Internet outage during the entrance exam and the differing opinions of the Minister of Science: It is only cut off in the exam centers; the decision rests with the Security Council, says the Minister of Communications.
Mohammad Ali Zolfi Gol, Iran’s Minister of Science, in response to today’s statement on January 4th by the Deputy of the National Organization for Educational Testing, regarding a nationwide internet outage on January 19th and 20th to prevent cheating and leaks of exam questions, announced that during the 2023 entrance exam, only the internet in the exam centers will be cut off.
Issa Zarepour, Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, also mentioned that this issue is under review and nothing has been approved yet, and overall, his ministry is not the decision-maker; this responsibility lies with the country’s Security Council.
Mr. Zarepour stated that the National Organization for Educational Testing has requested it because tools and devices have been found that, when connected to the internet, can be used to cheat during the entrance exam. To protect the rights of the exam participants, the internet should be cut off during the exam.