Inside exam halls this summer, invigilators will be scanning not just for illicit phones but for pens with invisible video screens and glasses that project text across the inside of the lens – the latest weapon in a technological arms race that England’s exams regulator says threatens to undermine the entire qualification system.
Sir Ian Bauckham, the chief regulator of Ofqual, revealed that schools are reporting attempts to use increasingly sophisticated devices to gain an unfair advantage. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, he described “supposedly hidden earpieces, smart glasses that play text covertly on the inside of the glasses that only the wearer can see, and even biros that have got apparently invisible mini video screens built into them”.
“Ofqual chief warns invigilators are training to spot smart glasses, hidden earpieces and pen screens as cheating rises.”
“Some of these devices are being marketed openly on the internet specifically as aids to cheating,” Bauckham said.
The warning comes as more than a million pupils sit GCSE and A-level exams this summer. Data from Ofqual shows that mobile phones and smart devices have been the most common form of exam malpractice in every summer exam series since 2018. Last year, they accounted for 44% of all student malpractice cases – 2,225 incidents.
“We are all familiar with mobile phones but there are smartwatches that we are increasingly seeing on young people that are fully internet connected and so present many of the same challenges as mobile phones,” Bauckham said on an Ofqual podcast. “I understand that in the pipeline there are things like smartglasses that will play text across the inside of the lens that only students can see … so we are going to have to keep on top of this.”
He warned that the long-term consequence of unchecked cheating is that grades become unreliable. “Obviously, if you gain help unfairly on a mobile phone or a smartwatch or any other kind of device, you are potentially getting marks in the exam that you don’t deserve,” he said. “So you end up with grades for qualifications that are no longer reliable, no longer trustworthy.”
Bauckham said exam boards are providing training and guidance to invigilators and exams officers on how to identify suspicious devices and behaviour. He cautioned pupils that the probability of getting caught is high, and sanctions can be severe: “In the worst cases, they could lose all their A-level grades. That’s future-altering.”
Despite the risks, Bauckham stressed that the “vast majority” of students “wouldn’t dream of cheating”. “But there is this small minority – and it is a small minority – who have always set about trying to subvert the system and cheat,” he added.
Alongside wearable devices, Bauckham revealed that GCSE and A-level courses are also being scrutinised over potential AI use in coursework, after teachers said they were struggling to detect it. He hinted that stronger checks are likely to be introduced.
“Our qualification system is a real national asset and we have to keep on top of this to stop this national asset being undermined, because that is not in anyone’s interests,” Bauckham said.