There has already been 'cheating', although it is very difficult with the TEA as (a) the first 10 ratings conducted by any accredited centre are double-checked by Mayflower College and amended if necessary and (b) after that, Mayflower carry out random checks of recordings of interlocutions submitted to the database (ALL recordings are submitted to the database) - at least 10% of any accredited centre's interlocutions will be checked and you have no knowledge of which ones which will be checked.
Saying that, apparently up to $10,000 has been paid for a Level 6 assessment (not using the TEA I should add) and I have come across many persons overseas who are below Level 4 but have been granted Level 4 +.
But look no further than the UK - the CAA has a system where examiners are expected to assess flight test candidates at Level 6 and are doing so on a regular basis when some persons are without no doubt whatsoever below Level 6. You can't blame the examiners - the system created by the CAA is riddled with holes just waiting to be lined up. Firstly, the examiners are designated as English Assessors on the basis that they are fluent English speakers themselves - for a start this is not true in all cases; I know UK based FEs whose English is questionable and probably not Level 6. Secondly, they are limited to determining whether or not the candidate is Level 6 with, in the majority I would expect, no training in assessing English, as determined by ICAO descriptors or otherwise. Thirdly, they have no clear guidelines as to what to do or where to turn when the candidate is obviously not Level 6. Therefore, the easiest thing to do is to just tick the Level 6 box and move on.
The CAA has been sitting on its hands for too long on this issue and those hands are liable to be burned if they don't pull their fingers out.
