Fake diploma as a "joke". Led to exclusion from higher education

In April 2025, it was reported that an applicant for higher education in Norway was banned for one year after submitting forged diplomas. The applicant claimed that the act was intended as a joke and a test of the robustness of the admissions system, but both the university and Joint Appeals Board took the matter seriously and upheld the ban.

Background to the case

The applicant had submitted applications to several educational institutions, including OsloMet, VID University of Applied Sciences and the University of Oslo, for admission in the fall of 2024. Attached to the application was a diploma showing a score of 53.3, corresponding to a grade point average of 5.3 with additional points. The applicant was offered a place at VID.

During the application process, OsloMet requested documentation that the applicant had completed Mathematics R1, a requirement for admission to certain studies. The applicant uploaded a new diploma, which also turned out to be forged. Both diplomas were confirmed as fake by the applicant himself.

The applicant's explanation and the university's reaction

In his explanation to OsloMet, the applicant stated that the intention was not to actually start studying, but to test how thoroughly Samordna Optpakt and the admissions offices examine documents. The applicant claimed that the action was intended as a joke and expressed regret for what was described as a serious misjudgment.

However, OsloMet took the matter seriously and reported the applicant to the police. In addition, the applicant was banned from all higher education in Norway for one year. The applicant appealed the decision to the Joint Complaints Board, which dealt with the matter earlier this year.

Joint Appeals Board's assessment

The Joint Complaints Board, the national body that handles student complaints, upheld the university's decision. The board did not emphasize that the act was intended as a joke, but considered the matter serious and believed that a one-year quarantine period was an appropriate response.

The Tribunal has previously dealt with similar cases, and practice shows that intentional cheating normally leads to a two-semester suspension, while grossly negligent cheating leads to a one-semester suspension. In this case, the act was considered serious enough to justify a one-year suspension.

In serious and serious cases, it has also been seen that one may risk being reported to the police and being punished for document forgery.

It is important to thoroughly check and verify education

The case illustrates the importance of thoroughly checking applicants' documentation of education, not only in connection with admission to studies, but equally in connection with employment. The hidden figures can be large in this connection. By making a background check can one easily uncover attempted forgery.

The case was first published in Chrono.