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Several hundred Chinese students enrolled at the Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) at Toulon University, are thought to have bought their degrees. The preliminary inquiry begun on 26 March into "bribery, bribe-taking, and fraud" is investigating practices thought to have started four years ago.

The 2011 S Bac math exercise that had leaked on the Internet was not stolen, but there was indeed fraud said the Paris Court of Appeal, which sentenced four young people to three and four month suspended prison terms. This affair had revived the controversy over the profound examination reform. Wanting to make an example of this episode, the Minister of Education had filed a complaint and launched a "zero tolerance" plan against fraud during the baccalaureate. In first instance, the criminal court had acquitted or reduced the sentences of all the defendants prosecuted for concealment, fraud or theft.

"There are many of us who walk around with our communication detectors," says the chairman of the Joint Technical Competitions (CCP) – soon to change its name to CCINP for the 2019 session - which is the gateway for dozens of Technical schools, and brings together up to 4,000 exam candidates on a single site. Between digital watches and connected glasses, exam cheating has taken a modern turn, and so has exam surveillance.

The Ministry of Education has made a complaint against three to four institutions in Ile-de-France regarding questions leaked. Candidates for the 2019 baccalaureate are said to have received beforehand the subjects for mathematics and physics tests through private networks. A site specialized in tips for using the calculator had also reported that math and physics subjects had leaked through its site, where candidates had converted them to be included in their calculators. An investigation for "examination fraud, breach of trust and concealment" has been launched.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most universities have decided to implement remote mid-term exams, but this is causing great difficulties for educational bodies that are unable to neutralize the great number of cheaters. From Google use to classmates who publish half of the answers on Facebook, students all over France are publicly bragging about cheating during exams.

A recent survey reveals that large numbers of students use “little tricks” in order to achieve good results during online exams. Cheating techniques include sticking cards behind the computer or on the walls during video oral exams, to sharing their answers in groups on social networks. Due to financial constraints, many universities have not been able to implement video surveillance systems to prevent students from cheating.

809 procedures against university students have been raised because of cheating. In 1999, 84 cases of fraud were detected for the graduating exam, against 148 cases in 2003. Out of the 77 cases discovered in 2004, 55 concerned use of personnel documents; 8 use of mobile phones; 6 change of draft and 8 false identity.

Two students in their first year of law studies have paid 50 euros each in bribes to have their exam paper corrected. They have most likely used their cellular phone to contact a third person who has then corrected their papers.

Sorbonne has for the first time in the university's history made a complaint against two students after having cheated on an exam. The two students have supposedly got help from a third person to correct their papers.