Friend wants me to do online maths test for job

[Usernamqwerty]

My friend has been offered a job for which she has to do an online numerical reasoning test to get the job (think it's NHS / similar test in private sector). She's asked me to do it as says she's rubbish at maths (although she has a psychology degree and her maths level is probably about the same as mine - not great but enough to get by!).

Failing that, she also asked me to see if DH would do it for her (A-level maths and economics degree) which I think is a bit CFery...

AIBU to say no? It's just so awkward 🙄. She's asked me a few times before and I've just mumbled an excuse...

Christ. I wouldn’t dream of doing that but I suppose if it’s used in the civil service one wouldn’t expect any efficiency

Sorry singlebutmarried I got carried away thinking up drugs maths problems 😆 but I do expect that a nurses professional registration would take care of their maths skills in that regard.

Id do it as long as maths is not integral to the role and just an annoying hoop to jump through.

Relevant username 😂✋

Absolutely out of order to ask you to take the test. Those admitting to fraud 🙄

@Usernamqwerty

No.

It's on a par with turning up to do someone's driving test for them.

Well it’s a criminal offence to take a driving test for someone so not quite the same

Am trying to think of how to tell her without her getting the hump at me

Simply say No, and give her your best annoyed look.

@passthecherrycoke

It's a criminal offence to cheat and lie your way into a job, and you will most certainly be sacked if/when you're found out. Some people have been prosecuted because of it. So yes, getting someone else to take a test that you are not capable of, in order for YOU to get the job, IS on a par with getting someone else to take your driving test.

I've messaged her saying no as it's fraud and inviting her to do practice ones online. Thanks for helping me to grow a backbone 🙂.

@Usernamqwerty

Don't do it - OR your DH - or you could be dragged into any legal proceedings or tribunal that ensues if the truth emerges.

I'd do it. My son helped me with mine. Having tried to recruit to posts where I was forced to include these tests, I wish more of my candidates cheated too so I'd get a better pool of candidates to interview.

I wouldn't count dishonest people trying to cheat their way into a job that they're not capable of 'a better pool of candidates' .

Rainingallday Its not a criminal offence.

I’d love to know who you know of that’s been prosecuted for it, what crime they were prosecuted for and what their punishment was

The only people who got through that stage were either good at that particular style of test, or had cheated. People with maths A-level who I knew could do the job brilliantly were failing it. That's the nature of many online tests unfortunately.
The better solution would have been to ditch the test and for posts (unlike mine) where it really was important have candidates sit it in controlled conditions.

@managedmis I don’t agree she should be paid. She just shouldn’t do it. It’s actually illegal for a person to get a job by lying. It’s obtaining a pecuniary advantage. OP you shouldn’t assist someone to do this. Just tell her you’re not willing to be dishonest and she’s insulting your values and sensibilities to ask you. In addition to that if they are asking her to take a maths test that’s probably because she’s going to need a reasonable level of maths to actually do part of the job. If she can’t pass the test then she shouldn’t get the job.

Fraud by misrepresentation contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 I imagine.

I don't expect prosecutions are common but it is a crime.

You could be available at the time she’s at home doing it and she could phone you about the ones she’s totally and utterly stick at and you could brainstorm through them? That would help her without you technically doing the test for her?

You’ve just found a fraud related crime quickly though haven’t you Colne? Something makes me think you’ve no idea if that’s the sort of situation that the crime is intended to prosecute.

Depends on how relevant maths skills are for the job

Lucy, is that how it works?

Fraud is permissible in this scenario if the person committing it decides that the test wasn't really necessary in the first place?

Good luck with that!

Not particularly, I'm a lawyer and the breadth of the fraud act (ie the fact that it captures minor offences of this nature which realistically are unlikely to be prosecuted) was remarked on at the time.

The fact is that this is a criminal act, regardless of the likelihood of prosecution. You are giving out incorrect information.

Over than being totally wrong what happens if you fail the test, she might think you've done it on purpose!

Fair enough, I guess since we don’t know of anyone prosecuted we’ll never know

Well done for saying no. It's not "technically cheating" it IS cheating.
Good on you.

Fair enough, I guess since we don’t know of anyone prosecuted we’ll never know

There have been prosecutions though

Rhiannon Mackay was sentenced to 6 months in jail under the Fraud Act in 2010 after lying on her CV to get an NHS job.

Neil Taylor, the chief exec of an NHS trust, got a 12 month suspended sentence for lying about his qualifications in 2005.

It's rare but it absolutely happens.

Lying about qualifications can be easily proven. Demonstrating that it was someone other than the candidate who sat at their laptop one afternoon to sit an online test isn't easily proven at all.
If employers want people to take these tests seriously then they need to find different ways to conduct them. There are ways to verify candidates sitting online tests - I've had to take some professional exams this way myself.