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Staying one step ahead

January 13, 2010
By Shreya Tekriwal

The Graduate Management Admissions Council needs a high five before it can let you write its admissions test.

Among other councils based in the United States, GMAC requires students to provide digital fingerprints before writing the GMAT.

According to Dave Wilson, president and chief executive officer of GMAC, the purpose of implementing this system of identification was to prevent students from hiring others to write the test on their behalf.

“If you are simply relying on government issued ID and digital photos there is no way that could stop imposters,” Wilson said. “In 2003, we uncovered imposters who were operating both in Canada and the United States. They had, just in the GMAT, 156 different cases where they had taken the test for other people. We had their digital photo and government ID in every case and in every case it was issued to a different person.”

In addition to the use of finger and thumb prints, infrared scans of blood vessels are being used for identification purposes by admission councils.

While students around the world are required to provide fingerprints before writing the GMAT and LSAT, those going for their LSATs in Canada are not required to do so.

According to an article in The Star, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is currently investigating the GMAT following a concern raised by a student in Toronto.

“I can confirm that we are investigating the GMAT, but unfortunately cannot comment further [on the issue] […] as we are currently investigating the matter,” Anne-Marie Hayden, director communications at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, said.

A similar concern was raised in 2008 regarding the Law School Admission Council’s use of fingerprints, which was followed by a change in LSAC’s requirements. In the complainant’s view, fingerprinting infringed the student’s right to privacy. The individual had also raised concerns that while in the hands of LSAC, the prints could be accessed by the U.S. authorities under the USA Patriot Act.

Wilson mentioned while such testing procedures require approval from the privacy commissions in other countries, permission to implement the same is not required in Canada.

“But if they decide they want to investigate it, they will. Then you have to show causes as to why it’s reliable,” he added.

While Wilson agreed privacy concerns were fair, he assured students need not be worried about the misuse of the data collected by the councils.

“Your thumbprint is retained only as long as needed to ensure the authenticity of test scores and to protect the integrity of the testing process,” the LSAC website confirmed.

Tyler Wagg, a first-year law student at Western, mentioned LSAC required handwriting samples for security purposes when he applied.  While he did not have to provide fingerprints before writing the LSAT, he did not agree with its implementation in the U.S.

“I think it would have bothered me having to turn over my fingerprints [to just] write a test,” Wagg said.

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