Right now, across the country, students are working on coursework that will count towards their final exam grades.
For most, this work represents genuine effort: hours of research, drafting, and revision that builds the skills they will carry into their futures.
But I am increasingly concerned that some students are submitting work that is not their own.
I want to be clear: using AI to produce coursework is cheating
The rise of generative AI has created a new challenge for qualifications.
These tools can produce convincing text in seconds. For a student facing a deadline, the temptation is understandable.
But I want to be clear: using AI to produce coursework is cheating. When AI does the thinking, the student does not learn. And when AI-generated work receives a grade, that grade becomes meaningless.
This is why I have written to exam boards this week, asking them to strengthen their approach to preventing AI misuse in non-exam assessments.
I am asking for clearer guidance for teachers and students, and robust authentication of student work.
Why this matters
Qualifications work because they mean something. When an employer sees a grade, they trust it reflects what that student can do.
When a university makes an offer, they trust the applicant earned their results through genuine effort.
AI-generated coursework undermines this trust. It creates a system where grades reflect access to technology rather than actual capability.
It’s unfair to students who do their own work. And it sends young people into the world with qualifications that do not match their abilities.
This is not a minor issue. It goes to the heart of what qualifications are for.
What teachers can do
I want to speak directly to teachers, because you are essential to protecting qualification integrity and to helping students understand the risks they take if they cheat.
Talk to your students about AI before problems arise. Many students genuinely do not understand where the line is. They have grown up with technology that helps them with everything. The idea that using a tool to produce their work might be wrong is not obvious to them.
Be explicit. Explain that AI-generated content submitted as their own work is cheating. Explain the consequences: lost grades, damaged records, qualifications that do not mean what they should.
But also explain the deeper point, that the effort of learning is where the value lies.
The skills students build through genuine effort, such as critical thinking, clear communication, and perseverance, are exactly what will set them apart in a world where AI is everywhere. Shortcuts create gaps that follow them.
A shared responsibility
Protecting qualification integrity is not something Ofqual can do alone. Exam boards have a role. Schools have a role. Teachers have a role. And students themselves must understand what is at stake.
By having honest conversations with students about the risks, both the formal consequences and the gaps in their learning, you are not just enforcing rules. You are safeguarding their futures.
The qualifications your students receive this summer must reflect their genuine knowledge and skills. Together, we can make sure they do.
