With the CSAT just a month away, test-takers are busy with final preparations, but people as busy as the students right now are test supervisors and education authorities.

1. Smart Glasses Appear in University Essay Exams... Swapped Out Once the Exam Begins
The reason education authorities are on high alert is because of AI smart glasses. On October 10, the essay exams for 2027 freshman admissions took place at Yonsei University's Sinchon Campus, where a test-taker wearing AI glasses was caught. The student reportedly wore regular glasses at first and then swapped them for the AI glasses once the exam started. Yonsei University disqualified the student. A similar incident occurred at the University of Seoul. On October 3, a test-taker wearing AI smart glasses was caught during the natural sciences essay exam at the University of Seoul. A supervisor, suspicious of frames noticeably thicker than regular glasses, asked to check them and discovered they were AI glasses. This test-taker also initially wore regular glasses. The University of Seoul disqualified the student and barred them from applying to all admissions processes for the next three years.

2. Trying On AI Glasses Yields "The Answer is Number 3"
I also tried solving test questions while wearing AI glasses. Wearing glasses equipped with Meta AI, I solved English section questions from the CSAT of two years ago. Just a few seconds after asking for help with a problem, it immediately provides the answer.

[Let's try solving a CSAT question. Hey Meta, what is the answer to question number 19?]
[The answer to question number 19 is number 3.]

Of course, the glasses I wore had conspicuously thick frames, and small built-in equipment was visible on the frame, making it immediately obvious that they were AI glasses. The problem is that AI glasses with thin frames are being released. AI glasses with thin frames and no visible camera lenses are coming out, and it is genuinely difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye.

3. "Don't Bring Them At All," But Can It Be Stopped?
How can cheating using AI glasses in the CSAT be prevented? First, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation has designated AI glasses as items banned from test sites, meaning they should not be brought into the testing venue at all. If someone is caught wearing AI glasses during the CSAT, it is considered cheating regardless of whether the function was actually used. Consequently, they cannot take the CSAT this year nor next year's exam. Furthermore, even if someone does not wear AI glasses, bringing them into the testing venue and failing to submit them to the supervisor is also considered cheating, and refusing a supervisor's inspection of glasses can likewise be treated as cheating. Although education authorities have established various guidelines to prevent cheating, the crux of the matter is whether the bringing in of AI glasses can be blocked in the first place. For one, metal detectors cannot distinguish between regular glasses and AI glasses at all. While radio wave detectors could theoretically be used, they easily react to radio waves outside the testing venue, making it difficult to immediately pinpoint a test-taker actually cheating on the spot. In addition, because there are variations depending on the surrounding environment of the testing venue, the Ministry of Education's stance is that utilizing radio wave detectors is practically difficult. Ultimately, it leaves the responsibility to post-exam supervision rather than preventive measures.

[Cho Kyo-jin / Minister of Education (October 7, Parliamentary Audit): Smart glasses are an emerging threat factor. If they are discovered, we intend to strip them of their qualification not only for this year's CSAT but also extend that disqualification for a year, through next year.]

4. Will Students Preparing for Re-admission Be Penalized If Caught Wearing AI Glasses in the CSAT?
Questions like this also arise. First, what happens if a student currently attending university takes this CSAT and is caught wearing AI glasses? Since they are already enrolled in university, the concern is whether they might attempt cheating with the mindset of "if I get caught, so be it; if I don't, it's a bonus." While it is naturally regarded as cheating on the CSAT and restricts CSAT eligibility, this sanction does not directly extend to their university. Because sanctions under the Higher Education Act regarding CSAT cheaters apply only to the CSAT, disciplinary action at the level of the university the student belongs to is not automatically executed. However, since this semi-enrolled student is already in university, a restriction on taking the CSAT poses no substantial penalty to them. Second, will the test-takers caught wearing AI glasses at Yonsei University and the University of Seoul face disadvantages in admission processes at other universities? The Ministry of Education's answer is "no." This is because disciplinary measures against cheaters in university-specific exams apply only to that respective university. Information regarding who committed what cheating offense is not shared among universities. In other words, a student caught for cheating at Yonsei University or the University of Seoul can apply to another university's admissions process, get accepted, and comfortably continue their university life.

5. Rapid Development of AI Glasses Deepens Concerns for Education Authorities
Cheating in university entrance or institutional exams utilizing AI glasses is not something happening only in South Korea. In 2024, a student was caught cheating using smart glasses during the entrance examination at Waseda University in Japan. The student reportedly cheated by photographing the exam paper with AI glasses and sending it outside to receive answers. Cheating using smart glasses was also caught during the final exams at South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Multiple instances rather than just one were uncovered, prompting the school to announce that bringing in various electronic devices such as smartwatches and ultra-small earphones, as well as smart glasses, will result in a score of zero. Furthermore, bringing any form of smart glasses into SAT testing sites in the US is currently prohibited. With the development speed of AI glasses outpacing various detection technologies and supervision methods, this is why education authorities are growing deeply concerned.

(Reported by Jo Yoon-ha | Produced by Shin Hee-sook | Video by Choi Ho-jun and Lee Byeong-joo | Video Editing by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)