Princeton University has allowed students to take exams without proctoring for 133 years, an unusual situation stemming from students’ demands for an “honor code.” Now, in 2026, that venerable system is coming to an end thanks to a surge in AI-enabled fraud.
It was first reported that wall street journalthe Ivy League university made the bombshell decision this week to eliminate its honors system after faculty voted to require in-person proctoring starting in the summer.
In a letter written by Princeton University Dean Michael Godin, faculty members said the decision was made “in recognition of the prevalence of cheating on in-class exams” and after “a significant number” of professors and students came forward.
Instead of an honor roll system, professors would be required to monitor students’ exams and report deviations from the school’s policy on academic integrity. Students still have some autonomy. Violations will be reported to the student-run Honor Committee, which will determine the fate of the alleged policy violator. WSJ I will report.
The news comes amid a significant increase in cheating across the country, not just in the prestigious Ivies, but also in colleges, high schools, and even the bar exam.
“If the exam is being done on a laptop, someone can just switch to another window,” said Nadia Makuk, a senior at Princeton University. WSJ. “Or if the exam is in the blue book, it’s just people using their phones under their desks or going to the bathroom and using it.”
A survey of about 500 seniors at Princeton University last year found that more than 27% admitted to using AI models like ChatGPT to cheat, and about half said they knew about honor code violations. If these are the vaunted Ivy League numbers, imagine what the rest of the country is like.
Learn more about AI: A major paper claiming AI is good for students has been retracted, which is very bad news for AI advocates in the classroom.
