A student secretly trying to use ChatGPT in their exams before being caught by an eagle-eyed supervisor was one of more than 100 pupils to be investigated for cheating on their VCE tests, after the number of people attempting to break the rules jumped by 25 per cent in a single year.
After smuggling in a smartphone to the exam, the supervisor found the student had uploaded questions to the popular chatbot and attempted to pass off the AI-generated answers as their own, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) said on Monday.
They were one of 109 students investigated for cheating during last year’s VCE exams, the authority said on Monday.
In another incident, a student was caught copying the answers from another pupil and when the two tests were compared, examiners found that many answers were identical, including wrong answers.
Both students who were caught had their marks reduced as a result of reviews.
“The VCAA thoroughly investigates all alleged misconduct cases and may reduce a student’s examination score if they are found to have breached examination rules,” a spokesperson for the authority said.
“While only a very small minority of students attempt to cheat in their VCE examinations, the VCAA has rigorous processes in place to ensure no student gains an unfair advantage by breaching examination rules.”
The authority’s internal data shows the number of students cheating increased by 25 per cent in a single year, from 87 in 2024 to 109 in 2025.
In total, the VCAA investigated 188 alleged rule breaches in 2025 tied to the cheating claims. Of these, the most common related to copying or attempting to cheat (41 investigations, up from eight in 2024). The use of mobile phones was the next most common complaint, prompting 31 investigations compared to 19 a year earlier.
Unauthorised notes, communicating with other students and failing to stop writing once an exam period had ended were also investigated.
Under the VCAA’s rules for serious breaches, a student can face a committee and receive a formal written warning or a penalty – such as having marks deducted.
In 2025, 37 students received an administrative caution, while 13 were reprimanded. A further 15 went to a review committee, and no action was taken against 44 students who breached exam rules.
The seating plans of test areas are registered with exam administrators so that testers can crosscheck accusations of cheating. Supervisors also accompany students on toilet breaks and wait outside the door.
For many Victorian students, their first VCE exam this year will be English, which will be held next Tuesday.
The exam period has been underway since early October for subjects including languages, the exam next week is one that almost all must sit.
More to come
Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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