Cheating in exams using latest high-tech smart devices poses a
growing threat that must be tackled quickly and not
underestimated, Ofqual's chief has warned in a new podcast.
Chief Regulator Sir Ian Bauckham CBE's comments come amid
concerns about latest gadgets including invisible earpieces and
smart glasses being advertised on social media, as more than 1.3
million students sit their exams.
Speaking in the first episode of Ofqual's new podcast
series Can I Just Qualify That? the head of England's
exams regulator highlighted how the threat of cheating in the
exam hall is not limited to mobile phones.
He said: “There are of course other devices, there are smart
watches and smart all sorts of things. There might be smart
spectacles next… that will play text across the inside of the
lens that only the student can see.”
He added that Ofqual had to “move really fast, because technology
is moving fast”.
Asked about the reality of students avoiding detection and
getting their devices into exam halls, he said: “We shouldn't
underestimate the challenge involved here.”
The Chief Regulator welcomed government measures. He said: “I was
really pleased to read that the government has now made the
decision to require schools to have no mobile phones on school
premises. It is then much easier for invigilators to enforce that
rule.
“While students are allowed to have mobile phones in school but
not in the exam, you have a point of tension, a point of
conflict.”
His comments come as Ofqual's own data showed that mobile phone
and smart device offences accounted for 2,225 malpractice cases
in the summer 2025 exam series – 44.3% of all student
malpractice.
It has been the most common category of student cheating in every
summer series since 2018.
Students who take their phones or devices into exam halls risk
losing marks or disqualification, preventing them from obtaining
a qualification, Sir Ian has warned.
Sir Ian also uses the podcast series' first episode to speak at
length about the future of education and assessment in the age of
AI, including the growing difficulties of detecting AI in
coursework.
The Can I Just Qualify That? new podcast series will
see Sir Ian and Ofqual colleagues explore and explain the world
of qualifications and assessment.
The first episode of the podcast will drop on Thursday 4
June at 7:00am. You can listen on YouTube or through
your chosen
podcast streaming service.
Notes to editors
You can access statistics on malpractice in GCSE, AS and A Level
qualifications for the summer 2025 exam series here.
