Denmark Requires Oral Defenses for Students' Written Work to Counter AI Cheating

Denmark’s Ministry of Education has introduced a policy requiring all written assignments completed at home by upper-secondary students to be defended orally, effective immediately. The measure targets AI-assisted cheating and applies to students around age 16, including the roughly 9,000 enrolled in the two-year Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) program, who submit major written assignments each year.

Alongside the oral defense requirement, the ministry is urging schools to deploy screen-monitoring tools during exams, implement firewalls to restrict accessible content during classes and final assignments, and shift more assignments to be completed on campus under controlled conditions to improve supervision. Schools are also advised to require students to clearly state when AI has been used in major written assignments and to ensure that preparation for oral exams takes place without AI access.

Three organizations representing school leaders, teachers, and upper-secondary students welcomed the initiatives but called for more lasting solutions in response to the rapid pace of technological development. Education minister Magnus Heunicke acknowledged that 'students using AI to cheat' is a problem needing immediate action, and said discussions with schools, teachers, and students will continue for both short- and long-term responses. Anders Frikke emphasized the new requirements around disclosing AI usage, while student leader Oscar Tønsberg Hoffmann stressed the importance of students helping develop future policies.

The ministry says the three initiatives are only the beginning, with consultations involving educational institutions, teachers, and students ongoing.