ChatGPT-4 and the role of Artificial Intelligence in the examinations sector

Artificial Intelligence (AI) company OpenAI recently unveiled GPT-4, the latest incarnation of the large language model that powers its popular chatbot ChatGPT. OpenAI claims that GPT-4 contains big improvements, including the use of images as well as text and computer code in its prompts and answers.

A research study showed that this AI tool can generate answers to professional and educational exam questions, and sometimes can reach to the 90^th percentile in terms of overall exam performance, even in high-level legal exams. Check out the chart to your right comparing the performance in various exams of ChatGPT-3 compared to ChatGPT-4 and you may be surprised.

What does this mean for the integrity of running exams and assessments, especially those delivered remotely through internet webcams? Exam boards and owners of Remote Proctoring platforms are quick to point out that their systems block the user’s computer from accessing the internet so that tools like ChatGPT can’t be used to cheat.
However,  if a test taker is determined to cheat then they will find ways to access tools like ChatGPT via other means during the test, for example via a hidden second device, or via a hidden or remotely connected accomplice with access to a device. We have even seen reports of students hacking the webcam feed to thwart the invigilators.

Daniel Sokol, a lawyer who represents students accused of exam cheating, in his recent article in The Independent, has voiced concerns that ChatGPT and similar tools are undermining trust in university degrees and has made calls for a return to in-test-centre examinations, with real human invigilators and less risk of test takers cheating or committing malpractice to gain better marks.
MTS has always believed in the hybrid model of offering exams through different channels, including in-test-centre and online. But for high-stakes exams can there really be anything more trustworthy than traditional exam delivery with trained test day staff to ensure there are no banned devices in the test room?

MTS has exam venues in 30 cities across the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy and has secondary access to hundreds of partner exam venues in over 80 countries globally.
Do get in touch at [email protected] to talk to us about supporting you with your exam delivery programmes.