Ofqual warns students face disqualification if they look for scam papers

Teenagers risk being disqualified from exams if they look for leaked papers online, a watchdog has warned.

Students should report accounts that claim to sell this year’s exam scripts, according to the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).

Sir Ian Bauckham, Ofqual’s chief regulator, said students were unnecessarily risking disqualification because leaked papers were “almost always scams”.

Sir Ian said: “Students should also be aware of the risks of exam papers on social media. Accounts claiming to sell this year’s exam papers are almost always scams. Students should report these accounts to teachers.

“Students risk losing the qualification they’ve been studying for if they search for or communicate with social media accounts claiming to sell leaked exam papers.

“Sanctions can still apply even if the papers turn out to be fake. Buying papers is never worth the risk.”

Ofqual data, released in December last year, showed there were 4,895 cases of malpractice during GCSEs, AS and A-level examinations which included students in 2023, up from 4,105 in 2022.

Sir Ian added: “Students have been working hard to prepare for their exams, and nobody wants them to miss out on their grades and qualifications.

“Thankfully, most students are aware of the risks of malpractice and comply with the rules.

“It’s important that the rules are followed so that grades reflect what a student knows, understands and can do.”

It comes as exam boards have warned that Meta and TikTok must do more to “shut down” accounts scamming students, the BBC reported.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the UK’s eight largest exam boards, said it wanted its members to have direct access to enforcement teams on social media sites, to shut down accounts and prevent scams quickly.

A JCQ spokesman said: “It is important students know to report fraudulent accounts claiming to sell exam papers on social media to their teachers.”

The JCQ also said it was highly unlikely that real exam papers were being leaked online.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and TikTok have said they do not allow exam papers to be sold on their platforms.

‘Misuse of digital tech’

Ofqual has also urged students to leave their mobile phone elsewhere during exams after instances of students being found with mobile devices in exams have almost doubled since 2018.

There were 2,180 cases with penalties for this type of offence in 2023, compared with 1,825 in 2022, according to figures from the exams regulator.

Research for Ofqual last year suggested that most students do not intend to use their phones to cheat, but they do not want to be separated from them as they are worried about loss or damage.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are sure that the vast majority of students taking exams will stick to the rules, but there are always some who do not do so, and unfortunately the misuse of digital technology is a real headache.

“Schools and colleges rigorously police exam rooms to ensure that devices are not brought in by candidates and they warn students not to try to find exam papers on social media.

“These are generally fake papers being circulated as a scam, but in the rare event of a genuine paper being leaked, any student accessing that paper risks disqualification.

“It is really important that students take heed of these warnings.”