Countries in the Arab world normally hire proctors to monitor students during official exams, but that doesn't seem to be the case for Algeria.
In a bid to reduce the percentage of cheating, Algeria has blocked access to the internet for several hours as high school students sat down for their official exams.
Internet services for both mobile and fixed lines were shut down for two hours, according to Arab News, as soon the examinations began on June 20.
This was done to "stop any leaks." The internet blackout will continue throughout the entire exam period, which will end on June 25.
According to the Algerian Press Service, a total of 709,448 students will have taken the official exam by Monday.
Internet Intelligence project by Oracle revealed the hours during which the internet would be turned off
The decision comes "in compliance with instructions from the government, aimed at ensuring the high school diploma tests run smoothly," Algerie Telecom said, according to Arab News.
Nouria Benghabrit, the country's education minister, confirmed that Facebook will be blocked completely across the country throughout the entire period, according to the BBC.
Benghabrit explained that they are "not comfortable with the decision" but that "we should not passively stand in front of such a possible leak."
Electronic devices with internet access have also been banned for both students and school staff.
The move follows widespread cheating in 2016. At the time, exam questions were published on social media prior to the start of exams.
During exam season in 2017, authorities asked internet service providers to block social media. However, the move did not resolve the problem as expected.
