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Hi-tech exam cheats under scrutiny, says Ofqual head
The Guardian
|June 04, 2026
Cheating in exams could be exacerbated by wearable hi-tech devices such as smart glasses or invisible earpieces, according to a watchdog.
Ian Bauckham, the head of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), also said GCSEs and A-level courses in England were being scrutinised after teachers reported struggling to detect AI use in students’ coursework.
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.
This story is from the June 04, 2026 edition of The Guardian.
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