Short answer
Yes. Cheating in exams is haram. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever cheats is not one of us. It is also lying, breaking the rules you agreed to and taking a result you did not earn. Helping others cheat is a sin too. If you have cheated, repent, and if a job or right depends on a cheated result, ask a scholar about your case.
Cheating in exams is haram, as it combines deception (ghish), lying and breaking a trust. Helping someone else cheat is also haram, as it is cooperating in sin.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ passed a heap of food in the market, put his hand inside and found it wet underneath. He said: whoever cheats is not one of us. Scholars apply this to every kind of deception that makes something look better than it is. An exam result says 'this person knows this material'. Cheating makes that statement false.
What counts as cheating:
- copying answers, using hidden notes or phones, or looking at another's paper;
- using AI or paying someone to write an assignment you submit as your own;
- getting the paper in advance, or sharing it;
- letting others copy from you, which Allah forbids as cooperating in sin;
- faking a doctor's note to get extra time.
The harm goes beyond the exam. A doctor, engineer or pilot who cheated their way through training puts lives at risk. Even in a minor test, you build a habit of deception and lose the barakah of honest effort. Rizq is written by Allah; you do not need to cheat to get what is yours.
If you have cheated:
- Repent sincerely and resolve not to do it again.
- Where it is possible without great harm, make it right, for example by retaking or by learning the material properly.
- If you hold a qualification or job that depended on cheating, ask a mufti about your situation, since the answer depends on the details.
Make dua for help, study steadily and trust Allah with the result. Try the dua for exams. The four schools agree on this ruling.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:2
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَٰٓئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا ۚ وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَٱصْطَادُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا۟ ۘ وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ﴿٢﴾
O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval. But when you come out of ihram, then [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
Helping others cheat is cooperating in sin.
Sahih Muslim 102
Sahih... من غش فليس مني ...
"Whoever cheats is not of me."
Cheating of any kind is condemned.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Zawajir an Iqtiraf al-Kaba'ir (Ibn Hajar al-Haytami), Section on deception (ghish). Counts deception among the major sins.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.