Is using AI cheating? The rules for homework, coursework and exams

Key takeaways

• →Using AI to learn, by quizzing yourself or asking for an explanation, is not cheating. Handing in work AI did for you, as your own, usually is.
• →Homework rules are set by each school and teacher, so ask before using AI on anything that will be marked.
• →In GCSE and A-Level coursework, any AI use must be named, dated and explained. Misuse is malpractice and can lead to disqualification.
• →There is no AI in exams: phones and watches of any kind are banned from the exam room, even if you don’t use them.

1. The short answer

Using AI to learn is not cheating. Asking a chatbot to quiz you, explain a topic or give you a hint is studying, much like using a revision guide. Cheating starts when AI does work that is handed in as your own.

Most children already use it. Ofcom’s research, published in May 2026, found that over half of 8 to 17-year-olds (56%) use AI, rising to two-thirds (66%) of 16 and 17-year-olds.^[1]

The rules depend on what the work is for. Homework, coursework, exams, university applications and the 11+ all work differently, so here is each one in turn, with a summary table at the end.

If AI helped you learn it, you can explain it. If AI did it for you, you can’t.

2. Homework: it depends on the school

There is no single rule for homework. The exam boards’ rules are for coursework and exams, so homework is up to your child’s school and teacher.

The Department for Education’s guidance says schools may wish to review their homework policies, and other study done without a teacher, because of AI. So check two things: the school’s AI policy, which is often on its website, and what the teacher has asked for in each task. If the instructions don’t say, ask.^[2]

Whatever the rule, the learning question is the same: is AI helping your child think, or thinking for them? In a large trial, maths students who practised with ChatGPT freely scored 17% lower in the exam, once it was taken away, than students who had practised without it. A version set up to give hints, not answers, did no harm.^[3]

3. Coursework: the strictest rules

GCSE and A-Level coursework, which exam boards call non-exam assessment, follows rules from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the body that sets shared rules for the main exam boards. All work submitted must be the student’s own, and students sign a declaration to say so.^[4]

Using AI so that the work is no longer the student’s own is malpractice, which means cheating under the exam rules. JCQ’s examples include copying or paraphrasing AI text, using AI to complete parts of the work, and not saying that AI was used. Penalties can include disqualification, and even being barred from taking qualifications for a number of years.^[4]

AI can only be used where the task allows internet access and the school allows it. Then the student must name the tool, give the date the content was made, keep a copy of their questions and what AI produced (a screenshot works), explain briefly how they used it, and hand all of that in with the work.^[4]

Each school’s exam policy must also say when AI may be used and how to acknowledge it, so read it before coursework starts.^[4]

Keep a record from day one: Make a folder for coursework screenshots. If the teacher allows AI for research, save each question and answer as you go, with the date.

4. Exams: no AI, no devices

In GCSE and A-Level exams there is no AI at all. JCQ’s rules for candidates from September 2026 say you must not take a mobile phone, a watch of any kind (including a smartwatch), earbuds, smart glasses or other smart devices into the exam room.^[5]

Having one is breaking the rules even if you don’t mean to use it, and can lead to penalties, including disqualification. Follow your school’s instructions on where to leave them.^[5]

So AI’s job comes before the exam: quizzing, explaining and checking practice answers. Our guide to AI revision prompts has prompts to copy for every subject.

A common slip: A phone forgotten in a blazer pocket still counts. Check pockets before going in.

5. UCAS personal statements and the 11+

For university applications, UCAS says AI can help with ideas, with structure and with checking that a draft reads well. But a statement written mostly by AI could be treated as cheating by universities. UCAS checks statements for similarity, and may tell the universities you applied to if it finds a match.^[6]

Applicants confirm that their statement hasn’t been copied from another source, so the writing has to be their own. Our guide to writing the personal statement shows how, step by step.^[6]

The 11+ is sat in person, with an invigilator in the room. In tests run by Quest Assessments, for example, each child gets a question booklet and a paper answer sheet. So AI can only help with practice at home.^[7]

For practice, start with the real format: GL Assessment offers 10 hours of free familiarisation papers to print. AI can explain why an answer is right, but it can get reasoning puzzles wrong, so double-check what it tells you. Our guide to verbal and non-verbal reasoning explains the question types.^[8]

6. Fine, ask first or not allowed

A quick guide. Your child’s school has the final say on homework and coursework, so treat “Ask first” as a real question for the teacher.

7. How to tell if work isn’t your child’s

The simplest check is to ask them to explain it back. “Talk me through how you got this.” “What does this word mean?” “What would you change if you did it again?” If AI helped them learn, they can answer. If AI did the work, they usually can’t.

JCQ also lists warning signs for teachers, including American spellings and terms, a writing style that doesn’t match how the student usually writes, and missing quotations or references where you would expect them.^[4]

Stay curious rather than accusing. Many children don’t know the rules yet, and a calm conversation now is far better than a malpractice case later. For a routine that keeps the thinking with your child, see our guide to using AI alongside tutoring.

Try it tonight: Pick one piece of homework and ask, “Can you teach me how you did this?” Two minutes tells you a lot.

8. How Brainhub can help

Brainhub tutors teach one-to-one, online across the UK or at our seven London hubs. Bring any AI questions and notes to a lesson, and your child’s tutor will check what AI got right and what it got wrong. Every family starts with a free assessment.

1. 1. Is it cheating to ask AI to quiz you on a topic?

   Show answer

2. 2. Can students use AI in GCSE coursework?

   Show answer

3. 3. Can you take a smartwatch into a GCSE exam if you don’t plan to use it?

   Show answer

Your next steps

1. 01

   Find your child’s school AI policy, or ask a teacher what is allowed.

2. 02

   Before coursework starts, set up a folder for screenshots of any AI use.

3. 03

   Tonight, ask your child to explain one piece of homework back to you.