From 2016 to 2023, the number of substantiated cheating incidents in NZQA exams never reached more than 448 in a single year. In 2024 that number had risen to 738. In 2025, there were more than a thousand.

The most prevalent form of cheating in 2025 (168 cases) was the “use of artificial intelligence” – a category that did not exist as recently as 2023.

Directed, filmed and edited by Isaiah Tour.
Written and presented by Robbie Nicol.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.