Sydney University Revokes 13 Degrees Amid Contract Cheating Surge

The University of Sydney has revoked 13 degrees and failed more than 1000 students amid a rising wave of academic misconduct including cheating, according to recent reports.

The university recorded over 5000 breaches in 2023, prompting urgent reform to restore academic integrity.

The surge follows a two-year, 1000% increase in serious cheating cases referred to the registrar. The university reported 940 contract cheating cases in 2023—more than double the figure from 2022—despite a move away from online exams to curb misconduct.

In response, Sydney University has expanded its academic integrity team and implemented forensic IT tools to trace cheating. These include IP tracking, website access logs and text-matching software to verify authorship and detect ghostwriting.

“I had one case where a student admitted she didn’t do any of her assignments herself throughout the degree,” Herman Chan, an academic appeal specialist, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The problem isn’t just misconduct, it’s a combination of low entry standards, inadequate academic support and a lack of proper early intervention,” he said.

Alongside enforcement, the university is warning students against misleading “tutoring” services. A recent statement urged students to stay alert to unsolicited offers for “assignment help” or “exam assistance”, often disguised as academic support.

Such offers, which may appear via flyers, QR codes or social media, are rarely legitimate. They may demand students’ UniKey login, promise guaranteed results, or threaten blackmail—common signs of illegal contract cheating services.

The federal regulator TEQSA has joined the crackdown, blocking 60 new cheating websites last month. In total, 475 sites have been taken down under Australia’s anti-cheating laws, which prohibit advertising or providing academic cheating services.

Public backlash grows online

On Reddit, one user shared a personal experience where their group partner plagiarised the entire assignment, yet faced no expulsion.

“There wasn’t one single word they’d written themselves,” they wrote. “I was stunned they weren’t expelled.”

Another lamented that universities had “been more concerned about making money 20 years ago—and nothing has changed.” They argued that low standards and unchecked misconduct have “turned degrees into participation awards,” eroding public trust in the value of higher education.