This article examines cheating in examinations at two Polish higher education institutions based on discussions with students. Students cheat for reasons such as too many exams, poor invigilation, and inconsistent grading. Cheating is seen as socially acceptable by some students because they do not respect authority figures due to Poland's past. The theoretical framework is that schools are social organizations. The article concludes that cheating hinders accurate assessment of students and that a new culture promoting ethical learning needs to be developed.