The University of Sydney has released a report into academic misconduct that spread to 16 different universities Australia wide.

The MyMaster website allegedly helped around 1000 students cheat in assignments, with the use of ghost writers, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.

The report found that 'plagiarism, collusion, recycling and ghost writing' were problems seen within a number of take-home assignments but was also seen extensively across multiple choice examinations.

A Sydney University report has been released showing academic misconduct that spread to 16 different Universities Australia wide

Universities are coming to terms with the extent that students are taking to complete their assignments during examination time.

Extreme lengths have been taken to make sure people don't use technology to cheat and have seen analogue and smart watches banned from exam rooms.

The investigation started in May and June earlier this year.

The report said: 'The problem of cheating in exams is not trivial - a study on multiple choice exams within the university revealed an average level of cheating of about 5 per cent.'

The report found that 'plagiarism, collusion, recycling and ghost writing' were problems seen within a number of take-home assignments but was also seen extensively across multiple choice examinations

In addition to the MyMaster plagiarised work, fake medical certificates allowing students to re-sit exams have been found across the University campus warned the report.

Data fabrication in this regard is 'another form of dishonesty.'

'Cases where such certificates are faked or even sold,' said the report.

'The Working Party considers that the current review of special consideration will need to deal with these concerns separately to the Taskforce's work.'

In addition to the MyMaster plagiarised work, fake medical certificates allowing students to re-sit exams have been found across the Sydney University campus warned the report

The chair of Sydney University's academic board, associate professor Peter McCallum told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'A second report into research students would be released next month.

'The university was already implementing recommendations from the initial report, including the mandatory use of plagiarism detection software across all faculties for all written assignments.'

Chinese-born Yingying Dou, 30, reportedly ran the MyMaster website which charged up to $1000 per assignment and was used by hundreds of students across 16 universities.

Failure to adhere to the University's 'high standards of academic merit, intellectual rigour and ethical behaviour could constitute misconduct, resulting in serious penalties such as failure or exclusion'

Yingying Dou ran the essay writing site MyMaster

Internal emails show just five students have been found guilty of cheating, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In an email to the university's deputy vice-chancellor, Head of Student Affairs Idena Rex said the uni was able to identify 'a maximum of five students' who used MyMaster.

Ms Rex said the students were identified using plagiarism prevention software Turnitin, but the software is not used in all University of Sydney subjects meaning other students guilty of cheating could not be identified.

'Upon completion of the investigation, the University will pursue disciplinary pathways as appropriate across its student and alumni bodies,' the spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'Failure to adhere to the University's high standards of academic merit, intellectual rigour and ethical behaviour could constitute misconduct, resulting in serious penalties such as failure or exclusion.'

Ms Dou denied knowing anything about the website MyMaster website which has now been taken down

Another institution - the University of Technology, Sydney - said it had identified 15 university students guilty of using the MyMaster website after being provided with 94 examples.

'In 21 of the cases there was no evidence that any piece of work was carried out and these have been discarded,' UTS's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Shirley Alexander told Daily Mail Australia.

Professor Alexander said potential penalties range from a minimum of a zero mark for the subject to permanent exclusion from the university.

'The most common penalty would be suspension from the university for a semester, which is noted the student's record,' she said.

Students (stock photo) reportedly paid up to $1000 for their essays to be written for them

This comes after another institution - the University of Newcastle - last month said it had expelled two students, suspended eight students and found 21 others guilty of misconduct. The majority of students found guilty were given fail grades for 2014 subjects.

It was claimed that MyMaster had an annual turnover of $160,000 thanks to Chinese international students desperate to pass their courses or too lazy to do the work themselves.

Ms Dou reportedly had 100 employees working from a Chinatown office on George Street in Sydney before the website was shut down.

The four other worst-hit universities last month told the Herald they were still conducting investigations with accused students – 11 at University of Technology Sydney, 19 at University of NSW, and 43 at Macquarie University.

Up to 70 students face expulsion from Australia's leading universities after being found guilty of cheating by paying the company to write their assignments

Ms Dou has denied knowing anything about the website. The company's Facebook page has also been removed but a holding page shows 605 previously people 'liked' it.

She reportedly also runs Yingcredible Tutoring, a page which she has endorsed from her own personal Facebook account.