Starting in 2026, high school students in Denmark will be allowed to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to prepare for their English oral exams, as announced by the Danish Ministry of Education. This experimental policy will apply exclusively to the oral component of the high school diploma exam and is part of a broader effort to balance digital innovation with academic integrity.
Under the new arrangement, students will have one hour to prepare their presentations, during which they can use “all available tools, including generative AI,” before delivering their oral presentation in person to examiners. Education Minister Mattias Tesfaye emphasized that the initiative aims to prepare students for a future that spans both analogue and digital worlds. “We are launching pilot schemes to find the right balance,” Tesfaye said, highlighting the need to equip students for post-school realities while maintaining educational standards.
The written English exam, however, will maintain stricter rules to limit digital reliance. Students will be required to complete part of the written test by hand, a departure from previous years when responses were typed on internet-connected computers. Tesfaye noted that handwritten exams help “limit cheating and develop students’ own style of language.”
Denmark has permitted controlled internet use during exams since 2008, but the AI initiative will be limited to high schools that voluntarily participate. The policy reflects ongoing global debates about AI’s role in education, weighing its potential as a learning tool against concerns about academic dependency.
