Cheating is theft from honest students. Cheating is a serious crime, and one of my responsibilities is to detect and punish this crime.
Please vary your exam seating, and do not sit with study partners. When students sit next to each other on multiple exams, I study their exams for copying. It is your responsibility not to create the impression of copying.
We grade by sorting answers into types; this moves similar exams near each other, making copying far more conspicuous than one might imagine. For example, whenever an unusual error appears on exactly two exams, we study both exams for other telltale copying patterns and transcription errors. If warranted, I scan the exams for my records, and watch both students for the remainder of the semester.
When I detect copying, I submit a final grade of AR and file a complaint. The AR will likely lead to a grade of F, and the complaint may lead to expulsion.
In summary, my class is a poor risk for cheaters, because I look for cheating, I detect cheating, and I am good at what I do. If you are tempted to cheat, do not be lulled into a false sense of security by your experiences in other classes or the apparent ease with which you can copy during our exams. I will give no indication that I have detected copying until final grades are submitted, and it is too late to withdraw from the class.