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14 May 2026

Investigation

Inside the booming business of high-tech exam cheating

Student fraud has moved beyond AI abuse in coursework – it includes invisible earpieces and smart glasses in exam halls. Jessica Hill investigates new trends in cheating driven by unregulated technology and social media influencers who make dishonesty feel normal

Jessica Hill

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“Cheat on a test without getting caught,” reads the advert for an earpiece so tiny it disappears once dropped inside your ear canal. “Finally, your nerdy classmates can tell you all the answers!”

The latest gadgets being openly marketed on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram to millions of young people are making it increasingly difficult for exam invigilators to detect cheating.

As AI has already transformed plagiarism and coursework fraud, a parallel technological revolution is now reshaping what cheating looks like inside exam halls.

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