Qualitative analysis of the forms, causes and consequences of corruption in secondary school examinations in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

The phenomenon of school exam fraud is growing in Africa. The Ivorian education system is not spared. The corrective measures so far implemented by the academic authorities are not yet producing the expected results. It is in this context that this study proposes to analyze the forms, causes and consequences of fraud in secondary education exams in Abidjan. It is based on a qualitative approach proceeding from the survey by semi-structured interviews conducted with 32 students who took the BEPC or BAC exam last year. The verbal data collected is processed by thematic content analysis. The results show that exam fraud is mainly due to collusion between students and teachers, usually at the initiative of the latter. The causes of exam fraud fall into six categories: "learner's non-involvement", "psycho-sociological causes", "lack of ethics", "targeted academic benefits", "economic causes", “institutional weaknesses”. Finally, this phenomenon has three types of consequences: “academic and legal sanctions”, “psychosocial repercussions” and “degradation of school education”. These results can help reform the organization of national examinations and competitions in Côte d'Ivoire so as to significantly reduce fraud.