This dissertation explored the perceptions of Iranian university students and instructors regarding cheating during in English tests (OETs). With the rapid growth of online education, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, academic institutions face significant challenges in maintaining the integrity of online assessments. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-method research design, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data to investigate how students and teachers perceived the prevalence, motivations, and forms of cheating in online English tests. The qualitative phase involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a sample of ten undergraduate EFL students, whose insights were also used to develop a questionnaire. The questionnaire was then administered to 180 undergraduate students from Arak University and Yasuj University, along with thirty-one university instructors. The questionnaire included thirty-seven items. The collected qualitative and quantitative data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using SPSS and MAXQDA. The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-tests, correlation, and ANOVA. Findings revealed that both students and instructors perceive cheating as more prevalent in online exams than in traditional face-to-face settings, though with varying perspectives on its severity and the effectiveness of preventive measures. Differences were observed between male and female students, with females more frequently using resources like Google, dictionaries, and translation tools during exams and also viewing certain preventive measures as more effective. Additionally, variables such as students' language proficiency, GPA, gender, year of study, as well as instructors' teaching experience and gender, were evaluated to assess their influence on perceptions of cheating in OETs. The study suggested that implementing tailored prevention measures, enhancing monitoring techniques, comprehensive policy guidelines, and integrity-promoting educational campaigns could mitigate academic dishonesty. The findings provided valuable insights for students, educators, administrators, and policymakers to strengthen academic integrity in online education.
