If you’ve studied in India, you probably know what an exam hall looks like. Someone is watching the room, phones are strictly off-limits, and even turning around to look at a friend can get you into trouble.Now imagine sitting for an exam without an invigilator walking around or someone checking whether you’re using your phone. Sounds unusual, right?That’s what caught an Indian student’s attention after moving to the US. Just two months into their stay, the student shared their experience on X (formerly Twitter), saying the biggest cultural shock so far had been the way exams were conducted.“It’s been 2 months since I landed in the US, and my biggest cultural shock has been exam ethics,” they wrote.The student described exams where there were no invigilators, books were allowed, and nobody was checking phones or using internet jammers. What surprised them most was that, according to their observation, nobody seemed to be cheating or looking at their phones.“Cutthroat competition in India just doesn’t allow for this kind of trust,” they added.The post got people talking. Some understood exactly what the student meant, while others pointed out that exams in the US aren’t always so relaxed.
‘We’re just not used to this in India’
Anyone who’s prepared for a competitive exam in India knows how stressful it can get. There’s pressure to score well, the constant comparison with other students and, for many, the feeling that one result could affect their future.And that pressure doesn’t end with school. College exams, entrance tests and job-related assessments can all come with their own set of expectations.So, when a student used to strict supervision finds themselves in an exam where they’re trusted to follow the rules, it’s understandable that they’d notice the difference.That seems to be what happened here. The student wasn’t just surprised by open-book exams. They were surprised by the apparent lack of monitoring and the fact that, in their experience, students weren’t taking advantage of it.Of course, this doesn’t mean every university in the US works this way. Exam rules vary, and plenty of American colleges have strict supervision and restrictions on phones.But the post has got people asking a question that goes beyond exam rules: does the pressure to score well change the way students behave?
Other students say it’s not always like this
Not everyone agreed with the student’s description of American universities.One person, who said they also study at a university in the US, pointed out that invigilators are present for some exams and that not every test allows students to use books or notes.“I also go to an American university, and it’s not always like this for every class; there are invigilators, and not all tests are open book,” the user wrote.They also warned that students caught cheating could face serious consequences.Another commenter agreed that some exams in the US might be more relaxed but disagreed with the idea that competition was necessarily less intense.“While I agree exams are far more relaxed here, it’s not in the way you’re describing,” they wrote.And that’s worth keeping in mind. One student’s experience at their university doesn’t tell us how exams work across an entire country. Some students may have open-book tests with little supervision, while others sit through closely monitored exams just as they would in India.
Does the pressure to get good marks make a difference?
One response to the post focused on something many Indian students will recognise: the pressure to stay ahead of everyone else.“The trust isn’t the shock; it’s that nobody there sees a reason to cheat,” one user commented.The person suggested that some students feel tempted to cheat when they believe others are doing it and worry that being honest could put them at a disadvantage.That’s a strong generalisation, and it certainly doesn’t describe every student in India. Many students work hard and take their academic honesty seriously.Still, the pressure to score well is real for many young people. Getting into a particular college, securing a scholarship or qualifying for a competitive exam can feel like a lot rests on a single result.When marks become the main measure of success, students can end up worrying more about their scores than about what they’ve actually learnt.That doesn’t justify cheating. But it does raise a fair question about how much pressure students are expected to handle and whether the focus on marks sometimes goes too far.
Cheating can have serious consequences in the US, too
Some people responding to the post also pointed out that American universities aren’t casual about cheating.Students who break academic integrity rules can face disciplinary action. Depending on the university and the offence, the consequences may include a failing grade, suspension or expulsion.And an open-book exam doesn’t mean anything goes. Students may be allowed to consult their notes but still be prohibited from using their phones, searching the internet or sharing answers.So, fewer visible checks don’t necessarily mean fewer rules. The student was describing what they had seen, not claiming that cheating never happens in the US.
One post, two very different experiences
The discussion comes down to something fairly simple: how much responsibility should students be given during exams?Some people believe close supervision is needed to keep things fair. Others feel students should be trusted to do their own work and face the consequences if they don’t.Neither approach guarantees that everyone will behave honestly. An invigilator can’t catch everything, and a room without one doesn’t automatically mean students will cheat.But the student’s experience has clearly struck a nerve, particularly among people familiar with the pressure of exams in India.After just two months in the US, they found the approach to exams surprising enough to call it their biggest cultural shock so far.And while people may disagree about whether their experience is typical, the responses show that the relationship between competition, trust and academic honesty is something students have strong feelings about.