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Earlier this month the University of Sydney launched an investigation into allegations miniature spy cameras were used to record and distribute exam content online.
At the same time, the UK’s national examinations regulator warned smart glasses, smartwatches and concealed earpieces are emerging threats for unis.
Chief regulator of qualifications Sir Ian Bauckham noted technology was “changing fast”:
There are smartwatches that we are increasingly seeing on young people and they are fully internet connected […] And I understand that in the pipeline there are even things like smart glasses […]
There is a renewed emphasis on having in-person exams in response to AI. University administrators have traditionally regarded in-person, invigilated exams as the most reliable way of ensuring students don’t cheat.
But the rise of these new wearable technologies could undermine this approach.
So what can Australian universities do in response?
A new generation of tech
Cheating in examinations is of course not new. Students have long relied on handwritten notes, information hidden on clothing, or materials accessed during bathroom breaks.
In 2022, a Spanish law student even gained media attention after engraving tiny notes onto plastic pens for an exam years earlier.
However, new types of wearable technology are changing how students can cheat.
Among the most significant developments are AI-enabled smart glasses with built-in microphones and cameras.
These can display AI-generated text, process spoken language and analyse written materials. They can be hard to distinguish from everyday glasses.
Research suggests even when images captured by smart glasses were blurry and warped, AI could still extract enough information to answer some exam questions correctly.
Alongside covert recording devices, micro earpieces are also available, allowing answers to be relayed to candidates.
Screen-enabled pens can also display and generate text, allowing users to access notes while appearing to use a normal pen.
Meanwhile, smartwatches remain a cheating risk. They can store notes, display text discreetly, and in some cases connect to other devices, the internet and AI chat functions.
As a 2026 paper by Australian researchers noted, transparent wearable AI – particularly AI-enabled smart glasses – are difficult for exam invigilators to detect.
How widespread is the issue?
We do not yet have robust data on Australian usage of smart devices for cheating.
But in the United Kingdom, the exam regulator reported 2,225 cases involving mobile phones and smart devices for tertiary and senior school exams in 2025. This accounted for 44.3% of all cheating cases.
China is also grappling with the issue. This month, its Ministry of Education warned bringing smart devices to exams, including smart glasses, counts as cheating.
Numerous Chinese provinces also introduced tighter exam security measures at the same time, including mandatory inspections of candidates’ glasses, manual checks and a wider rollout of smart security gates. These are electronic screening checkpoints that detect banned devices.
In Japan, covert recordings in 2024 prompted universities to take stricter security measures for exams.
What can we do?
In Australia, some universities have banned smart devices in supervised exams.
However, smart devices cannot be addressed through traditional invigilation alone.
Universities need to update policies to explicitly address smart glasses, AI earbuds and other wearable technologies. Invigilators require training to recognise devices. For example, thick-framed smart glasses, active indicator lights, concealed earpieces and screen-enabled pens.
Universities may also need to consider having exam rooms monitored by device screening technology, and secure storage procedures for prohibited items. While such systems involve upfront costs, they are already being used in China. This suggests the technology is commercially available and operationally feasible in universities.
Other changes are needed
Assessment design also needs to evolve. Exams that focus primarily on memorisation are more vulnerable to cheating than those requiring critical thinking, problem-solving and application of knowledge.
Universities should also improve systems to collect data on technology-enabled cheating. This will allow policies to be guided by evidence.
At the same time, institutions must avoid creating inequitable surveillance practices. Intensive scrutiny of glasses and hearing aids and what students are wearing may discriminate against students with disabilities, chronic health conditions and religious dress requirements. So universities face the challenge of balancing academic integrity with inclusion and accessibility.
Undermining academic integrity
If students are cheating on exams and unis don’t realise, the consequences extend beyond individual cases of misconduct.
Public trust in university qualifications may be weakened. As the UK regulator noted,
you end up with grades for qualifications which are no longer reliable, no longer trustworthy.
The challenge for higher education is not simply preventing cheating. It is ensuring assessment remains valid, credible and equitable in a world where AI and other technology is increasingly embedded into everyday devices and learning.
Meena Jha does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.