They go to one of the world’s most prestigious universities and pride themselves on their superior intellect but almost half of Cambridge students admit they are not immune from the temptation to cheat and submit essays they find on Google, a survey suggests.

The results of an anonymous online poll of more than 1,000 students conducted by the student newspaper Varsity found that 49 per cent of undergraduates pass other people's work off as their own at some point during their university career.

Only 5 per cent said they had actually been caught plagiarising.

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Academics in universities across the country have been accused by their peers of turning a blind eye to the practice to ensure their institutions climb national and international rankings.

One student told Varsity: "Sometimes, when I am really fed up, I Google the essay title, copy and throw everything on to a blank word document and jiggle the order a bit. They usually end up being the best essays."

Source: The Times Online
For the full article please visit http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/student/article5054310.ece