UK regulator threatens universities with sanctions unless they adopt AI-proof exam formats

AI makes it "close to impossible" to fairly grade student coursework, England's higher-education regulator the Office for Students (OfS) says. The agency is urging universities to bring back traditional exams and in-person presentations, the Guardian reports.

A joint OfS and Advance HE survey of more than 300 respondents at 127 institutions found students use AI heavily for essays and dissertations — often undetected — and receive similar grades to those working without it. Some students wrote entire papers with ChatGPT and couldn't recall basic content afterward, the report says, while instructors describe large batches of uniform submissions sharing identical sources and style.

OfS strategy director Josh Fleming called this a "generational risk," saying it threatens the credibility of degrees, and demanded "far greater use of AI-free assessment." The OfS warns it could sanction institutions that don't develop reliable formats. Many universities are already moving toward oral exams, process-based assessments, or tasks where students critically revise AI-generated text. Britain's Department for Education expects universities "to take this issue seriously" and wants the OfS to ensure its regulatory framework is "explicit, strong and durable on the use of AI."

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