Ofqual Warns 44% of Exam Malpractice Involves Smart Devices in GCSE, A-level Tests
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Ofqual Warns 44% of Exam Malpractice Involves Smart Devices in GCSE, A-level Tests
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 4
Summary
More than 1 million pupils sitting GCSE and A-level exams this summer were warned that covert tech cheating is rising, with smart devices involved in 44% of student malpractice cases last year.
Ofqual chief Sir Ian Bauckham said schools are reporting increasingly sophisticated tools — including smart glasses, hidden earpieces and pens with built-in screens — that can be harder for invigilators to detect.
Ofqual recorded 2,225 cases involving mobile phones and smart devices last summer; 545 led to disqualification from some or all qualifications and 1,240 resulted in lost marks.
Exam boards are training invigilators and exams officers to spot suspicious devices and behavior, while Bauckham said students caught cheating face severe sanctions that can wipe out all A-level grades.