secondary Schools of Kabwe District, Zambia

Examination malpractice remains a threat to the credibility, fairness and integrity of educational assessment in Zambia. Although examination authorities have instituted measures to safeguard national examinations, different forms of malpractice continue to emerge, including practices that are increasingly aided by technological advancement. This article explored the forms of examination malpractice experienced by invigilators in selected secondary schools of Kabwe District, Zambia. The study was guided by an interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative approach using a descriptive phenomenological research design. Thirty examination invigilators drawn from ten selected secondary schools were purposively selected based on their experience in examination administration and handling examination malpractice. Data were collected through unstructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analysed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. The findings revealed five major forms of examination malpractice experienced by invigilators: smuggling of unauthorised materials, use of electronic gadgets, collusion and assistance, swapping and tampering with answer scripts, and impersonation. The findings further showed that examination malpractice had moved beyond conventional practices such as concealed written notes to more sophisticated methods involving smartphones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices and coordinated assistance from actors within and outside examination centres. The study concludes that examination malpractice in secondary schools is dynamic and increasingly difficult to detect using conventional invigilation practices alone. It recommends strengthening candidate screening, introducing appropriate electronic detection mechanisms, improving candidate identification procedures and reinforcing accountability among all personnel involved in examination administration.