Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI - AP News

Colleges are increasingly adopting oral examinations as a strategy to detect and prevent students from using AI tools like ChatGPT to complete their coursework. The shift responds to a growing problem: students can submit polished written assignments generated by artificial intelligence while demonstrating little understanding when questioned directly about the material. Oral exams force real-time engagement and make it harder for AI-generated work to mask a student's actual knowledge gaps. The approach reflects institutions' struggle to maintain academic integrity in an era when generative AI can produce convincing essays, problem sets, and analysis at scale. Some educators view oral assessments as a return to traditional accountability methods, while others see them as a necessary temporary measure until institutions develop more comprehensive policies around AI use in education.