Caught Using ChatGPT on VCE: 109 Australian Students Suspected of Cheating

TVS News KI redaktionell betreut präsentiert ChatGPT bei VCE erwischt: 109 Schüler in Australien unter Betrugsverdacht.

109 suspected cases in a single exam year — and a quarter more than 2024

The number of students caught cheating on the central school-leaving exam VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) in the Australian state of Victoria has jumped 25 percent within a year. According to the exam authority Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) on Monday, 109 students were investigated for suspected cheating in 2025 — up from 87 in 2024. That puts the figure at its highest level since 2022, when 110 incidents were recorded.

ChatGPT smuggled into the exam on a smartphone

Among the 109 suspected cases, one stands out as capturing the zeitgeist: a student smuggled a smartphone into the exam, uploaded the paper to the chatbot ChatGPT, and tried to pass off the AI-generated answers as his own. An alert invigilator caught him before he could hand in the AI-produced text. The student admitted the violations — as punishment, his grade was downgraded.

Identical mistakes as court-ready evidence

In a second documented case, a student copied the answers from the person sitting next to him. The cheating only came to light when examiners laid the two papers side by side. The result: not only correct answers, but a string of identical wrong answers appeared in both scripts. He denied the allegations — but a panel found him guilty of attempted cheating. He too had marks deducted.

188 rule violations in total — copying tops the list

The 109 cheating investigations are only part of the picture. In total, the authority reviewed 188 alleged rule violations in the 2025 exam year. By far the most common category was copying or attempted cheating: 41 investigations, up from just eight the year before. Mobile phone use followed with 31 investigations (2024: 19). Other allegations involved unauthorized notes, contact with other students, and continuing to write after the exam had ended.

From warning to mark deduction

What the caught students face depends on the individual case. In 2025, 37 of them received an administrative warning, and 13 were reprimanded. Fifteen went before a review panel. A total of 44 students found to have breached exam rules ultimately faced no action. For serious violations, the authority's rules provide for a panel to convene and issue either a formal written warning or a penalty such as a deduction of marks.

How the authority tracks down cheaters

The VCE exams are not without safeguards against deception. The seating arrangements in exam rooms are registered with administrators so that suspected cases can be cross-checked. Invigilators also accompany students on toilet breaks and wait outside the door — two details that show the authority was already enforcing closed conditions well before the AI era.

Exam period still underway — English is up next

The VCE exam period has been running since early October, including language subjects. For most students, the next major exam on the schedule is English — it is due to be written next Tuesday.