South Korea Will Void Exams and Ban Students for a Year Over AI Smart Glasses in Suneung College Test

SEOUL, South Korea — Students caught wearing artificial intelligence-enabled smart glasses during South Korea's high-stakes college entrance exam will have their test results voided and be barred from taking the exam the following year, education authorities said Thursday, as concerns grow over a wave of AI-assisted cheating.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, which administers the College Scholastic Ability Test, known as the Suneung, posted the rules on its website as part of its guidelines for test-takers sitting the exam for the 2027 academic year. It also released an explanatory video.

The move follows a series of cases in which students were caught using smart glasses during university admissions exams in recent weeks.

Tough penalties

Under the new guidelines, smart glasses are explicitly listed among items banned from exam rooms.

Test-takers who fail to hand over wireless devices such as smart glasses or smartwatches before the first period and are found merely wearing them during the exam will have that year's test invalidated and will be barred from taking the exam the following year, the institute said.

The violation falls under the third category of cheating defined in Article 19 of the Education Ministry's rules governing the exam's administration.

Simply bringing or possessing smart glasses or other smart devices in the exam room will also result in the test being voided, under a separate category of misconduct.

Refusing checks could be treated as cheating

The institute also warned that students who refuse a proctor's request to inspect their glasses or other smart devices could face sanctions equivalent to serious cheating after a review.

Proctors may ask to observe and inspect students' glasses while confirming test-takers' identities, checking permitted watches or during the exam, according to the guidelines. When asked, students must remove their glasses, place them on their desks and cooperate with the inspection.

That means a refusal to comply with a proctor's check could effectively be treated as cheating.

Minister signaled crackdown

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin told a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's education committee on Oct. 7 that authorities intended to strip students caught cheating with smart glasses of eligibility not only for that year's exam but also for the next year.

The strict measures reflect mounting concern about AI-powered glasses, which can include cameras, microphones and connections to AI systems capable of reading questions and providing answers.

String of cheating cases

Smart glasses have been linked to a growing number of cheating incidents in South Korea this year.

In May, a test-taker wearing smart glasses was caught during a regular sitting of the TOEIC English proficiency test in the country and was disqualified for cheating.

More recently, several students were caught wearing smart glasses during essay-based exams that universities hold as part of their early admissions process.

Yonsei University, one of the country's most prestigious schools, caught a student wearing smart glasses on Oct. 10 during a mathematics essay exam for natural science and integrated-track applicants at its Sinchon campus in Seoul.

On Oct. 3, the University of Seoul caught another applicant wearing smart glasses during a natural science essay exam. The university immediately removed the student from the exam room and barred the student from applying for three years.

Guidance for universities

The Education Ministry said it planned to send guidelines for exam proctors to four-year universities nationwide on Thursday, including tips on how to identify smart glasses and methods for inspecting them.

Many smart glasses closely resemble ordinary eyewear, making them difficult to detect by sight alone. Some models feature small cameras built into the frames and can connect wirelessly to smartphones or AI services.

Teachers warn of heavier burden

The new rules have raised concerns among teachers, who serve as proctors for the exam, that the added inspection duties will increase their already heavy workload.

The Secondary Teachers Union said Thursday it would launch a nationwide petition campaign calling for changes to a system it says relies too heavily on individual secondary school teachers to shoulder the burden and risks of running the exam.

In a statement addressed to the Education Ministry, the evaluation institute and regional education offices, the union said teachers already perform a wide range of tasks, including cleaning and preparing exam rooms, checking broadcasting systems and facilities, attending training sessions and proctoring for long hours.

The union demanded that authorities secure the time and additional staff needed for extra duties such as checking for AI devices, and clearly define procedures and responsibility for verifying and judging suspicious cases.

A national event

The Suneung is one of the most important events in South Korean life, with results playing a major role in determining university admission and, by extension, future career prospects.

The exam is held once a year, and the entire country adjusts to accommodate it. Flights are rerouted to avoid noise during the English listening section, businesses delay opening hours and police escort students who are running late.

Because of the exam's significance, a one-year ban effectively forces offending students to wait at least two years before they can retake the test and apply to universities, a severe penalty in a highly competitive education system.

Global concern

South Korea's crackdown reflects broader challenges facing educators worldwide as wearable AI devices become more widely available and harder to detect. Testing organizations in several countries have moved to tighten rules on electronic devices as AI tools grow more capable of answering exam questions in real time.

The 2027 Suneung is scheduled to take place next month, with hundreds of thousands of students expected to sit the exam nationwide.