Katherine Dvorak is a writer for the Daily Collegian , the leading news source for Pennsylvania State University . This article was brought to CNN.com by UWIRE , the leading provider of student-generated content . UWIRE aims to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience via professional media partners such as CNN.com . Visit UWIRE.com to learn more . ( UWIRE ) -- A Web site developed this year that allows students to share old exams online is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications . PostYourTest.com creator Demir Oral says the site is a tool for education , not for cheating . PostYourTest.com is an educational tool that lets students anonymously upload materials and tests from their previous and current classes , said Demir Oral , creator of the site . However , there are teachers who do not want their tests to be posted for every student to see . `` I would not be happy if a student who had taken a class of mine had taken an exam and posted it online , '' Sarah Hall , graduate professor of psychology at Penn State University , said . `` I know that some teachers reuse past exams and it would be hard to have to write a new test for every class . '' However , Mary Bojan , professor of chemistry at PSU , said she would n't mind if students posted her tests online . `` For my classes I always write new exams every time , and I would n't object because I have some old exams up online that I 've posted myself , '' Bojan said . Currently , there are no tests online for Penn State University , because the site was developed on the West Coast , Oral said . `` Primarily the main audience is San Diego , but that 's because I 've only advertised around there , '' Oral said . He said he is looking into expanding the site more to include universities and colleges across the country . `` Also , although I am still focused on the United States , in the future I would like to go global , '' Oral said . `` I think it would be really effective worldwide . '' While studying for an exam in the HUB-Robeson Center , Christal Cozier ( senior-nutrition ) said she would consider using the site . `` I think looking at an old exam helps -- it at least gives the student an idea of how the teacher poses questions , '' Cozier said . While she said she would n't go through the trouble of posting a test herself , Cozier said she did n't think students posting old tests online would be a problem . `` Most teachers give out practice exams and old exams anyway , '' she said . `` The only time I would think it would be a problem is if the teacher uses exams more than once . '' In response to criticism of the site from professors , Oral said he wants people to know the site is a tool for education and not a tool for cheating . He added teachers can ban their exams from the site if they do n't want students sharing them online . `` The first professor that banned his exams said he wanted to ban them because he was copyrighting them and publishing them in a book , and that made total sense to me , '' Oral said . Even with the option to ban tests , Tara Chismar said professors may not know the site exists and may not know to ban their exams from it . She said the site might be OK only if students get permission from their teachers to post exams online . Bojan said the biggest problem she saw with students posting material online would be putting up tests the teachers wanted handed back in . `` Common sense needs to come into play with something like this because there 's a student responsibility side to it , '' she said . `` Having access to an exam you 're not supposed to is cheating . '' Students should n't have to rely on old tests online to prepare for an exam from a new teacher , Hall said . `` There are likely a lot of professors who would be happy to give students more of a sense of what the exam is going to be like -- maybe giving them sample questions , '' she said . Bojan warned students should use materials posted online wisely because looking at an exam may not always be the best way to study . `` One problem is old tests may not be the most effective study tool , '' she said . `` By just going off of old exams students are n't learning how to actually do the problems . ''
PostYourTest.com was developed this year , has mostly California tests . Site is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications . Teachers can ban exams from the site if they do n't want students sharing . Looking at an exam may not always be the best way to study , professor warns .