Written coursework for A-levels and GCSEs in England will undergo significantly more scrutiny to combat the potential for artificial intelligence to undermine "genuine human endeavour," according to the exams regulator Ofqual.
Sir Ian Bauckham, Chief Regulator at Ofqual, stated that upcoming reforms to qualifications, part of Labour's agenda, will need to include safeguards against "AI fraud." Extended writing assignments are considered particularly vulnerable to cheating and will therefore be subject to enhanced checks.
These changes are being developed as the government works with Ofqual to redesign qualifications, following a Curriculum and Assessment Review that concluded last year. New content, subjects, and a reduced emphasis on exams at GCSE level are expected from 2029. Vocational qualifications, known as V levels, are also being rolled out from 2027.
In a speech at the Festival of Education, Sir Ian is expected to emphasize that as new qualifications are designed and existing ones are reformed for 16-18 year olds, "far, far more scrutiny" will be applied to proposals for written coursework. He will assert that for qualifications to retain their value, "we cannot normalise the idea that AI-generated output is a substitute for genuine human endeavour."
Sir Ian plans to challenge the notion that allowing students to use AI for assessments is beneficial, noting that institutions like UCL Law School are increasing the use of in-person, invigilated exams to "AI-proof" their assessments. He argues that offloading student thinking to AI hinders the development of the human mind, leading to less learning, reduced satisfaction, and decreased usefulness in the workplace, ultimately posing a threat to the realization of human potential.
Maintaining England's qualifications system as a respected "national asset" is crucial, according to Sir Ian. He will reject the idea that future generations will not require qualifications because AI will be capable of performing all tasks. While acknowledging that future workplaces will be AI-enabled, he stressed that humans will remain essential, requiring higher-level expertise to augment AI and add value. Specialized knowledge and sound judgment will be central to this future workforce, necessitating more, not less, education framed by qualifications.
These concerns follow a recent poll by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, which found that 95 percent of 1,000 surveyed university students admitted to using AI tools like ChatGPT for assessments. Of these, 12 percent reported using AI to generate text for submission, an increase from previous years. While nearly 49 percent felt AI improved their student experience, 16 percent found it worsened, with some respondents noting a negative impact on their skills and learning, with one commenting, "It is making us all lazy."