RFID tags will be used to stop exam cheats

Exam papers to be tagged and scanned

11 May 2007 18:14 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Examination board Edexcel have turned to technological measures to try and avoid cases of cheating on GCSE and A-Level examination papers this summer.

A significant proportion of exam papers that leave Edexcel will be RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tagged then will be scanned as the packages of papers are distributed and scanned again when they reach schools in order to ensure that the packages are not tampered with, and no papers and copied or stolen.

What seems like extreme measures can be put in context when you consider that Edexcel had to investigate 70 cases of possible exam security breaches last year.

Passive RFID tags work on short wave radio frequencies and are currently used by retailers to prevent shoplifting of small, high-risk items like games, CDs and DVDs.

In addition to the RFID solution, Edexcel will be using a computer-based marking system to flag any unusually high results and specially micro-marked paper fibres to prevent anyone turning in a photocopied exam paper, so you're going to have to do more than write answers on the inside of your arm to beat the exam system this year.