Teh One Who Knocks
04-01-2012, 11:21 AM
State says selling tests not cheating
Author: Jeff Weinsier, Local 10 Reporter
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. - Some South Florida driving school instructors say they have the answers to the state's written exam and it's for sale.
What's even more shocking is cash transactions are taking place right in front of the driver's license office.
Is it cheating?
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says no.
Local 10's Jeff Weinsier went undercover and, within minutes, a state licensed driving instructor who works for a private company was ready to make a deal in the parking lot of the Pembroke Pines driver's license office.
"I have the actual questions. If you want, read the questions and answers for a half hour and go in and take the test," a man named Arnold told a Local 10 producer.
"I guarantee you 100 percent that these are the question from the test," Arnold added.
For $30, Arnold took a Local 10 producer to the trunk of his car, where the producer bought 106 questions and answers.
Local 10 spotted several people who did the same thing.
They were all sitting outside the DMV office memorizing the answers before going in to take the test.
All passed without reading the 62 page Florida Driver's Handbook which explains all the rules of the road.
At a second driver's license office, we were charged $30 for the answers to the written test.
"The same way it reads here is the way it reads on the computer," a man named Harold told a Local 10 producer.
We asked Harold how he got the information.
"We are here every day. We get it from someone inside," Harold added.
Harold takes us to the trunk of his car, too.
At a third location, Fernando also sold us 106 answers and told us 20 of them would be on the test.
He said it was legal because the questions and answers are not in the same order.
Local 10's Jeff Weinsier then confronted the Instructors.
"I don't remember what I told you," Harold told Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.
"You didn't tell us all we'd have to do is read it for a half hour and go take the test?" asked Weinsier.
"No. Never, never," said Arnold.
To our surprise, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said selling the information isn't against current rules.
The department said they provide practice questions at the end handbook.
They do, but you have to read the handbook to get the answers. The answers are not provided.
The department said test questions are changed randomly and often so it would be hard to cheat.
But people who bought the information and refused to be on camera told us the test questions were identical.
Local 10 has also learned that the printed versions of the 2011 Florida Driver's License Handbook aren't available at several DMV offices because of pending legal action with the vendor.
The department spokesperson said they were working to print a small number of 2012 handbooks to distribute at DMV offices.
That makes it difficult for people to study.
It is available online, but many people told Local 10 they don't have access to a computer and can't print 62 pages.
Author: Jeff Weinsier, Local 10 Reporter
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. - Some South Florida driving school instructors say they have the answers to the state's written exam and it's for sale.
What's even more shocking is cash transactions are taking place right in front of the driver's license office.
Is it cheating?
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says no.
Local 10's Jeff Weinsier went undercover and, within minutes, a state licensed driving instructor who works for a private company was ready to make a deal in the parking lot of the Pembroke Pines driver's license office.
"I have the actual questions. If you want, read the questions and answers for a half hour and go in and take the test," a man named Arnold told a Local 10 producer.
"I guarantee you 100 percent that these are the question from the test," Arnold added.
For $30, Arnold took a Local 10 producer to the trunk of his car, where the producer bought 106 questions and answers.
Local 10 spotted several people who did the same thing.
They were all sitting outside the DMV office memorizing the answers before going in to take the test.
All passed without reading the 62 page Florida Driver's Handbook which explains all the rules of the road.
At a second driver's license office, we were charged $30 for the answers to the written test.
"The same way it reads here is the way it reads on the computer," a man named Harold told a Local 10 producer.
We asked Harold how he got the information.
"We are here every day. We get it from someone inside," Harold added.
Harold takes us to the trunk of his car, too.
At a third location, Fernando also sold us 106 answers and told us 20 of them would be on the test.
He said it was legal because the questions and answers are not in the same order.
Local 10's Jeff Weinsier then confronted the Instructors.
"I don't remember what I told you," Harold told Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.
"You didn't tell us all we'd have to do is read it for a half hour and go take the test?" asked Weinsier.
"No. Never, never," said Arnold.
To our surprise, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said selling the information isn't against current rules.
The department said they provide practice questions at the end handbook.
They do, but you have to read the handbook to get the answers. The answers are not provided.
The department said test questions are changed randomly and often so it would be hard to cheat.
But people who bought the information and refused to be on camera told us the test questions were identical.
Local 10 has also learned that the printed versions of the 2011 Florida Driver's License Handbook aren't available at several DMV offices because of pending legal action with the vendor.
The department spokesperson said they were working to print a small number of 2012 handbooks to distribute at DMV offices.
That makes it difficult for people to study.
It is available online, but many people told Local 10 they don't have access to a computer and can't print 62 pages.