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According to R' Moshe Feinstein as cited in this answer, cheating on a school test/examination can be considered theft from a future employer. E.g. if you get the degree by cheating on a math test, you are tricking a future employer into thinking that you know math when you really don't.

If a Jew is doing Teshuva for a prior instance of cheating on a test and wants to make sure that they avoid stealing from any employer in the future, what must they do to fix their situation? Is it sufficient for them to learn the missing material? Would they need to do more?

E.g. suppose Reuven cheated on his high school exit exam on the section covering quadratic equations by using crib notes to cover up his abysmal algebraic competencies. He now wants to stop stealing from employers by tricking them into thinking that his high school diploma demonstrates that he knows quadratic equations. Which of the following (if any) would he need to do?

1) Reuven just needs to learn quadratic equations.

2) Reuven needs to learn quadratic equations and get his quadratic equation knowledge tested by a trustworthy external source (e.g. he could hire an independent teacher to test him).

3) Reuven must pass the exam that he cheated on (or at least a substantially equivalent exam), but it can be graded by any reliable teacher, not necessarily the same teacher who originally gave the exam, one with authority to change Reuven's original grade or transcript, or even one affiliated with the educational system in which the cheating took place (e.g. if the exam was from New York, the exam could be re-taken in France and graded by a French teacher who happened to be competent in the subject matter of the original test but had no affiliation with any New York educational system or authority to act for them).

4) Reuven must go back and formally re-sit the exam, possibly re-enrolling in high school math coursework if the coursework must be re-taken in order to formally re-sit the exam.

5) Reuven must re-enroll in high school (or enroll in a high school equivalency program) and earn a new diploma, but he can apply for/accept prior learning credit for coursework and exams on which he did not cheat.

6) Reuven must restart high school from the very first day and/or complete an equivalency program from start to finish with no credit for prior coursework.

In response to DanF's comment, an answer could address whether the gravamen of the halachic issue is in falsely claiming mastery of academic material over which one does not actually have mastery (and which the solution would be to simply learn the material), or whether the issue is really a procedural violation with respect to the school that can only truly be rectified by going back to the school or instructor, confessing, and formally re-sitting the applicable exams/coursework?

Obvious practical problems have been mentioned in the comments. This is not only a problem with the Regents' exams - the vast majority of school assessments cannot easily be "retaken" later a la carte. It seems that many English A-Levels can actually be re-sat as an adult, but that seems to be an exception to the general rule. If I called up the Baltimore public school system and said, "Hi, I think I cheated on Unit Test #2 for Algebra 2 in 1985, could you guys have a copy ready when I arrive tomorrow so I can retake it?" they would simply laugh at me and tell me to move on with my life, or possibly tell me to pick up a Teach Yourself Algebra book or register for a community college course if I was feeling really bad.

This is also not solely a Jewish issue - see this related question on Academia.SE, in which one of the answers mentions

...trying to attain 100% of anything is an example of what is known as a category error -- the act of attributing a concept that is applicable to one realm of thought to another realm where it is no longer applicable. "100% ethical standing" is simply a meaningless concept.

which raises the question of whether this falls into one of those "how the market works" exceptions - that since employers already know (or should know) that most job applicants have previously engaged in some minor amount of cheating in school, then there is no גניבת דעת unless one's cheating was significantly greater than most.

Robert Columbia
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    #3 seems like the best idea in terms of the halachic problem. If you retake the exam correctly without cheating, it doesn't cancel the idea that you cheated once. But, your diploma would reflect a valid grade, possibly along with the invalid one. Practically, though, I don't know anyone or any place that allowed retaking the regents after graduation, and I know of no one who has cheated on regents actually drop out of college, and return to high school and admit that they cheated and should not have graduated.However, one can retake a regents while in High school before graduating. – DanF Jul 03 '17 at 22:20
  • @DanF great points. There does come a point where one can conclude that successful performance in higher coursework renders cheating in lower coursework irrelevant (e.g. if you have a master's degree in English Literature, the fact that you may have cheated on your second grade English spelling test does not mean you are secretly illiterate) but it would be interesting if there are any sources that talk about this. In my OP example, if Reuven successfully passes university engineering coursework, he might thereby demonstrate that he actually mastered quadratic equations anyway. – Robert Columbia Jul 03 '17 at 22:26
  • I am specifically asking this question as it pertains to Judaism, not as it relates to any specific school's policy or professional standards in academia. – Robert Columbia Jul 03 '17 at 22:28
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    Yes, I understand your focus on the halachic aspect. Cheating is a form of theft, and it doesn't really matter how that cheating was done. That's a separate aspect from demonstrating knowledge or academic achievement which is shown by just grades. (I'm referring to your longer of the 2 recent comments.) I.e., the fact that you earned a PHD shows that you passed the courses needed meaning that you got passing grades. I'm sure we both personally know many med. doctors who have a degree but are not knowledgable but knew how to pass, "legally" (w/o cheating) by going through the motions. – DanF Jul 03 '17 at 22:38
  • @DanF so is the gravamen of the halachic issue a procedural violation with respect to the school (e.g. did not properly pass the examination according to school policies) or is it in falsely claiming mastery of academic material over which one does not actually have mastery? – Robert Columbia Jul 03 '17 at 22:59
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    Interesting question. I think the problem is in the initial action, itself. I have to read the specific context of R. Feinstein' s expression, because he "projects" the consequences of someone's actions into an event significantly far in the future. I don't quite see the relationship of the two regarding this area. A teen-ager's behavior does not necessarily reflect how they act as an adult. – DanF Jul 05 '17 at 13:42
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    OK - I reread the context. I think the issue is creating a lack of trust with the future employer. I.e., by stealing the answers, he has developed himself into a consistent liar and that label carries throughout all his school years until the time someone hires him. If you turn to the next page in Rav Feinstein's answer, I infer from what he says (perhaps, incorrect inference) that the best teshuva option would be to come outright and inform the employer that he cheated. – DanF Jul 05 '17 at 13:52

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