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70% of teachers say AI will shape students’ careers
- Traditional GCSE and A-Levels could face radical overhaul as research reveals demand for new assessment methods
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62% of parents support a new approach to assessing children
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FindTutors highlights five alternative models for the AI generation
With exam season in full swing, new research from FindTutors, the tutoring platform powered by GoStudent, reveals strong public and professional support for modernising how UK students are assessed – and calls for an urgent rethink of current exam structures.
According to GoStudent’s Future of Education Report 2025, 62% of parents now believe traditional exams fail to meet the needs of an AI-led world. The survey found 16% of students are using AI to write essays, while 21% have used it to assist in passing exams – raising serious questions about how effective current assessments are in preparing young people for future success.
Parents are also voicing concern about the narrow focus of exams. Nearly 60% feel grades no longer give an accurate overview of a student’s abilities, and a similar number say too much time is spent memorising facts rather than nurturing analytical and creative thinking.
The report warns that long-standing qualifications such as GCSEs and A-Levels — as well as Scotland’s National Qualifications — may require a fundamental redesign. A compelling 84% of teachers now say simulation-style assessments would be more effective, allowing students to engage with lifelike scenarios and demonstrate real-world skills.
Alternative approaches such as portfolio-based assessments are gaining traction, with students encouraged to build a collection of work across the school year rather than being judged solely on final exams. This evolution aligns with existing research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, which shows that soft skills are increasingly vital in business leadership. According to FindTutors, 64% of parents agree that soft skills will only grow in importance with the rise of AI – yet these competencies are often overlooked in today’s exam frameworks.
- Simulation-based assessment (74% teacher support): Students demonstrate knowledge by making decisions in real-world scenarios, an approach already widely used in healthcare education.
- Portfolio assessment (69% teacher support): Students build up a digital collection of work over time, allowing for a comprehensive view of progress rather than measuring performance on a single day.
- Peer and self-assessment (67% teacher support): Students evaluate their own work and that of classmates, developing critical thinking skills and deeper understanding of assessment criteria.
- Learning analytics (66% teacher support): ‘Big data’ assesses all student work across digital platforms, providing insights into learning patterns and progress that traditional exams cannot capture.
- AI-based adaptive testing (63% teacher support): Personalised assessment adjusts to individual abilities, providing more accurate measurement of capabilities by tailoring difficulty levels to each student.
