Part 4Miscellaneous and general

Chapter 1Cheating services provided for post-16 students at English institutions

I126Meaning of “relevant service” and other key expressions

1

This section applies for the purposes of this Chapter.

2

Relevant service” means a service of completing all or part of an assignment on behalf of a student where the assignment completed in that way could not reasonably be considered to have been completed personally by the student.

3

References to completing all or part of an assignment on behalf of a student include references to providing material to the student in connection with the assignment where—

a

the student could use the material in completing the assignment or part, and

b

the material—

i

is prepared in connection with the assignment, or

ii

has not been published generally.

4

For this purpose—

a

where, in connection with an assignment, a student seeks the provision of a relevant service, any material provided as a result is to be regarded as provided in connection with the assignment;

b

material is published generally if it—

i

is available generally without payment, or

ii

is included in a publication that contains other educational or training material and is available generally (such as a text book or study guide).

5

A person who provides, or arranges the provision of, a relevant service does so “in commercial circumstances” if—

a

the person is acting in the course of business, or

b

in the case of a person who provides a relevant service, its provision was arranged by another person acting in the course of business,

whether the person’s own business or that of the person’s employer.

6

Student” means—

a

a person who is undertaking a relevant course at a post-16 institution or sixth form in England, or

b

any other person over compulsory school age who has been entered to take an examination relating to a regulated qualification at a place in England.

7

A “relevant assignment”, in relation to a student, is an assignment (which may have been chosen by the student) which the student is required to complete personally—

a

as part of the relevant course which the student is undertaking, or

b

in order to obtain the qualification to which the course leads or for which the student has been entered.

8

In relation to an assignment that is a relevant assignment—

a

personally” includes with any assistance permitted as part of the requirement (whether or not the assignment, if completed with that assistance, would otherwise be considered to be completed personally), and

b

that assistance is “permitted assistance”.

9

Section 30 sets out the meanings of other terms used in this Chapter (including in this section).