AI-powered smart glasses are displayed at a mobile phone store in Seoul on Oct. 27.NEWS1
Wearing AI-powered glasses to cheat on the state-administered university entrance exam may lead to police investigations and criminal trials, the Ministry of Education announced Thursday.
The ministry also seeks to bar students caught cheating from retaking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) for up to three years, up from the current one-year ban, through amendments to the Higher Education Act.
Cheating involving smart glasses will be deemed a deliberate, premeditated attempt to disrupt the administration of a national examination, which warrants a law enforcement probe and judgment. Offenders could face criminal charges for obstructing official duties through fraud.
Organized cheating schemes involving electronic devices have previously resulted in criminal convictions. A 2005 organized cheating scheme in which students exchanged exam answers using mobile phones led to an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
The ministry also plans to strongly recommend that universities adopt reinforced anti-cheating measures for their own entrance examinations, including essay tests and interviews.
In July, education authorities explicitly added smart glasses to the list of prohibited items at CSAT testing sites for the 2027 academic year. It also issued guidelines on handling violations.
Starting with this year's exam, dedicated personnel will also be stationed at every testing site to determine whether suspected devices qualify as smart glasses.
A total of 1,312 specialists will be stationed at all 1,312 CSAT testing sites nationwide — one at each location. If a device cannot be readily identified on-site, emergency response teams at regional education offices, the ministry and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation will provide immediate assistance.
Students prepare to take a mock exam for the upcoming College Scholastic Ability Test for the 2027 academic year at a high school in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Sept. 2NEWS1
The measure is intended to ease the burden on individual proctors, who would otherwise have to determine whether a device constitutes prohibited advanced electronic equipment.
The ministry also plans to strengthen protections for exam proctors.
Starting this year, it will expand liability insurance coverage for incidents that occur during examinations and extend the period during which proctors can file insurance claims.
Proctors receive insurance to protect them from damage complaints from parents and students for mishaps they are not responsible for.
Beginning with the CSAT for the 2028 academic year, the ministry will also seek to improve working conditions, including adjustments to proctor compensation.
The ministry is also considering introducing technology to detect advanced electronic devices, including smart glasses. It plans to assess the feasibility of radio-frequency detectors currently under development by a specialized institution for use at examination sites. Depending on the results, the devices could be distributed to CSAT testing centers nationwide as early as next year.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
