Massey's Bold Move Back to Traditional Exams
Massey University, one of New Zealand's largest institutions with a significant distance learning cohort, has announced a significant shift in its assessment strategy. Starting in Semester One 2026, the university will reinstate in-person exams for many courses. This decision marks a departure from the online supervised assessments that became commonplace during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary driver? Combating the rising threat of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cheating, which has challenged academic integrity across higher education.
The change aims to create a fair and level playing field for all students, protecting the value of Massey qualifications. As AI tools like ChatGPT and advanced large language models become ubiquitous, educators have struggled to verify original work in remote settings. In-person exams eliminate many of these risks by requiring physical presence under supervision.
The Evolution of AI in New Zealand Higher Education
Generative AI exploded into public awareness with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, quickly infiltrating classrooms worldwide. In New Zealand universities, initial responses varied. Early adopters experimented with AI for brainstorming and drafting, but concerns over misuse grew. By 2023, Massey reported at least 20 cases of students using ChatGPT to cheat, offering amnesty for confessions to encourage transparency.
Across the sector, AI misuse cases surged. The University of Waikato documented nearly 200 incidents since 2023, prompting shifts to oral assessments in some programs. National secondary school data showed exam breaches investigated rising 250% from 345 in 2019 to 876 in the previous year, with AI implicated in many. Universities faced a dilemma: ban AI outright or integrate it ethically?
Massey's Rocky Road with Online Proctoring
Post-2020, Massey leaned heavily on online supervised exams (OSEs) via platforms like Remote Proctor Now. These required webcams, microphones, and AI-human monitoring to detect irregularities. However, technical failures plagued the system. In June 2024, widespread glitches forced cancellation of exams for 2000 students, leading Massey to disable proctoring for the semester.
Privacy issues compounded problems, with students panning cameras around rooms and constant surveillance. False positives from AI detectors like Turnitin eroded trust—students' original work flagged as generated, sparking accusations of overreach. By September 2025, Massey joined Auckland and Victoria Universities in abandoning these tools, citing unreliability and research showing easy circumvention.
Unreliable Tech: Why Detection Tools Failed
AI detectors promised salvation but delivered frustration. Tools analyzed text for 'AI fingerprints' like predictability, but non-native English speakers and formulaic writing often triggered flags. Students could 'humanize' AI output with free tools, rendering detectors obsolete. Dr. Angela Feekery of Massey's Tertiary Education Union noted, 'There's a lot of research saying AI detection doesn't work well.'
Massey processed 85,000 works through Turnitin in one semester, but inconsistencies led to its September 2025 shutdown. Alternatives like lockdown browsers were hackable. Lecturer estimates suggested 30-60% of remote exam-takers might use illicit aid, underscoring the need for robust solutions.
Unpacking Massey's Generative AI Policy
Massey's Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment Policy, effective May 2025, provides a framework with four levels: No AI for exams; AI Planning for brainstorming; AI Collaboration for drafting with edits; and AI Exploration for creativity. Disclosure is mandatory, including prompts and modifications.
Exams fall under 'No AI,' now enforced via in-person invigilation. Breaches range from discussions to misconduct hearings. The policy emphasizes ethical use, fact-checking, and independent thought, aligning with broader academic integrity principles.
- Prohibited: Submitting unedited AI as own work.
- Required: Appendix with AI interactions.
- Goal: Foster AI literacy without compromising standards.
Challenges for Distance and Disabled Students
Massey serves thousands of distance learners nationwide. Reinstating in-person exams means travel to hubs—likely pre-2019 style centers in major cities. Massive Magazine reported outrage, with students citing costs, logistics, and equity. Disability advocates highlighted uncertainties for impaired students, demanding accommodations like alternative formats.
While hubs aim to mitigate, rural students face barriers. Massey promises consultations, but early reactions on social media express frustration: 'This disadvantages distance learners who chose Massey for flexibility.'
Peers Across Aotearoa: NZ Universities' Responses
Massey isn't alone. Victoria University shifted some law courses to handwritten in-person exams in 2025, citing digital vulnerabilities. Auckland mixes formats, with 61% digital in 2024 dropping. Waikato favors orals post-200 cases. Otago and Canterbury explore vivas and labs.
A Spinoff analysis highlighted sector-wide rethinking, with pen-and-paper as 'gold standard' despite digital-native pushback. See RNZ's coverage on ditching detectors.
Statistics and Expert Insights
Quantifying AI cheating is tricky sans detectors, but trends emerge. Waikato's 200 cases signal scale. Lecturer Ulrich Speidel estimated high remote cheating rates. NCEA's breach surge foreshadows tertiary risks.
Experts advocate hybrid models: in-person for high-stakes, AI-permissive for skills-building. Benefits include restored trust, skill assessment (handwriting, recall). Drawbacks: logistics, anxiety for some. Long-term, AI literacy training is key.
Photo by Sulthan Auliya on Unsplash
Looking Ahead: Balancing Innovation and Integrity
Massey's move signals a pivot toward human-supervised assessments at milestones, blended with innovative formats like simulations. Nationwide, Universities New Zealand eyes coordinated strategies. For students, adapting means honing recall and ethics.
This evolution underscores higher education's resilience, ensuring degrees retain global value amid tech disruption.