(ECNS) -- Paid proxies taking exams for college students are on the increase in Beijing, with fees charged ranging from tens to thousands of yuan, according to Beijing Morning News.
To cope with stressful end-term exams, some students have gone online to find imposters known as "gunmen."
A student who claimed to be from the Beijing Institute of Technology said she wanted a woman to take a linear algebra exam for her on Jan. 11, offering to pay 150 yuan ($22) if the imposter scored above 60 points.
Similar information can be easily found on Internet forums or instant messaging QQ-based groups. Most demand is for advanced mathematics, calculus and computer sciences.
A sophomore student said many students often take the same test in a large venue, so the chances of being caught cheating are low. But for courses where the teacher knows the students well, few dare to take the risk.
Some agencies also said they can help find test-taking proxies, with each subject priced at about 800 yuan. As part of the service, imposters can also remake their hairstyles to look similar to the actual students.
A low-risk scheme is assistance over telephone from outside the test site. A postgraduate student said he helps in many science courses at a cost of about 100 yuan.
Chinese universities ban fraudulent exam practices, with students found cheating facing punishments according to the severity, including expulsion.
