Four Chinese students have reportedly been arrested at three locations in the United States on charges of defrauding the government in relation to TOEFL exams.

If found guilty, they could face jail sentences of up to five years.

The TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language - is the most widely respected English-language test in the world, recognized by more than 9,000 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries, including Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the United States.

It’s a must-have for any overseas students seeking admission to a U.S. university, and is used by the U.S. government in the issuing of F-1 student visas.

According to federal prosecutors, 25 years old Wang Yue, a Chinese student in the Hult International Business School in Cambridge, is accused of taking the TOEFL exam for three other defendants in exchange for money.

The fraudulently acquired TOEFL scores were reportedly used by Wang’s co-defendants for their own college applications, resulting in:

Zhang Shikun, 24 years old, admitted to Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.

Huang Leyi, 21 years old, admitted to Penn State University in Erie.

Cheng Xiaomeng, 21 years old, admitted to Arizona State University in Tempe.

The four Chinese nationals are due before a U.S. District Court in Boston on May 18. They could face up to five years in prison, and will be repatriated after their sentence has been served.