From November 2015, students trying to copy in examinations in China will face a jail term of up to seven years as the government has brought about a new law making cheating a crime. The new law, effective from November 1, will make cheating on major exams in China a crime punishable with a jail sentence. Parents involved will also be seriously punished, according to the law.

The amended criminal law stipulates that those who aid in cheating will be sentenced to three to seven years in prison and face penalties. The law also stipulates that people trying to impersonate during examinations will be detained by police. Every year, China mobilises its security forces in a big way to prevent copying specially in the nationwide entrance test Gaokao in which nearly 10 million students took part last year. The entrance determines the future of education and job opportunities of high school students.

The Ministry of Education last year warned that cheating students would be stripped of the enrollment qualification for a period ranging from one to three years.