[abronan]

In my French University, group or individual assignments had a very low coefficient compared to written exams (where it was almost impossible to cheat as this was basically like white board coding and students would be spaced by 2/3 seats between them).

It was in the order of 20%(group/coding)/80%(written exam). This had the effect of eliminating 50% of all students on the first semester for the first year of CompSci (DistSys) Master's Degree. So even if a group cheated on group/coding assignments, they most likely wouldn't go through the written exam. We called it: "The Purge".

From then, very few instances of cheating (topics were changed every year). One group got caught cheating on another one during the second year (iOS objectiveC class) and they got a failing grade.

Almost every professor would use automated code checkers on group and individual assignments. And if you get caught, you have to go through thorough questioning by the professor, eventually getting a failing grade and having to go through the second session of written exams (which was most of the time harder than the first session).

What was unavoidable though were group projects with only one person working on the project and the others doing nothing or just spending time preparing for written exams. This happened to me quite a few times. I didn't mind as I was learning a lot, but it got me exhausted for written exams where I was getting good but not outstanding grades.