Significant Rise in Cheating Cases in England
Exam cheating incidents in schools and colleges across England have surged back to pre-pandemic levels, according to Ofqual’s latest report. Data from summer 2024 reveals a 163% increase in cases where entire schools, colleges, or departments were reprimanded for exam malpractice, rising from 55 cases in 2023 to 145 this year. This figure is close to pre-COVID levels, such as the 135 cases recorded in 2018.
Maladministration accounted for 79.6% of these cases, up from 66% last year. While these incidents affect only a small fraction of England’s more than 20,000 state schools, they indicate persistent challenges in maintaining examination integrity.
Instances of proven student cheating also rose by 5.9%, from 4,900 cases in 2023 to 5,190 in 2024, though this remains minuscule compared to the 17.6 million GCSE, AS, and A-level entries recorded this summer. Most student cheating cases—41.4%—involved mobile phones, which remain the most common rule violation, although the number of penalties related to phones dropped slightly from 2,180 to 2,145 this year.
Staff malpractice also increased, with 250 reported cases in 2024, marking an 8.6% rise from 230 cases the previous year. Over half of these cases involved maladministration, while 28.6% were related to improper assistance given to candidates.
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