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England's exams watchdog is warning that the next generation of school cheating may arrive not in a student's pocket, but perched on their face.
In a new podcast, Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said advances in consumer technology are creating fresh headaches for exam authorities, with smart glasses, hidden earpieces, and other connected gadgets raising the prospect of increasingly sophisticated cheating during exams.
"We shouldn't underestimate the challenge involved here," Bauckham said, warning that regulators will need to move quickly as technology evolves.
Students smuggling phones into exam halls is hardly a new phenomenon. According to Ofqual, mobile phones and other smart devices were involved in 2,225 malpractice cases during 2025 exams, accounting for 44.3 percent of all student malpractice incidents. Device-related offenses have been the largest category of student malpractice every year since 2018.
www.theregister.com
In a new podcast, Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said advances in consumer technology are creating fresh headaches for exam authorities, with smart glasses, hidden earpieces, and other connected gadgets raising the prospect of increasingly sophisticated cheating during exams.
"We shouldn't underestimate the challenge involved here," Bauckham said, warning that regulators will need to move quickly as technology evolves.
Students smuggling phones into exam halls is hardly a new phenomenon. According to Ofqual, mobile phones and other smart devices were involved in 2,225 malpractice cases during 2025 exams, accounting for 44.3 percent of all student malpractice incidents. Device-related offenses have been the largest category of student malpractice every year since 2018.
UK exam watchdog frets over smart specs turning GCSEs into Google searches
Ofqual says smart glasses, hidden earpieces, and AI tools are creating a new generation of cheating headaches
