A pair of young men are being prosecuted in Beijing for exam cheating. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

A pair of young men are being prosecuted in Beijing for exam cheating.

The case is thought to be the first in the capital under the toughened laws surrounding cheating on national exams.

The two are accused of cheating on the Postgraduate School Entrance Exam.

Under the new rules brought into effect in November, people convicted of cheating on national exams can face as much as 7-years in prison.

Sun Peng is with the prosecutors office in Beijing's University district of Haidian which is handling the case.

"Before the amendment to the criminal law was carried out, plagiarism could only lead to administrative punishments, such as cancelling exam grades, dismissing students who cheated or recording a demerit. But now cheating is a crime, which means people can and will be prosecuted. This is deterrence for both groups and individuals who want to skirt the system."

Prosecutors allege the young man who was supposed to take the Postgraduate Exam paid the other 76-thousand yuan to sit it for him.

Police are now checking to see if a larger cheating organization may have been involved.