School fights back pen and paper blue books AI cheat

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The rise of artificial intelligence in education has forced schools and universities to rethink management from homework policies to final exams. With tools like Chatgpt now widespread, students can generate papers in seconds, solve complex mathematical problems or drafts, thus raising urgent questions about real learning in 2025.
To fight back, some schools are turning to an unlikely solution: pen and paper. According to the Wall Street Journal, an old-fashioned “blue book” of a lining pamphlet used to handwritten test answers is making a comeback. While this seems like a relic of the pre-digital era, educators say it is one of the most effective tools to ensure students are actually doing their jobs.
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Fox News AI Newsletter: Chatgpt rewires your brain
Exam Blue Book (Kurt “CyberKnutsson)
How common is AI cheating in schools today?
While it’s difficult to measure accurately, a recent survey shows that up to 89% of students use AI tools like Chatgpt to help with courses. Some admit to using it only for brainstorming or grammatical repair, while others rely on it to write an entire paper or take home tests. The surge in academic dishonesty has reportedly made teachers scramble to retain academic standards.
The university reports that AI-related discipline cases have risen sharply, but many events may not be discovered. Detection software such as Turnitin’s AI Writing Inspector is being used more widely, but even these tools acknowledge that their systems are not foolproof.
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
Why cheating is hard to detect in school
One of the reasons this trend is so difficult for police is that generated AI has become good at imitating human writing. Tools can tailor tone and style to even match students’ previous works, so without complex forensics or human intuition, theft is almost impossible to recognize.
In blind tests, teachers often cannot distinguish between answers written by humans and AI. Worse, some schools that initially tried to detect software have begun to abandon it due to accuracy issues and privacy issues.

A student using chatgpt on laptop (Kurt “CyberKnutsson)
Why schools bring back blue book to stop AI cheating
In response, more and more professors are taking the exam back to the classroom with pens and paper. Over the past two years, schools such as Texas A&M, the University of Florida and UC Berkeley have reported soaring demand for the Blue Book. The logic is simple: If a student has to write the paper by hand during class time, there is no chance to copy it from Chatgpt or other AI assistants. It’s not just nostalgia; it’s a strategic shift. Face-to-face handwriting exams are difficult to play, and some lecturers say there is actually no digital shortcuts for the quality of students’ thinking.
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Is handwriting tests enough to stop cheating in school?
Still, not everyone believes that this is the answer. Critics argue that relying on the classroom, timed writing may allow students to make short-term changes in their more in-depth research skills and analytical thinking, especially for complex topics that benefit from time, revisions and external sources. Plus, the Blue Book is of no help to stop AI from abusing homework, group projects, or papers taken home.
Should schools ban AI tools or teach responsible?
Some educators are pushing for a more balanced response: Instead of banning AI tools, they teach students how to use them responsibly. This means integrating AI literacy into the curriculum so students learn the boundaries between inspiration and plagiarism and know when to use tools like Chatgpt or Grammarly.
“AI is part of what students in the professional world will enter,” a university dean quoted in the Wall Street Journal. “Our job is to teach them how to think critically, even if there are new tools on hand.”

Teacher teaches class, student uses her smartphone (Kurt “CyberKnutsson)
What’s next in the fight against AI cheating in schools?
As AI tools develop, the school’s strategy will be used to ensure honest learning. Some are turning to oral exams, and students must explain their reasoning loudly. Others assigned more process-based work, such as drafts of comments, documenting brainstorming meetings or group projects, making cheating more difficult. There are no silver bullets, but it’s obvious: AI Genie won’t get back into the bottle, and the education system must adapt quickly or risk losing credibility.
Kurt’s key points
AI’s cheating in education forces schools to take a closer look at how they evaluate students’ learning. The return of the Blue Book shows how serious the problem has become and how far educators are willing to go to protect academic integrity. However, real solutions may involve a mix of old and new, using simulation tools such as blue books, including digital detection methods and teaching students why honest work is important. As AI continues to develop, education will have to develop with it. The goal is not only to stop cheating, but also to ensure that students leave school with the skills, knowledge and values they need to succeed in the real world.
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