Study aid or just plain cheating?

• Author: Cohen, Randy
• Position: The Ethicist - Brief article

At my university, many students use tests from previous semesters to study for exams. These old tests are available to about 75 percent of students because fraternities, sororities, and some dorms keep them on f ile. Every time I consider using one, I find myself in moral conflict. Is it ethical to use these tests?

L.T., Michigan

AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT USING the actual test you'll be taking, and as long as your professors permit this practice--that is, as long as you're not cheating-you're free to employ these old tests as review material. But while you are meeting your ethical obligations, your professors are not.

If they regard these old tests as legitimate study aids, they must make them available to all. (Online? At the library? Printed on pastries In the dining hall?)

In...