Smartglasses and earpieces may worsen exam cheating in schools, says Ofqual

Key points

• Cheating in exams could be magnified by the new generation of wearable hi-tech devices such as smartglasses or invisible earpieces, according to England’s qualifications watchdog.
• Ian Bauckham, the head of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), also revealed that GCSEs and A-level courses in England were being scrutinised over potential AI use in students’ coursework, after teachers said they were struggling to detect it.
• Speaking on an Ofqual podcast, Bauckham warned that recent increases in cheating enabled by smartphones may be made worse by the next wave of wearable devices, undermining England’s school qualifications system.
• Bauckham said that the regulator had to act “really fast because technology is changing fast.
• 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.