World’s Largest Accounting Body to Ban Remote Exams Over Rising AI-Driven Cheating

Written by Nour Abdelkader

The world’s largest professional accounting organization is preparing to ban remote examinations for students, citing growing concerns over cheating—particularly through the use of artificial intelligence—in tests that form the foundation of professional qualifications.

The UK-based Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which represents nearly 260,000 members worldwide, announced that it will prohibit students from taking exams online starting in March, except in exceptional circumstances.

AI Cheating Reaches a Tipping Point

Helen Brand, Chief Executive of the ACCA, told the Financial Times that the organization believes cheating methods have become more sophisticated than existing safeguards can handle.

“We see that the sophistication of cheating systems is outpacing what we can reasonably put in place to protect assessments,” Brand said, according to the report cited by Al Arabiya Business.

Remote exams were widely introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow students to continue their professional training amid lockdowns and restrictions that made in-person testing impossible.

However, the ACCA said it has concluded that monitoring online exams has become increasingly difficult, particularly due to the rapid spread and accessibility of AI tools that students can use to bypass controls.

Growing Challenge for Education and Certification

Brand noted that the organization—serving more than half a million students globally—has invested significant resources in combating cheating. Despite these efforts, she acknowledged that individuals intent on breaking the rules may be moving faster than regulators and exam systems.

She added that rapid technological progress, led by artificial intelligence, has pushed the issue of academic dishonesty to a “tipping point,” forcing institutions to rethink how they assess knowledge and competence.

The decision highlights a broader challenge facing educational and professional certification bodies worldwide, as AI continues to reshape learning, testing, and the integrity of traditional assessment methods.