My friend asks me to share what was on the test so he can prepare. I know that it would be unfair for other students, and I shouldn’t do it, but at the same time, I’m worried that he would be disappointed by my decision.
Response by junior Rocco Knights:
While not helping a friend may make you feel like you are betraying them, it is more important not to be unfair to the whole class and put yourself at risk of academic dishonesty. You should decide not to share the content of the test and instead help him study, which will help him understand the content before the exam and prepare him in a fair way.
Being asked to help out with a test by a friend is an almost universal experience, but in the majority of cases — especially for serious exams — it is in your best interest not to agree to do this. I know this from personal experience. I have been asked by a friend of mine about what was on the test just after I took it, but I decided not to tell him because I understood that multiple classes had the same test and by giving one kid the advantage of knowing what’s on the test, the rest of the classmates would inherently be at a disadvantage, which is unfair. It is important to remember that the school has strict rules on this, and by sharing what’s on the test, you would be breaking the trust of the school and being academically dishonest, which could land you in serious trouble.
Not telling your friend what is on the test may feel like leaving him with a guaranteed failure, but a simple solution to this is to help your friend study for the exam in days prior. It’s likely that your friend is not understanding a topic in the course if they feel the need to ask for what was on the test. This can be solved by asking him to study with you or to remind him to ask the teacher for help in topics they are unable to understand in class. Studying with someone else can seriously help you as well as person you’re studying with understand things you or they may not have understood before. For example, in 10th grade I was struggling with World Studies and consistently getting fours. For one of the major tests, I decided to study with a friend of mine who was doing far better than I was at the time. Both of us did better on that test than we had been doing before, with my grade jumping from mostly fours to a six. This shows how even if someone is performing badly in a class, they do not need to know the questions on a test. Instead, they need a more solid understanding of the subject. Helping them study easily solves that issue.
Overall, it is in everyone’s best interest that you don’t share what is on the test. It’s important to remember that directly giving the questions or answers to a test is academic dishonesty and will cause many issues. A simple solution to prevent all of these issues is to help the friend by studying with them and sharing your ideas and understanding with them. This will help both you and them avoid this situation in the future and potentially improve both of your grades.
