England’s qualifications regulator has warned that exam cheating could become even more difficult to control with the rise of new wearable technologies such as smart glasses and hidden earpieces.

The chief regulator at the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, Ian Bauckham, said that GCSE and A-level assessments are being reviewed over concerns that artificial intelligence may be used in coursework, with teachers reporting difficulties in detecting it, according to The Guardian.

Speaking on an Ofqual podcast, Bauckham said recent cheating linked to smartphones could be amplified by emerging wearable devices, potentially undermining the integrity of England’s education system.

He stressed that the regulator must move quickly to keep pace with rapid technological change, noting that internet-connected smartwatches already present similar risks to mobile phones among students.

“I understand that in the pipeline there are things like smartglasses that will play text across the inside of the lens that only students can see … so we are going to have to keep on top of this.

“Our qualification system is a real national asset and we have to keep on top of this to stop this national asset being undermined, because that is not in anyone’s interests, ” he said.

Ofqual has warned that internet-enabled gadgets, including devices such as invisible earpieces and smart glasses, are already being marketed, raising fresh concerns about exam security.

The regulator also noted a continuing rise in the number of students penalised for bringing mobile phones and other connected devices, such as smartwatches, into exam halls.

Last summer, Ofqual recorded 2,225 cases of cheating involving mobile phones and smart devices across GCSE, AS, and A-level examinations.

This category has remained the most common form of exam malpractice every year since 2018.

“Obviously, if you gain help unfairly on a mobile phone or a smartwatch or any other kind of device, you are potentially getting marks in the exam that you don’t deserve,” Bauckham said.

“The long-term consequences is that the grade you get at the end might not accurately describe the extent to which you have learned and mastered and demonstrated the content that’s being assessed. So you end up with grades for qualifications that are no longer reliable, no longer trustworthy.”