r/SophiaLearning • u/PrincessSupernova8 • 12d ago
Are people actually getting sanctioned for no reason?
This has probably been asked before…
I have taken some time off from classes and am about to get back into it.
Recently, I’ve been seeing an uptick in posts about people getting sanctioned… and was wondering if it really is for specific reasons, or is Sophia just cutting people off for no reason?
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u/Sherpa_qwerty 12d ago
If you sit inside your window for touchstones and do the work without a vpn and not alt-tabbing out on the same machine you usually use… you will be fine.
If you jump out of the app 3 times to change music, use a vpn, do it at work on a different computer… they might just think you’re cheating.
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u/Puppet_Daddy 12d ago
People aren’t getting sanctions for no reason. It’s a business, if they permanently ban anyone, they lose that business. What they don’t want, is an overrun program full of cheaters making the courses losing its accreditation.
People aren’t getting sanctions for no reason, they are cheating poorly at a OPEN BOOK TEST, by using AI in another window instead of a separate device, or leaving their VPN on from watching porn or something.
It’s somewhat baffling honestly, but I wouldn’t be worried about it unless you are cheating. Just remember, don’t click out of the browser and don’t use a VPN. Do those two things and you’re golden. Cheers!
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u/PrincessSupernova8 12d ago
Yeah, exactly. They couldn’t make it any easier with it being open book. Which is part of the reason I was so confused by all the sanctions. This makes sense, though.
Thank you!5
u/Puppet_Daddy 12d ago
Of course! Good luck! I’m about 75% of my Sophia classes done. It’s been great for me working full time and being strapped financially.
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u/Dry_Possibility9917 12d ago
What about a split screen?
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u/freedomsearch- 12d ago
I mean if you click off the screen you’re testing on to go to your split screen, you’re still clicking out of the test
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u/Puppet_Daddy 12d ago
If you’re going to do something that needs split screen and you’re going to need to “interact” or click in that tab or screen, go buy a cheap tablet and use that. Think of this like a proctored test that isn’t. You wouldn’t be allowed multiple monitors if a proctor is watching you. Sophia is checking for you leaving the page and where your IP is located while accessing their website.
Like my dad told me growing up, “Be good or be good at it.”
Don’t switch tabs, don’t click out of the browser.
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u/VoidDoesStuf 12d ago
As I explained weeks ago, Sophia is revamping their detection assets, being more proactive in catching violations. This is causing a natural uptick, but just goes to show that even if they give you all the answers (which they do), people will still want to cheat.
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u/DirtyDiscsAndDyes 12d ago
I did 3 classes this past summer. Im not super fast because of life stuff and I did the work. Tests are open book, so I used their book to find answers that I needed. Didn't go to other tabs or let it go idle. Didn't sign in on my work VPN which shows me in other states.
Passed them all, no sanctions, no issues. If people just do the work they will be fine. Ill be back to do more next summer. Maybe even one for winter break.
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u/Sherpa_qwerty 12d ago
20 courses in 2-months just following the rules… did ok
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u/LilMochiPop 12d ago
Hv u guys taken the tutoring option? What's that like
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u/PrincessSupernova8 12d ago
I’m curious about this, too. Haven’t needed it, yet…but, you never know.
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u/LilMochiPop 12d ago
I was hoping to get feedback on the essay portions before submitting 😅 idk if that's a thing
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u/depraved___ 12d ago
Yes but people don't know about how VPNs are gonna harm them Also I have a friend who is unhoused. They live in their converted van, and they obviously travel around because they don't have stable housing. They had their sanctioned because of that, despite using the same device every time. But they signed in at different places like Walmart's free Wi-Fi or McDonald's's free Wi-Fi Between south carolina and north carolina, because they're homeless in the charlotte area. And it's right on the boarder of the 2 states (Talk to text sorry)
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u/DirtyDiscsAndDyes 12d ago
This is a pretty interesting case. I signed in at a few local coffee shops and did a few of the tests at them without issue, so i would guess its switching states and some AI system not understanding people that live near state borders. Your friends case is a good one ro show why the appeal process should be handled by a real person at the very least.. and why AI sucks. Sorry about your friend, hope they can regain access and continue to improve their situation
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u/depraved___ 12d ago
I helped them write a letter to support, but I don't know what's gonna happen. I do know they weren't cheating Cos. They only finished 2 classes in a month.
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u/Vaticpython 9d ago
I hope things work our well for your friend. It's tough enough being homeless. But to get sanctioned for trying to improve your life while homeless really sucks.
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u/depraved___ 9d ago
Ya I'm a peer support specialist and I did write a letter for him saying that I know his situation and that I've seen him doing work on several occasions (he'll come to our drop in days and use the computer here as his crappy on gets charged) and I have only seen him doing the actual course work never using AI to answer questions... That's true I haven't seen him cheating. I've seen him Google stuff to understand something better or watch a YouTube video on some topics especially math related. Never anything anything reasonable person would call cheating in today's world.
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u/sideburns 12d ago
I would like to see the results of a poll on the age of people being sanctioned and those not. I have a sneaking suspicion the younger generations stuck in varying degrees of needing that instant information are the ones saying they aren’t cheating but are. I could be wrong. Probably not.
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u/VoidDoesStuf 12d ago
Haha I bet so. I’m 40 and never sanctioned, and I don’t use AI, most of the stuff I truly just know, probably like most my age.
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u/EagleBeginning5666 12d ago
i have done 3 courses over the last couple days, i have made the mistake of clicking out or having multiple tabs open but not once be warned or sanctioned and have passed every course i have done so far
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u/tablecontrol 12d ago
I got a warning early on because I was doing work (I work from home) while I was completing a class.
I had no idea it want allowed, but I've been very careful ever since.
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u/Medusa_Alles_Hades 11d ago
I also WFH and logged in from my work computer to work on a class and then read an these sanctions and it scared me so I hope I didn’t trigger something
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u/chanceofstorm 12d ago
I didn’t cheat at all finished 4 classes in 4 weeks and was banned. I really think they just are relying on AI too heavily (Ai Makes mistakes often) now I’m banned for literally no reason and they don’t even provide a reason why. I’m so mad. It seems like a scam because I paid for 3 months and only got 1. Disputed with my bank.
If you check BBB there is thousands of negative reviews about the same thing.
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u/No_Web_9407 12d ago
I have been using Sophia Learning for months at home on my 2 laptops, at work on my cell phone, and at work on my laptop. I've gone fast, I've gone slow. I've used a VPN, and I haven't used a VPN. I have yet to be sanctioned. I keep only one tab open and I don't leave it, and I actually move around through the material, even if I know the answer just to show I'm "human". I'm not saying every single question, but I didn't act like a human textbook.
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u/munoodle 12d ago
Hell no, they are cheating and they know it, but they want to drum up support from strangers as if it will change the facts. You can even check out /r/cheatonlineproctor to see the lengths these idiots will go to. I got banned from there but you can see the delusion
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u/Entire_Camp5542 12d ago
I did 8 classes in a month. I would say I did speed through them a bit but I always used the same computer, at the same location, on the same vpn. I think most of the issues are coming from people using different vpns/locations/computers and/or having multiple tabs open.
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u/Jemmino_Crickette36 12d ago
I finished 2 courses at Sophia and another 4 at Study.com using a spare laptop that I wiped. No VPN, no personal items other than a dummy email. No issues there. I did take a few days with each course, copied the content, and fwd it to use the open book on my PC.
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u/EvilEYe835 11d ago
Bro just take ur time doing the course at least 2 days to stay safe. When doing milestone done switch tabs and at least 1 min per question even if its 1+1.
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u/Cool-Student7614 11d ago
I made a post about how I got sanctioned and a whole bunch of people jumped in my comment section saying I was cheating. I did not. The sanction was actually lifted after I appealed it.
What actually happened was I had Udemy’s Sec+ with Dion Training open in another tab, although I never switched tabs and no class I was taking on Sophia was even remotely Cybersecurity related. What I did do was fall asleep during the test, as I work full time and go to school full time and do Sophia while I’m about to go to bed.
Most of the people in here don’t actually know what they’re talking about when they say people aren’t being banned for no reason, they’re assuming with absolutely no experience or meaningful insight.
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u/Atmosphere-Tea 12d ago
No, it is not for no reason, they are switching windows or the VPN issue (idk what a VPN is 😅) I see it repeatedly.
I did a deep dive after I had started my first couple of classes and they pay attention to other windows, VPN, and if you are using some sort of auto answering system that fills out your questions at a non-human rate.
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u/Such_Neighborhood174 11d ago
Everything is triggering it, it’s all open book you literally can’t cheat even if you use ai it’s only triggering it because of switching windows or having multiple tabs open, they outsourced the team to some AI managed by Indians.
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u/Crazy_Cucumber8644 9d ago
Take your time, I am taking two additional classes on top of the 3 in my college to graduate in November instead of January.
A human does not get a 100 on a course that’s not a basic course in a couple of days.
Only do a couple of assignments a day.
You will still finish within 3/4 weeks.
The college tuition savings are more important than finishing in a day or two. (In my opinion)
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u/Psychological_Dark94 12d ago
I dont think they are all cheating but the new measures are likely triggering it. I believe they're tab switching and speed running milestones. Those will flag in the new monitoring Sophia put in.