A-Levels, GCSEs, and the AI Tipping Point
Generative AI is forcing the UK to rethink some of its oldest educational institutions: A-Levels and GCSEs. In a recent report, education experts and policymakers warned that these high-stakes exams may no longer be “fit for purpose” in a world where students can generate essays and solve problems using tools like ChatGPT.
Instead of doubling down on bans and detection software, the report suggests a more fundamental change: rethinking what we assess and how we assess it. This could include:
- Reintroducing oral assessments (vivas) for authenticity
- Expanding in-person supervision
- Using AI itself to assist with marking, feedback, and personalised support
While not everyone agrees on the path forward, most recognise that the exams created for the print era are struggling to hold up in the age of prompt engineering and language models.
You can read the full article here on The Guardian.
Reflection
It’s not just the UK. This same tension is playing out in classrooms everywhere — especially in Year 10 and 11, where tasks like persuasive essays, research assignments, and structured reports are increasingly vulnerable to automation.
The question isn’t “how do we stop students from using AI?” It’s “what does learning look like when students can use AI?”
Some schools are already trialling solutions:
- In-class essays written by hand
- Interactive vivas or reflections
- Portfolios where students explain their choices
- AI-assisted marking to free up teacher time
The risk is that we do what education systems often do: react slowly, legislate rigidly, and pretend technology won’t disrupt the status quo. But that window is closing.
Assessment isn’t just about proving knowledge. It’s about shaping how students learn. If we don’t change what we assess, we’ll get learners who are experts at outsourcing.