You're right, you're fucked. Seriously though... 55-65 hours a week is your excuse? Weak... there are people working 80+ that still do the exam. And you don't sound particularly sorry for what you did either... I'm not sure whether to be more appalled by your crappy ethics, or your weaksauce ninja skills... not stealthy at all...

Anyway, considering they have multiple proctors document you cheating... denying it probably won't do you any good. It's your word vs. at least 8 proctor reports.

In a worse case scenario, you can be barred from the CFA for good. If you admit guilt, offer sincere apologies - well, if it allows you to get away with just voiding the exam, that's a better option. I don't know what happens in such a case though, I would assume they would suspend your candidacy for a period of time for something so severe... but denying and being found guilty will probably bring a full on ban. They take cheating very seriously.

You should check out analystforum.com - a much more active CFA related forum there. They might be able to give you more clarity.

 

Check the CFA website, I'm almost sure that they list previous offenses, the names of the offenders and actions taken against them . They will probably issue you a sanction, you can appeal that sanction but in your case it looks pretty bad.

I just looked it up and here it is straight from the CFAI website: http://www.cfainstitute.org/ethics/conduct/Pages/candidate_sanctions.as…

Assistance during Exam

Each candidate in the CFA Program attests through the Candidate Pledge that during the exam they will neither give nor receive assistance in taking the exam. Looking or glancing at another candidate’s answer sheet or giving the appearance of looking or glancing at another candidate’s answer sheet violates the CFA Program Exam Rules, the Code of Ethics, and the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct.

Despite these requirements, fifteen Level I candidates, three Level II candidates, and one Level III candidate were either observed looking and/or giving the appearance of looking at other candidates’ exams/answer sheets during the exam. The Professional Conduct Program investigated these matters and found that the candidates engaged in the conduct, thereby violating the CFA Program Exam Rules, Code of Ethics, and the Standards of Professional Conduct.

Twelve candidates accepted the sanction of Five-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results. Two candidates accepted the sanction of Permanent Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results.

Three Level I candidates, one Level II candidate, and one Level III candidate requested a Hearing Panel. After consideration of the evidence in each respective case, the Hearing Panels determined the candidates looked and/or gave the appearance of looking at another candidate’s exam. The Hearing Panels imposed the sanction of Five-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results on a Level I candidate; Three-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results on a Level I candidate; and Two-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results on a Level I candidate. A Hearing Panel imposed the sanction of Five-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results on Airat Khalikov, a Level II candidate. A Hearing Panel also imposed the sanction of Two-Year Suspension from Participation in the CFA Program and Voiding of Exam Results on the Level III candidate.

 
convexity1:
Here's the scoop.

I graduated in Dec 09, started work in mid Feb at a long short fund in Chicago.

Thoughts?

I think nothing honest or good has come out of Chicago since Jordan left to sell underwear and Viagra. I say we just burn that place down. Let the street gangs fight over the ashes.

But anyway; You should admit you were wrong and learn from the mistake. The consequences will probably be the same either way except if you continue to lie, you need to do in front of a panel and if you don't given them reason to doubt your guilt, there's a chance for a life time ban. There's no upside to lying and destroying what little integrity you might have left.

 

I mean it doesn't look good. Did they not tell you anything during the exam or after? That's so weird, I figured if they saw you cheating they wouldn't have let you come back for the second half, or would have talked to you after. I know the CFA is harsh but seems kinda odd to not tell you while you did it.

 

I have been accused of looking at another candidates answer sheet too. Received the Violation report in the mail today.

I, however, am innocent and aroused suspicion only because I was fidgety and looked at the ceiling a lot. Have alreay sumbitted my statement of innocence & mortification.

Only 1 proctor has directly accused me of looking at another candidates paper. 2 proctors have reported me.

Suggestions?

 
burberry:
I have been accused of looking at another candidates answer sheet too. Received the Violation report in the mail today.

I, however, am innocent and aroused suspicion only because I was fidgety and looked at the ceiling a lot. Have alreay sumbitted my statement of innocence & mortification.

Only 1 proctor has directly accused me of looking at another candidates paper. 2 proctors have reported me.

Suggestions?

Obviously you want to fight it. I will warn you that not a lot of people have success in appealing their apparent "cheating". Did a proctor pull you aside and tell you that you were being reported to the CFAI? Did you rub one of the proctors the wrong way?

Everyone was fidgety during the exam, I am a very restless test taker.

In everyday society you are innocent until proven guilty but, in the CFAI's world it's the other way around. You are assumed guilty until you prove your innocence. It's just the way they operate.

 
burberry:
I have been accused of looking at another candidates answer sheet too. Received the Violation report in the mail today.

I, however, am innocent and aroused suspicion only because I was fidgety and looked at the ceiling a lot. Have alreay sumbitted my statement of innocence & mortification.

Only 1 proctor has directly accused me of looking at another candidates paper. 2 proctors have reported me.

Suggestions?

Would you mind telling me where you wrote the exam and when your letter was dated?

I also got a written-up at the exam for failing to maintain my eyes on my own exam paper. What happened is that although I did not cheat, I often looked around the room and stretched my arms/body throught the exam and it attracted proctors' attention.

Fortunately, I received nothing from CFAI as of yet, no mail/email contacts whatsover, but I continue to be nervous as I believe investigation might be opened up very soon.

 
cky1336:
burberry:
I have been accused of looking at another candidates answer sheet too. Received the Violation report in the mail today.

I, however, am innocent and aroused suspicion only because I was fidgety and looked at the ceiling a lot. Have alreay sumbitted my statement of innocence & mortification.

Only 1 proctor has directly accused me of looking at another candidates paper. 2 proctors have reported me.

Suggestions?

Would you mind telling me where you wrote the exam and when your letter was dated?

I also got a written-up at the exam for failing to maintain my eyes on my own exam paper. What happened is that although I did not cheat, I often looked around the room and stretched my arms/body throught the exam and it attracted proctors' attention.

Fortunately, I received nothing from CFAI as of yet, no mail/email contacts whatsover, but I continue to be nervous as I believe investigation might be opened up very soon.

How did they write you up at the exam? I've sat for L I II and III and never seen anyone written up. Do they pull you aside during break?

 

I have recived the letter from CFA institute that 'i wrote after procter warning him twie he continued to write about for 20 seconds' . The procter never came and warned me personally. Please let me know what should i do. Please respond asap as this letter states that i have to respond within 30 days of when this letter was writtern and let me know the possible consequences.

 

Hey. I received a letter from CFA Institute today saying that I have similar answers with those of another candidate at a local test center and an investigation has been initiated. Can anyone guide me what to reply to this in response as I want to be sure that I don't make any errors. I have not done any misconduct but I went to a local tuition center. There is a chance the reason for similarity is studying at one place. Also I have provided working on my question paper, wherever possible and required. Please guide me as I am really worried.

 
owenhunt:
Hey. I received a letter from CFA Institute today saying that I have similar answers with those of another candidate at a local test center and an investigation has been initiated. Can anyone guide me what to reply to this in response as I want to be sure that I don't make any errors. I have not done any misconduct but I went to a local tuition center. There is a chance the reason for similarity is studying at one place. Also I have provided working on my question paper, wherever possible and required. Please guide me as I am really worried.
Just tell them you didn't do anything (if you really didn't) and go from there. Its not impossible to have similar answers to someone else, though I have no idea what tolerances they look for in the correlation between the two. Basically say fuck you prove it in a nice way.
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
happypantsmcgee:
owenhunt:
Hey. I received a letter from CFA Institute today saying that I have similar answers with those of another candidate at a local test center and an investigation has been initiated. Can anyone guide me what to reply to this in response as I want to be sure that I don't make any errors. I have not done any misconduct but I went to a local tuition center. There is a chance the reason for similarity is studying at one place. Also I have provided working on my question paper, wherever possible and required. Please guide me as I am really worried.
Just tell them you didn't do anything (if you really didn't) and go from there. Its not impossible to have similar answers to someone else, though I have no idea what tolerances they look for in the correlation between the two. Basically say fuck you prove it in a nice way.

Thanks but I guess it's not that easy. Can anyone help me in writing a proper reply. I am new to this shit and I am really worried. =(

 
owenhunt:
Hey. I received a letter from CFA Institute today saying that I have similar answers with those of another candidate at a local test center and an investigation has been initiated. Can anyone guide me what to reply to this in response as I want to be sure that I don't make any errors. I have not done any misconduct but I went to a local tuition center. There is a chance the reason for similarity is studying at one place. Also I have provided working on my question paper, wherever possible and required. Please guide me as I am really worried.

I got the exact same letter... this is ridiculous... cuz I didn't cheat... I was looking at the disciplinary actions page on the cfa website and it looks like everyone in the end is guilty and the longer you prolong it, ie. go to hearing court, the bigger the punishment.

I don't want to be wrongfully accused of this. This is my future.
does anyone know if the exams are video recorded at the local centres to prove that i'm innocent?

and also, I don't know how to write this response letter too except to blurt out all the reasons why I wouldn't / and couldn't have cheated.

if you guys have help us out.. it will be very much appreciated. thanks

 

I'm so pissed off about this I had to post something somewhere.

Obviously I'm leaving the details sketchy, but I'm being investigated as well. Proctors reports were filed (filled with broken English and typos) that basically said one guy concluded I was sitting close enough to the other guy's answer sheet to cheat if I wanted, although nobody actually saw me look at the other guy's answer sheet despite watching me closely for most of the session. (That would be because I didn't..).

I figured after a fair hearing thye'd see they absurdity of this and I'd be fine. Then I got the email saying my results were being held back. Then I read the part where "giving the appearance of cheating" is a violation?!? I looked at the stats and saw that investigations almost always result in at least private reprimands with exam results being voided and that there are 593 investigations pending for the June exams. Meanwhile about 25% of the investigations from Decmber are still pending seven months later.

Basically the investigation process looks like a little bit of Spanish Inquisition (These are the charges, this is your opportunity to confess), Japanese argicultural inspections (We'll get around to inspecting those cucumbers in about six weeks) and Star Chamber (Rest assured that your guilt is being secretly determined by a fair and impartial panel...).

Then you look at the sanctions for misconduct by current CFAs and see that in most cases they only act after a CFA pleads guilty to a felony.

The irony of the whole thing is that I've been this business for a looong time and most folks thought I was nuts to even bother getting a CFA in the first place.

If anyone gets more info on their investigation, I'd appreciate information about the timing just so I know when to assume the position.

 

I'd be fked. Fidgeting and looking around is how I dominate tests. Helps me think.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

To the last few posters that all have the same problem. Unfortunately, like Happy said, you can't really do much to prove you're innocent, except to write 'I didn't cheat', I followed all the rules accordingly and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss these serious accusations' or something along those lines.

It is pretty stupid because some of the tables they seat 2 candidates on are quite small, so how can you be accused of 'sitting too close'? Or inadvertently glancing over to the other candidate (when you're really looking at your calendar or whatever). I always wondered why they don't offer to put up some screens b/w candidates on the tables.

Generally though, I think unless they have those proctors that walk around write you down as suspicious, something like 'similar answers' is kind of weak (unless the patterns are blatantly obvious) esp. since there's only 3 choices...

 

I have no advice to offer because I have never been in a situation like that, but my heart goes out to you, that just absolutely sucks bro. I'm sorry.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

Jeez, you're describing every CFA candidate's worst nightmare. If you're getting a 5 year suspension, odds are you did something real bad, they don't just hand those out lightly. Hell copying someone else's paper only gets you like 2 years. I feel like you're not giving the full story here. Did you write formulas on you admission ticket? Something really isn't adding up here.

 

http://www.cfainstitute.org/ethics/conduct/Pages/candidate_sanctions.as…

I think the maximum ban the CFAI will impose is 5 years. They've banned candidates and voided exam results for worse violations than what you have posted.

I've sat for three CFA exams and each one has made me more paranoid about the proctors than the test before. You have to put the blinders on and stare at your exam paper. I'm almost convinced that the proctors are paid to turn people in for violations.

 

Well I am not hiding anything - that's exactly how the situation is and I don't knw why they have suspended me for 5 years.

As I mentioned above:

"I mentioned about a probable situation of anxiety during the exam, where I could have made a mistake of scratching on my ticket in the process of recollecting something out of memory."

It could be anything including a formula or small bullet points but I am quit sure - It was a mistake (unintentional) and I don't deserve to get maximum penalty. I have spent 3 years of my life, 1000s of hours, money and what not to get this at the end. I could see my CFA charter in front of me - now I can see it disappearing and I can't do anything. That is absolutly bizzare.

Regards
 

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