With the continuous development of China's economy and society, there is a growing number of individuals, expressing an interest in studying abroad. They primarily fall within the age range of 15 to 21, and their preparations for international education, often commence at an even earlier age.

Some aspire to quench their thirst for knowledge, expand their intellectual horizons, overcome academic challenges, and ascend to a higher educational platform through studying abroad. Others view it as an escape from intense domestic competition, an opportunity to enhance academic qualifications or even a pursuit of the prestige associated with "gilding" in a developed country.

The desire for a promising future, and the aspiration to study abroad, contribute to a significant number of individuals annually applying to take the SAT, (the Academic Proficiency Test for American High School Graduates), exam, as its scores serve as a crucial requirement, for pursuing education in the United States.

However, in October 2014, a sensational exam incident unfolded – all candidates residing in China and South Korea, were notified by the exam center, that the release of results would be delayed. The College Board has initiated a score review process, due to credible evidence of cheating, by certain test takers. This review aims to assess, the authenticity and validity, of everyone's scores.

According to incomplete statistics, this incident impacted test centers, including China’s Macau and Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and others, 14 regions in total. The scale was so extensive, that it marked the first occurrence of such magnitude, in the history of SAT exams.

Signs often precede a hurricane. What could have contributed to such a shocking situation?

In this edition, we will attempt to delve into the underlying cause, of the incident by examining a specific aspect, of this significant case.

(This case is inspired by real events. The information is sourced from Xinhuanet, and all characters in the article are given pseudonyms.)

Chapter 1

Dream of Study Abroad and Mysterious Training Course

Chen Ling is an average Chinese student, from a prosperous family background. With outstanding results in the high school entrance examination, she secured admission to a renowned international high school, in a provincial capital city. This implies that there is a greater than 50% chance, that Chen Ling will fulfill her dream of studying abroad, at the prestigious school she aspires to attend in the future.

Influenced by her family's educational values, Chen Ling began her study tour abroad at a young age, with a particular focus on her experiences in the United States. The free campus environment and open teaching atmosphere left a profound impression on her. The conviction that "I must pursue my studies there in the future," has deeply ingrained itself in Chen Ling's heart.

Her dream itinerary was meticulously organized, encompassing social practice, scientific research activities, comprehensive evaluation, and the upcoming SAT exam—a major concern for her. This exam is exceptionally challenging, requiring mastery of an extensive vocabulary of 18,000 words, in addition to dealing with a substantial number of questions and demanding critical reading skills.

Chen Ling is a student who has a genuine passion for learning and finds joy in the process of acquiring knowledge. However, since entering high school, Chen Ling has found herself, frequently engaged in comparisons with her peers, due to the constant emphasis on rankings and competition. Entering the school with excellent admission, Chen Ling struggled with mediocre scores, a significant gap that proved hard for her to accept.

In her depressed state, Chen Ling found solace in two friends – He Juan, with a calm personality, and Zhang Kai, who was carefree. Juan is usually diligent and conscientious, studying together with Chen Ling, and helping and encouraging each other. On the other hand, Zhang Kai is a typical optimist, who doesn't mind being at the bottom of his grades, and always encourages them, to take a break and play games.

However, Chen Ling couldn't afford to slack off, if she wanted to achieve good grades for studying abroad. Before the exam, she stayed up all night to review. As there were no test centers for the SAT exam in mainland China, she joined the exam group and traveled to the Hong Kong exam center. On the day of the exam, facing the challenging test paper, she persisted in keeping her mind clear and wrote diligently until the last minute.

Unfortunately, there were too many questions that she was uncertain about. When the results came out, it was no surprise that her and He Juan's scores were very low, not even reaching the threshold of the target university. The two were extremely frustrated and had no choice, but to pin their hopes on the next re-examination.

However, to their astonishment, Zhang Kai not only passed but achieved a nearly perfect score!

Chen Ling immediately sensed an air of mystery, and couldn't resist peppering Zhang Kai with questions,—how could he have secured such an exceptional score, without harboring some clandestine strategy? But Zhang Kai hesitated and kept it secret. He Juan made a guess, "Is it because Zhang Kai's training institution provided better teaching?” Chen Ling quickly urged, stating that if they were friends, there should be no secrets.

Zhang Kai then relaxed a bit, and shared with them in a low voice, that training institutions were a top priority, and they needed to find those who could provide valuable "Key king."

Since 2012, SAT exams in the Asia-Pacific region, have been exclusively using questions, sourced from previous test papers in North America. The term "Key king" refers to the actual questions, memorized by previous candidates in the examination room, which are collected to create a question bank. If you focus your preparation on the question bank, the chances of encountering the original questions will be significantly higher!

What??? After hearing this "inside story", Chen Ling was dumbfounded. It turns out there is a secret shortcut for the SAT, considered to be the most challenging exam!

This shortcut saves time and effort compared to a step-by-step learning approach. And what choice will she make?

Please stay tuned for the next issue: "Detective" of "Qingqiao Safety"

2 Secret Path to Realizing Dream

Acknowledging the existence of shortcuts was merely the first chapter in Chen Ling's journey astray.

For her, the urgency of studying in the United States overshadowed the fear of exam failure. What terrified her even more than a poor test score was the doubt and denial of her abilities, plunging her into hesitation and confusion about the direction of her life.

This left Chen Ling perplexed, questioning the true purpose of pursuing an education abroad. In her subconscious, the SAT seemed insurmountable through conventional means, with successful candidates seen as either "gifted" or possessing some "unique skill."

Coincidentally, the information shared by Zhang Kai seemed to confirm this notion for her.

He Juan also looked as if she suddenly enlightened, "It turns out that you can find the original questions in the Key king. It's so silly to review like we did before!" So the two of them promptly enrolled in the training program at the small institution called "Youxue" recommended by Zhang Kai.

Since entering the institution for classes, the exchange of information between them and their classmates has become particularly smooth. More "exam insider information" is constantly emerging, which has simply opened the door to a new world!

For instance, they learned that SAT exam questions follow a pattern, with some questions from recent years being reused. If you study 5 to 6 sets of these questions, success is practically guaranteed. Another revelation was the significant differences in the management of examination rooms in various regions, encompassing factors like the number of invigilators and the leniency toward late submission of papers. Additionally, some candidates take advantage of the exam intermission to check their answers in the bathroom...

"This is unfair！" Chen Ling was utterly shocked upon learning this. The SAT exam, once deemed almost sacred by Chen Ling, unexpectedly concealed numerous mysteries! Chen Ling felt dissatisfied thinking that, while she was preparing diligently for the exam, many people ignored the rules and even secured spots in American universities ahead of her.

However, He Juan, sitting beside her, sighed and said, "So what? If you don't use these 'tricks,' you'll end up at a disadvantage, falling behind others." Even He Juan, known for her diligence, thought so. Chen Ling had to admit that her words made sense.

Together, they joined a team dedicated to researching exam strategies. This time, they approached the exam preparation with newfound confidence, making the path to studying abroad much smoother.

As the October SAT exam approaches again, the worries and anxieties that plagued them in the past seem to have dissipated.

The most significant shortcut only revealed itself at this moment.

Before registration, the teacher from the institution unveiled a special VIP examination service to the students.

The services include the ability to register consecutive admission ticket numbers, allowing candidates to sit in the same row. Additionally, they offer assistance in applying for visas, booking air tickets, and providing "exam responses." Given that the SAT is administered in multiple regions simultaneously with time differences, it creates a situation where exams are not conducted at the same time. Exploiting this loophole, some institutions deploy personnel in advance to leak test questions during the time difference and subsequently provide answers to students via mobile phones.

The core of the "exam responses" is to obtain the answer with a clear price tag!

At this point, Chen Ling was left utterly stunned. Isn't this essentially stealing the questions?! Reflecting on the various pieces of inside information she had acquired and the promises made by the teachers at the institution, she began to sense that these practices were not only opportunistic but also potentially illegal.

However, as she contemplated it, weren't those like Zhang Kai, who reaped the benefits, doing just fine? Moreover, He Juan, who studies diligently, doesn't seem to have any objections either. She justified it by saying, "The exam itself is unfair. With so many people buying the answers, why can't they?”

The price quoted for the VIP examination service is quite high, but many students have signed up as if they have been eagerly anticipating this last "big move." After much contemplation, especially upon discovering that in certain examination rooms, carrying a mobile phone might go undetected, Chen Ling eventually overcame her last reservations and joined this specialized examination group with He Juan.

This time, after inquiries from various agencies, the examination group chose a test center in Thailand, where supervision is relatively lax.

The exam day arrived in Bangkok, and Chen Ling felt somewhat nervous. The unfamiliar circumstance, the security personnel ensuring order, and the examiners overseeing the exams left her feeling inexplicably uneasy.

Almost every student in the examination group has a mobile phone, and they have followed the agency's instructions and hidden their mobile phones. It is said that in Thai examination rooms, examiners will only collect mobile phones from candidates before the examination and will not conduct body searches. Therefore, invigilators have no way of knowing if anyone has hidden mobile phones.

Chen Ling concealed her iPhone in the inner pocket of her coat early on. But when the expressionless examiner walked up to her and asked her to surrender the communication tool she carried with her, she still suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body. With her heart pounding, she forced herself to calmly explain that she had given her cell phone to the teacher leading their team.

The examiner glanced at her and then walked past her.

At this moment, Chen Ling was suddenly flooded with worries she hadn't considered before: Would this draw the examiner's attention? Would she become a target for the exam?

Please stay tuned for the next issue: "Detective" of "Qingqiao Safety"

Chapter 3

A losing situation

Just as Chen Ling was anxious, He Juan, who was nearby, trembled slightly with nervousness, casting occasional pleading glances at her for reassurance. Chen Ling could only nod silently, signaling for calmness.

When the examiner handed out the test papers, Chen Ling began answering the questions. However, she found herself unable to concentrate, as questions like "What if I got caught?" kept echoing in her mind.

The answers to the same exam held in Australia earlier that day had now been sent over, one by one, without any errors. Chen Ling took a deep breath, secretly turned on her phone, and carefully copied down the answer sheet.

Not long after, the patrolling examiner walked by.

Chen Ling immediately covered her phone in a panic, her heartbeat accelerated, and her palms were full of sweat. She surveyed the remaining test papers and identified some questions she could answer. Contemplating abandoning the use of her phone, fear of unsatisfactory results held her back. Amid this contradiction and anxiety, she had no alternative but to continue receiving the answers.

Suddenly, not far away, the examiner's voice echoed like thunder: "Someone is cheating!”

Her mind went blank, and it felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen. What is going on? They caught me?

Chen Ling's face suddenly turned pale, she lowered her head and did not dare to move, let alone look at anyone.

She heard the examiner's footsteps quicken and rushed towards a particular direction. Then a small, crying voice said nothing but an apology - Oops, even though it wasn't her, someone was caught in the act!

Chen Ling, on the verge of exhaling a sigh of relief, suddenly recognized the voice, and it sounded eerily familiar as if it were—He Juan?!

She couldn't help but hold her breath and cast a hurried glance to the side. This glance imprinted the scene of He Juan having her test papers taken away, her phone confiscated, and being ordered to leave the examination room for investigation deeply in her mind.

Chen Ling no longer recalls how she completed the exam. When she walked out of the examination room, dejected and worried, facing the jubilant students post-exam, she knew that everything was far from over.

Just as she plunged into the quagmire of cheating, the familiar exam transformed into a treacherous and wild adventure. In the end, what was the significance of achieving a perfect score? At the very least, she couldn't be certain if she would still step onto an American university campus with a proud and joyful heart, basking in the sunlight, and strolling alongside her classmates.

Soon, an email from a Bangkok examiner to the Educational Examination Center was exposed in the Washington Post. The email highlighted the candidates' cheating behavior, and upon inspecting the mobile phones, the party motivated by profit, orchestrating the question of cheating, has been identified.

The revelation stirred a commotion. The SAT scores for the entire Asian test center are under review, impacting around 14,000 to 16,000 Chinese candidates. Fraudulent grades and falsified application materials have caused many people who have worked hard to study seriously to suffer and be questioned, and they have assumed responsibilities that they should not bear.

He Juan had her test scores nullified and faced a prohibition from participating in future SAT exams. Moreover, her plans for studying abroad were severely impacted. She originally dreamed of attending a prestigious American school, but now she has to reconsider her future. It weighs heavily on her, and she realizes the depth of her mistake.

Chen Ling, after enduring the prolonged psychological torture of waiting for the review, suddenly felt a wave of relief upon hearing that her results were declared invalid. She no longer envies Zhang Kai, who managed to pass the exam without being detected. Although on the surface, students represented by Zhang Kai may seem like beneficiaries, degrees awarded in the United States have retroactive rights and can be revoked once fraud is discovered. Chen Ling finally understood that studying abroad is not the dream itself; it is just one of the ways to realize one's dream. More importantly, a person should have a firm direction and make real efforts towards it.

It is the overwhelming thirst for instant success and quick gains within the study abroad market that has given rise to profit-seeking institutions, growing voraciously like insatiable monsters. Cloaked in the allure of "swift results and instant life transformation," these institutions have transformed into a tantalizing elixir eagerly anticipated by students navigating the tumultuous period of uncertainty. Excessive expectations attached to the concept of "study abroad" often lead individuals astray, causing them to lose sight of reason and their initial intentions.

Beyond the aspiration to study abroad, numerous parallels can be found in the journey of everyone's life. Without a clear direction and unwavering conviction, the allure of the surroundings can easily lead one astray.

Indeed, the gradual realization of a dream mirrors a process of personal rebirth. There was too much long-term suffering, endurance, and pain, constantly being dragged out of one's comfort zone and breaking through one's limits. Many individuals, unable to endure the hardships, seek out apparent "shortcuts." Yet, whether within the academic realm or the broader society, comparable dilemmas will persist. If one fails to surmount them initially, the tendency to compromise, withdraw, and once more seek "easy" solutions prevails—but how could there be a shortcut to growth?

In 2016, the SAT officially implemented exam reforms, resetting everything to zero. This significantly raises the cost and consequences of opportunism.

Now, it appears that after the storm, there is a promising beginning.