AI glasses cheating scandal hits Yonsei, University of Seoul entrance exams

One examinee caught using AI glasses during Yonsei University math essay test

Suspect wore regular glasses during pre-exam check, then swapped them mid-test

Similar case detected at University of Seoul

Ministry of Education says it is developing an on-site response manual

Examinees leave the Yonsei University campus in Seoul after completing the essay portion of the early admissions test on Saturday. [Yonhap]

Cheating using AI-enabled smart glasses was detected at both Yonsei University and the University of Seoul during their 2027 academic year early admissions essay examinations.

Examinees were found to have worn ordinary glasses during pre-exam inspections before swapping them for smart glasses once the test began — a method that has put university entrance exam oversight on high alert.

According to Yonsei University, a proctor caught an examinee wearing smart glasses during the natural sciences and integrated studies mathematics essay exam, held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the university's Sinchon campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

Ahead of the exam, Yonsei had trained its proctors to identify smart glasses, briefing them on the devices' appearance, how they differ from ordinary glasses, and how to locate key components such as cameras. Proctors used that training to check examinees wearing glasses before the test began.

The examinee identified as "A," however, was wearing ordinary glasses during the pre-exam check. The university determined that A had concealed a pair of smart glasses and switched to them after receiving the exam paper.

A proctor noticed mid-exam that A's glasses looked different from ordinary ones, exposing the cheating. The proctor alerted the exam headquarters and confiscated the smart glasses. A is reported to have admitted to wearing them.

"We trained proctors before the exam on what smart glasses look like and how to identify them," a Yonsei University official said. "The student was initially wearing regular glasses, but we determined that after receiving the exam paper, they switched to smart glasses they had been carrying."

Yonsei is deliberating follow-up measures against A. No decision has been made on whether to void the exam result or impose additional sanctions, and guidelines to prevent a recurrence have not been finalized.

A similar incident was detected at the University of Seoul's natural sciences essay exam on Oct. 3. That examinee also wore ordinary glasses during the admission ticket check but was caught by a proctor switching to smart glasses during the test.

The University of Seoul immediately removed the examinee from the testing room and barred them from sitting the exam for three years. Smart glasses are electronic devices equipped with miniature cameras and AI functions that allow users to access outside information. Because they closely resemble ordinary glasses and are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, they are being flagged as a new tool for exam cheating.

Both universities conducted pre-exam checks yet still failed to stop examinees from swapping glasses mid-test. Calls are growing for universities to strengthen their exam management systems — including how items brought into testing rooms are screened and how proctoring is conducted during exams.

The Ministry of Education is developing an on-site response manual to prevent new forms of cheating involving AI glasses and similar devices. Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin told the National Assembly's education committee during a national audit on Wednesday that the ministry is "currently producing a standard manual and audiovisual training materials on how to detect smart glasses."

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