Four in five universities use online exams - opening the door for AI cheats

By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR Published: 22:00, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 22:04, 17 August 2026 Students are increasingly likely to cheat using artificial intelligence while universities rely on at-home exams, a report has warned. Policy Exchange, the think-tank, found four out of five universities are using online, remote exams. Freedom of information requests sent to 120 universities in 2024 showed 78 per cent were using such assessments, while 70 per cent said they 'planned to carry this on'. Only 10 per cent of them used online invigilation for all remote exams, the research revealed. And 67 per cent of university policies for these exams do not mention Generative AI, which creates text. The report argued that allowing online assessment made it inevitable some students would use AI to cheat. Professor Philip Newton, who authored the report, said the assessment system had been 'weakened' by the rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT. He said such tools could 'complete common assessment methods to a very high standard' and were 'largely undetectable'. Students are increasingly likely to cheat using artificial intelligence while universities rely on at-home exams, a report has warned (file image) And he warned students who do not use AI to complete their tests will be at a 'disadvantage', receiving lower marks and looking less desirable to employers. In a foreword to the report, Sir Vince Cable, who as a cabinet minister under the Coalition government was responsible for universities, said: 'The higher education sector must urgently and significantly overhaul its assessment system. 'In-person examination should replace remote assessment unless the latter is fully secure.' Endorsing the report, Lord Mendoza, provost of Oriel College, Oxford, said: 'The widespread use of unmonitored online exams and take-home essays for summative assessment actively promotes the use of AI by students. 'This is unfair and invidious to students and staff who wish to act with integrity.' It comes after a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute found last year that 94 per cent of students reported using generative AI in their assessment. And while almost 49 per cent said AI has improved their student experience, 16 per cent felt it had made it worse. Many felt it was affecting their skills and learning, with one respondent complaining: 'It is making us all lazy.' The Policy Exchange report called for the Office for Students and the Quality Assurance Agency, which regulate universities, to rule such exams as 'non-compliant'. 'The norm should be face-to-face assessments, whether they are in-person or online, written or otherwise,' the report concluded. A spokesman for Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, said: 'It is crucial that students, employers, and the public can trust the degrees universities award. Universities are committed to engaging with students on the responsible use of AI and have robust policies in place to address concerns if and where this is not followed. 'AI is changing the way students learn, just as it is changing the way many workplaces operate. It is important that students have confidence in using AI to enhance, rather than replace, genuine learning and that they are clear about what is and is not permitted by their university. 'As AI adoption shapes the world into which our graduates emerge, universities will need to ensure that students are able to learn how to harness the enormous opportunities the technology will offer across a huge range of fields, but also to be the architects of responsible and safe adoption across the economy.'