Academic integrity guide

How to Write an AI Policy for Exams

An exam AI policy should state, in plain language and per assessment, which tools are permitted and which are banned, what disclosure is required, and what device rules apply during the session. It works only when it is communicated to students before test day and enforced through evidence and human review rather than automatic punishment. ScreenComply supports that enforcement by producing a timestamped, audit-ready integrity report for each session, running alongside the LMS and any existing proctoring.

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What an exam AI policy must define

Most exam AI policies fail on ambiguity rather than on intent. A policy that says AI use is prohibited leaves students guessing about spell-checkers, grammar tools, citation managers, and accessibility software, and leaves committees arguing about definitions at appeal. A workable policy defines three things concretely.

Permitted tools: what students may use openly, such as approved calculators, reference documents, or assistive technology.
Banned tools: what may not be used, named by category - AI answer assistants and overlay applications, generative chatbots, remote-control software, and unauthorized second devices.
Disclosure requirements: whether and how students must declare tool use the policy allows but wants on record.
Device rules: which devices may be present, whether secondary displays are permitted, and what monitoring software will run during the session.
Consequences and process: what happens when a session is flagged, who reviews it, and how a student can respond.

Sample policy language you can adapt

The language below is a starting point for departments to adapt, not legal advice. It is written to be specific enough to enforce and plain enough for a student to understand before test day.

Permitted tools: "During this assessment you may use the following tools: [list]. Any tool not listed as permitted is treated as prohibited for this assessment."
Banned tools: "You may not use AI assistants of any kind, including chatbots, answer overlays, browser extensions, or editor plugins that generate or suggest answers. You may not use remote-control software, virtual machines, or a second device to obtain assistance."
Monitoring disclosure: "This assessment is proctored. Software on your device records which applications and extensions are running, window and focus changes, and connected displays. A report of these observations is reviewed by [role] if the session is flagged."
Review process: "A flagged session is reviewed by a person before any action is taken. You will be shown the evidence and given the opportunity to respond before a determination is made."
Accessibility: "Approved assistive technologies are not affected by this policy. If you use assistive technology or require an accommodation, contact [office] before the assessment window."

Communicating the policy before test day

A policy students first see inside the exam is not a policy, it is a surprise. Publish it with the syllabus, restate it on the assessment page itself, and require an acknowledgement before the first proctored session. Disclosure is also what makes later enforcement defensible: a student who acknowledged a clear policy is in a very different position from one who encountered it for the first time in a hearing.

Keep the communication short. One page stating what is allowed, what is banned, what is monitored, and what happens on a flag outperforms a long document that no one reads.