The evaluation of students in online education poses a notable challenge, primarily due to the potential violation of academic integrity caused by various forms of cheating during online examinations. This study aims to explore the perspectives of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners on the reasons for online exam cheating. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach and included 27 participants from three different educational contexts: universities, institutes, and schools. The qualitative phase of the study involved conducting comprehensive discussions using the Google Meet app, allowing participants to explore the factors contributing to online exam cheating. The results of qualitative analysis revealed three broad categories of reasons for online exam cheating: student-related factors, teaching-related factors, and assessment-related factors, each with sub-themes. Followed by this, a ranking scale was administered to the participants to determine the perceived significance of these categories. The implications of this study can guide the development of interventions and strategies targeting these different categories of reasons, ultimately fostering a culture of academic honesty among EFL learners in online exam settings. Also, this study contributes to understanding the reasons for online exam cheating among EFL learners and provides insights for promoting integrity in online assessments.

在线教育中的学生评估面临着显着的挑战，这主要是由于在线考试期间各种形式的作弊行为可能导致学术诚信受到侵犯。本研究旨在探讨英语作为外语（EFL）学习者对在线考试作弊原因的看法。该研究采用混合方法进行，包括来自三个不同教育背景（大学、研究所和学校）的 27 名参与者。研究的定性阶段涉及使用 Google Meet 应用程序进行全面讨论，让参与者探索导致在线考试作弊的因素。定性分析结果揭示了网络考试作弊的三大类原因：学生相关因素、教学相关因素和评估相关因素，每一类因素都有子主题。随后，对参与者进行排名，以确定这些类别的感知重要性。这项研究的意义可以指导针对这些不同类别原因的干预措施和策略的制定，最终在在线考试环境中培养英语学习者的学术诚实文化。此外，这项研究有助于了解英语学习者在线考试作弊的原因，并为促进在线评估的诚信提供见解。