India has seen frequent paper leaks in recent times, most commonly of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as recently as the 2026 edition. This exam seeks to secure the future of to-be medicos of the nation.
Other countries such as China, South Korea, Japan and Thailand also conduct common entrance exams; there are no cases reported about paper leaks, or guess papers having the same questions as the final exam paper.
China’s Gaokao
The Nationwide Unified Examination for Admissions to General Universities and Colleges, commonly known as the Gaokao, is the annual nationally coordinated provincially-administered undergraduate admission exam in mainland China, held in early June. Despite the name, the exam is conducted at the provincial level, with variations determined by provincial governments, under the central coordination of the Ministry of Education of China.
What makes Gaokoa Leak-Proof?
Question papers are designed in secure facilities where teachers are quarantined and isolated from the outside world for months in advance. Printing happens in maximum-security prisons with 24/7 surveillance. Transporting exam papers involves GPS-tracked vehicles with armed police escorts. During the exam, authorities deploy AI monitoring, drones, metal detectors, and high-tech signals jammers to stop cheating in real-time. Cheating on the Gaokao is considered a criminal offense, with culprits potentially facing up to seven years in prison.
China has faced only 3 cases of paper leaks since 1949, with the most notable case only being around 2003.
South Korea’s SuneungÂ
The College Scholastic Ability Test or CSAT, commonly known as Suneung is a standardised test which is recognised by South Korean universities. The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) administers the annual test on the third Thursday in November.
Korea’s Idea of a Fair and Integrity-Based Exam
The Suneung (CSAT) in South Korea is considered leak-proof due to an extreme, month-long isolation of setters, rigorous military-style transport security, and a strict “national pact” of integrity. Around 500 teachers and professors who set the exam are taken to a secret location in the mountains for a month. They cannot leave, and all communication with the outside world is cut off. The papers are treated like military secrets. They are transported under armed police escort, with GPS tracking and video monitoring, just like in China.
The exam is viewed as the primary equaliser for social status, leading to a consensus that it must be fair. The entire society supports these measures, which treat the integrity of the test as a national security issue.
Lockdown Like D-Day
One of the unique features of the Suneung exam is the unofficial lockdown in areas where the exam is conducted. Â All domestic and international flights are grounded, barred from taking off, or landing between 1:10 p.m. and 2:20 p.m. to prevent noise during the English listening section. Police officers are on high alert, and sometimes, police cars or motorcycles are used to escort students who are running late for their exam. Banks and government offices often open an hour or more later than usual to reduce traffic congestion in the morning. The Korean Exchange usually opens one hour later and closes at 4:30 p.m. rather than 3:30 p.m.
What can India Learn?
The Government of India enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in an attempt to curb paper leaks and cheating. However, the key problem where most of these leaks take place is the outsourcing of paper printing. In China and South Korea, paper setters are not allowed to interact with the outside world for months, and paper printing takes place only under 24/7 surveillance in government-approved centres.
Sooner or later, India can implement the same, so that the careers of lakhs of students do not get affected.
