TOKYO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- One of the questions during a university entrance examination may have been leaked during the test via a video calling app earlier this month, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.
As a result of the possible offense, Japan's police are looking into instances of cheating during the entrance exam, after a student from the prestigious University of Tokyo informed authorities he had received an image containing one of the examination's questions via the Skype internet telephone app.
The illicit image may have been leaked as the examination was taking place on Jan. 15. The image's contents pertained to one of the exam's questions on world history, said the sources on Wednesday.
The University of Tokyo student reportedly was asked to "try to solve" the question by an individual he met through a tutoring website, informed sources said, adding that he replied with the answer several times.
The person sending the messages, according to his internet service provider, had registered with the tutoring service and was similarly in contact with several other students.
When the same question appeared in the entrance examination, the student in question reported the incident to the relevant authorities, leading to concerns the leak could have led to far-reaching cheating during the key exam.
Students taking such exams are supposed to leave their smartphones and digital devices in their bags before such tests commence.
"There is a possibility that cheating occurred on the world history test but we cannot give details as we are currently confirming the facts," a spokesperson for the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, said.
Japan's Education Ministry, meanwhile, said it is also investigating the matter.
After the exam, there were reportedly posts uploaded online showing the world history exam question had been leaked. ■
