OfS urges return to in-person exams amid AI concerns

The Office for Students (OfS) is urging universities in England to consider in-person and closed-book exams to protect the validity of assessment as AI use spreads. Its updated guidance recommends secure approaches including oral examinations, presentations and practical tasks. It stops short of requiring AI-free testing, but says these methods will often work best. Where AI is permitted, institutions should explain the rules through clear, accessible policies.

The guidance follows a four-month study by the OfS and Advance HE involving some 300 students and staff members at more than 120 institutions. Researchers found widespread AI use and significant risks to assessment reliability. Students reported knowing peers who completed assignments using AI in minutes and received grades similar to those who worked independently. Some questioned whether their institutions’ assessments accurately measured knowledge and skills.

The regulator warned that failures to meet its expectations could lead to sanctions, lower awards under its quality framework or further investigation. The research also highlighted disagreement over automated marking and feedback: students often valued expert teaching staff’s input, while staff saw AI-generated feedback as a useful starting point that could free time for interaction. Simon Banks of King’s College London supported bringing more assessment back into institutions, while stressing that redesigned testing must accommodate different educational needs from the outset.