I'm trying to locate an obscure science fiction book I remember from my childhood (10+ years ago). Problem is, I cannot remember the name - just the plot!

I *do* remember that the book was an actual book - not a short story. The story was "straight up" science fiction - spaceships and futuristic settings, but no time travel or "fantasy" elements.

The basic plot is as follows. Several students are preparing to graduate from their piloting school. As part of their final exam, they have to take a ship out and land it on a planet. The "exam" is supposed to be fairly routine and basic, but the students misunderstand their instructions, and land the ship on an uninhabited/unexplored planet. Trouble ensues as it becomes clear that a) they were tricked into the "misunderstanding" by one of their own (another student or a low-level teacher with them, I forget which) and that b) they are in serious danger on this planet as renegade humans (space pirates? my memory fails me) are trying to capture the students.

My more vivid memory involves one of the students fleeing through a forest at night, trying to get back to the ship.

At the end, when the students return home (Earth?), it's confirmed by a shocked teacher that they'd only been meant to travel a short, routine distance (Mars?).


If anyone can think of the name of this book, I'd be very grateful. Note that the book is *not* a popular version by Bradbury where the students travel through time and space through a portal - in the book I'm remembering, the students travel by conventional space ship since they are piloting students. Thanks!