A huge breach in student integrity occurred as Carlmont’s winter break came to an end when a shocking email from AP Government teachers exposed a cheating scandal in relation to the fall semester final.

The final exam for the course was an unreleased AP test, purportedly unavailable to the public.

However, while preparing for the exam, some students were able to scour the Internet and locate an exact copy of the test that had been leaked.

According to AP Government teacher Kristine Weisman, they knew there was something wrong when “students who had a 65 percent testing average all of a sudden got perfect scores” on the final.

“No one gets 100 percent on AP tests,” Weisman declared. “It just doesn’t happen.”

Due to this realization, the AP Government teachers contacted Instructional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom, who in turn had to contact the district to notify them of the situation.

A conclusion was reached in order to straighten out this issue; none of the test scores will be counted in the students’ first semester grades. The grades they will receive on their transcripts are the ones that were on Infinite Campus prior to the exam.

“I think what happened is very sad,” said Fishtrom. “But in this day and age it’s bound to happen.”

However, there is an opportunity for students to raise these grades. An optional AP Government test will be given on Jan. 16 and 17. Once scored, these will take effect on the first semester grades.

Many students were completely outraged by this unfortunate turn of events, especially those whose grades depended solely on the final.

“It’s so frustrating!” admitted senior Erica Pak.  “My grade was riding on that final and now I have to redo it?”

“It feels unfair,” added senior Brent Tom, “to everyone who actually studied and didn’t memorize answers.”

Regardless whether or not the students were affected by the whole episode, this is most definitely a shocking start to Carlmont’s spring semester.