Recently, a Chinese international student attending a prestigious university in Japan was arrested for taking the TOEIC proxy test, and a criminal organization composed of Chinese people has been habitually arranging proxy tests in Japan, causing a stir.
According to Television Asahi on the 22nd, Wang, a graduate student at Kyoto University who was taking a proxy test with a fake ID at a TOEIC test site in Itabashi-gu, Tokyo, was caught by a supervisor on the 18th. Shortly after his arrest, about 30% of the test takers who were taking the test at the test site gave up the test halfway.
The news of Wang’s arrest appears to have given up the test, raising the possibility that the test site itself was a stage for an organized fraudulent test, Televi Asahi said.
Wang stated in a police investigation, “While looking for a part-time job to make money, I was instructed to take the English test instead.”
He also stated, “The person who gave the order used Chinese, and the person who handed over the fake student ID was also Chinese.”
Japanese police are expanding their investigation, believing that Chinese organizations have systematically conducted fraudulent tests in Japan.
The investigation began when supervisors reported to the police that “a test-taker with a different name is repeatedly taking the test while using a photo of the same face.” Later, the police arrested Wang, who appeared at the test site after hiding.
Wang is believed to have played a role in not solving the correct answer, but only delivering the correct answer to other test takers. At the time of arrest, a small microphone for communication and an antenna were hidden inside the mask.
After the arrest, about 30% of all test takers at the test site were confirmed to have given up on the test and left, and police believe the accomplices may have fled.
It has been reported that test organizers have reported in the past that “there is a Chinese test-taker who talks to himself in Chinese and takes the test.”
According to Television Asahi, there is also a website for “TOEIC proxy test” in Chinese. The sites are promoting “proxy test is possible in Japan and there is virtually no risk of being caught.”
The site is recruiting teachers to take the proxy test and setting aside about 1.18 million as remuneration for the 900-point guarantee service.
An official from the company told Televi Asahi that the reason why the proxy test is possible in Japan is that “the regulation is looser than that of China, and it is possible because there are competent teachers.”
He also explained the reason why China does not try proxy tests, saying, “In China, you can face up to seven years in prison depending on the crime of ‘systematic examination irregularities’, so you do not try it.”
Meanwhile, TOEIC proxy tests involving Koreans or foreigners are steadily being detected in Korea.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
