In Germany, a suspicion of cheating does not automatically mean that you have failed your entire exam. The rules for your specific exam determine what constitutes an attempt to cheat, how the procedure works, and what the potential consequences are. If you are accused of a violation, secure your documents, make a note of how events unfolded, and observe every officially communicated deadline. This article provides general guidance. It does not constitute legal advice for your individual case.
In brief: First clarify the exact accusation, then read the regulations applicable on the day of your exam. Schools, universities, and Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IHK) may regulate facts, procedures, and consequences differently.
Important note: Which auxiliary materials are permitted is determined by the rules of your specific exam. Review the examination regulations, the notice of permitted aids, and the examination instructions together. Clarify any ambiguities in writing with the responsible body. Spickboy does not provide any universal guarantee of admission.
You can find further factual guidance in the Spickboy™ Guide.
What can be considered an attempt to cheat?
An attempt to cheat is an attempt to influence your exam performance by using an advantage that is not permitted under the applicable rules. This is a helpful classification, not a universal legal definition.
Depending on the exam, the following situations may be relevant:
- unauthorized notes, documents, or electronic devices,
- stored content on a device that is generally permitted,
- communication or unauthorized collaboration during the exam,
- the use of work done by others or uncited sources,
- providing help to another examinee.
The exact wording is decisive. Some rules cover the mere act of bringing or having an item in your possession. Others are contingent on the use of such an item or an attempt to influence the result. Therefore, both of these blanket statements are unreliable: "It is always cheating" and "Nothing can happen if you don't use it."
School, university, and IHK: three different regulatory spheres
School and Abitur
Section 37 of the Berlin Ordinance on Upper Secondary Education covers cheating, attempted cheating, and the bringing of unauthorized aids into the preparation or examination room for the Abitur examination regulated therein. If there is a justified suspicion, the exam in the subject concerned is initially interrupted. The examination board decides on how to proceed.
This is a Berlin example. Other federal states and school examinations may establish different facts and procedures.
Higher education and university
At universities, the respective examination regulations are decisive. The University of Hamburg's handout on cheating in exams emphasizes for its area of application that a negative decision due to cheating must have a basis in the relevant examination regulations. It also describes documentation, fact-finding, and responsibilities. However, which rule applies to you still depends on your degree program, faculty, and the specific exam.
Vocational examination and IHK
Section 22 of the IHK Berlin examination regulations for final and retraining examinations focuses in its area of application on the attempt to influence the result through cheating or the use of unauthorized aids. Aiding and abetting is also covered. The facts are documented; the exam is continued there subject to review before the committee makes a decision after a hearing.
Another IHK, advanced training exam, or type of exam may be regulated differently.
What happens after a suspicion arises?
A suspicion is not yet a final determination. Typically, the facts of the case and the relevant rules must be clarified first. How this happens is not the same everywhere.
Possibilities include, for example:
- The invigilator documents their observations and secures relevant information in a permissible manner.
- The exam is continued, interrupted, or finished subject to review – depending on the regulations and on-site instructions.
- The responsible body examines the incident.
- If the regulations provide for it, you will be given the opportunity to make a statement or attend a hearing.
- The decision is communicated in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
On the day of the exam, follow the instructions of the invigilator. Later, check your regulations to see whether the described procedure was followed.
What consequences are possible?
The range extends from no sanction, if the suspicion is not confirmed, to a negative assessment or – in particularly serious and explicitly regulated cases – a more extensive exclusion. There is no uniform list of sanctions for Germany.
Example: Berlin Abitur
Section 37 VO-GO distinguishes based on scope and severity. In the case of a clearly limited, minor extent, the part concerned can be considered as not performed. In other cases, the entire examination performance can be graded as "insufficient" (fail). The provision provides for more extensive consequences for particularly serious cases. This grading only applies within that jurisdiction.
Example: University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg handout describes the "failed" grade based on the respective relevant examination regulations. At the same time, it makes it clear that responsibility and procedures must be clearly defined. This does not result in a rule for all German universities.
Example: IHK Berlin
According to Section 22 of the aforementioned IHK Berlin regulations, the examination performance concerned can be graded with zero points. In cases of serious, premeditated acts of cheating, the exam part or the entire exam may be affected. This consequence, too, must not be transferred to other chambers or exams.
What you can do now: six factual steps
Such an accusation can be frightening. Nevertheless, you don't have to solve everything at once. Proceed in this order:
- Note the sequence of events: Record the date, time, room, people involved, and important statements. Separate observations from assumptions.
- Secure documents: Keep the invitation, list of aids, examination regulations, emails, and notices in the version that was valid on the day of the exam. Do not change any potentially relevant files or device settings.
- Specify the accusation: Clarify which act, which aid, and which rule are being cited. Request written documents if the procedure provides for this.
- Check rules and responsibilities: Read the sections on cheating, hearings, grading, notification, and possible legal remedies. Do not rely on experiences from another institution.
- Note deadlines: Record the receipt of every letter and the deadlines mentioned therein. This article is no reason to let a deadline expire.
- Respond factually: Use any opportunity for a statement carefully. In the case of far-reaching consequences or a disputed set of facts, independent advice from someone qualified in examination law may be useful.
Next step: Open the examination regulations valid on the day of the exam and the specific information on auxiliary aids. Mark the alleged violation, the procedure, the responsible body, and every deadline.
What you should avoid doing now
- Do not delete or change any potentially relevant files, messages, or documents.
- Read minutes and declarations carefully. Document factual discrepancies and seek qualified advice if you are unsure before making a declaration yourself.
- Do not publish names or unsubstantiated accusations against invigilators.
- Do not claim that an aid is permitted everywhere because it was allowed in another exam.
- If a deadline is ongoing, do not wait solely for an informal answer from a forum or chat.
How to avoid ambiguities before the next exam
Don't wait until you're in the exam room to check the rules:
- Is there an up-to-date list of aids in addition to the examination regulations?
- Are device classes, specific models, or individual functions mentioned?
- Are storage, programs, communication, reset, or exam modes regulated?
- Does the specification apply to your subject, your course, and your exam section?
- Who provides binding answers to model questions?
- Did you ask an open question in writing in good time and save the answer?
When it comes to device functions, the technical classification in the article Programmable calculators in exams helps. For a centralized school exam, the article Calculators in the Abitur 2027 guides you through the state and model check.
Frequently asked questions about attempted cheating
Is every cheat sheet automatically an attempt to cheat?
No. A study note at home is different from an aid in the exam room. In an exam, it depends on what the specific rule permits and what act is established. Some regulations cover the mere act of bringing an unauthorized aid.
Am I allowed to keep writing after an accusation?
That depends on the examination regulations. At the IHK Berlin, the process continues subject to review. In the Berlin Abitur, the exam in the subject concerned is initially interrupted. Follow the on-site instructions and document the sequence of events factually afterwards.
Does an attempt to cheat always lead to zero points?
No. Possible consequences differ according to regulations, scope, and the facts of the case. Zero points are provided for in some sets of rules; others use grades or other legal consequences. Exoneration is also possible if the suspicion is not confirmed.
Can an accusation arise later?
Yes. Examination regulations can also cover instances of cheating that become known later. However, the requirements, deadlines, and consequences are not uniform. Check the version valid for the examination date at the time.
Who makes the decision at schools, universities, or the IHK?
This is stated in the respective rules. Often, an examination board or a body designated therein is responsible. The exact responsibility from a Berlin example does not automatically apply to another institution.
Where can I find the rule that applies to me?
Start on the official website of your school, university, chamber, or examination authority. Search for the examination regulations, notice of permitted aids, subject-specific notes, and the specific date. In case of contradictions, ask the body named there in writing.
Conclusion: Understand the case first, then react
An accusation of cheating is serious, but it is not a final decision yet. Clarify the exact accusation, secure the documents valid on the day of the exam, and observe the intended procedure. If the consequences or deadlines are far-reaching, get qualified support. For future exams, a clarified auxiliary aid question in writing is more reliable than any blanket statement on the internet.
Sources and status
Sources checked on August 23, 2026. Before publication and before a specific exam, the currently applicable version must be checked again.
- State of Berlin: Ordinance on Upper Secondary Education, Section 37, Ordinance of April 18, 2007; for Section 37, version of August 16, 2017 considered. Scope: Abitur examination in the area of application of the Berlin VO-GO.
- University of Hamburg, Department of Quality and Law: Handout No. 15 "Cheating in the exam", as of July 2025. Scope: Orientation for dealing with cheating at the University of Hamburg; the respective relevant examination regulations remain required.
- IHK Berlin: Examination regulations for final and retraining examinations, Section 22, adopted on December 3, 2025, in force since February 6, 2026. Scope: Final and retraining examinations of the IHK Berlin.