Artificial intelligence and automation are now embedded in almost every aspect of modern life. From healthcare diagnostics and financial services to transport, manufacturing and retail, intelligent systems are being used to improve accuracy, efficiency, safety and decision-making at unprecedented scale. In many sectors, AI is already trusted with tasks that carry far greater risk and consequence than exam marking. Yet assessment, which shapes educational opportunity, professional status and career progression, remains one of the most cautious and resistant to change. At a time when the demand for fairness, reliability and transparency has never been higher, this reluctance raises an important question: why has assessment been so slow to embrace the very technologies that are transforming every other critical system in society?
Why AI Is a Natural Next Step for Assessment
In other high-stakes environments, automation has been embraced as a way of improving reliability and reducing human error. In aviation, AI supports flight safety. In medicine, it assists diagnosis. In finance, it monitors fraud and manages risk. In manufacturing, it controls quality at scale. Assessment should be no different.
Using AI to support marking means the same criteria is applied to every candidate, every time. Unlike human markers, AI does not tire, lose concentration or subtly shift its interpretation of standards as marking progresses. This creates a level of consistency that is extremely difficult to achieve using human markers.
For candidates, this means greater fairness and confidence that their work is being judged against a stable and objective benchmark. For awarding bodies and regulators, it means more reliable grade distributions and stronger defensibility of results.
Faster Results, Stronger Quality Assurance
The benefits of AI extend well beyond consistency. AI can dramatically reduce marking turnaround times, allowing results to be issued in days rather than weeks. This has a powerful impact across the assessment ecosystem.
Learners receive faster feedback and progression decisions. Universities and colleges can plan admissions more effectively. Employers can make recruitment decisions with greater certainty. Regulators gain earlier visibility of performance data and emerging issues.
Crucially, speed does not come at the expense of quality. Performance patterns can be analysed in real time, unusual results flagged instantly and targeted human review deployed where needed. This creates a far more robust quality assurance model than current approaches.
Beyond Multiple Choice
There is still a perception that digital and AI-enabled assessment is only suitable for simple, multiple-choice testing. In reality, modern systems now evaluate a wide range of complex responses, including essays and extended writing, short-answer questions, technical solutions, scenario-based judgement tests and written or spoken language assessments.
These systems are trained and validated against expert human judgements and continuously refined to remain aligned with awarding standards. Human expertise remains central, used where it adds the greatest value rather than being removed from the process. Expert examiners can focus on question design, standard setting, validation, oversight and the review of borderline or exceptional cases. AI does not replace professional judgement. It strengthens it.
A Moment of Opportunity for Assessment
At a time when qualifications carry life-changing consequences, modernising marking is no longer optional. It is essential.
As Patrick Coates, CEO of the e-Assessment Association, explains: “Other high-risk, high-impact sectors have embraced automation and AI to improve accuracy, safety and reliability. Assessment should be no different. When used responsibly, AI allows us to reduce inconsistency, improve fairness and strengthen trust in results. The question is no longer whether assessment will modernise but how quickly we are prepared to act.”
Responsible AI-enabled marking includes transparency, accountability, human-in-the-loop oversight, continuous monitoring and clear regulatory engagement. When these safeguards are in place, AI becomes a powerful enabler of trust rather than a threat to it.
About the e-Assessment Association
As the global community for digital assessment, the e-Assessment Association is at the forefront of shaping how AI is applied responsibly in assessment. The eAA brings together exam boards, regulators, technology providers, educators and employers to define best practice, share evidence and build trust in next-generation assessment systems.
The 2026 International e-Assessment Conference includes a full day AI Symposium with expert speakers, case studies and the top industry suppliers available to share their expertise.
Through collaboration, evidence and thought leadership, the eAA is helping shape a future where assessment is more accurate, inclusive and trusted for learners, institutions and employers worldwide.
Individuals can join the eAA for free. Find out more here.
Find out more about the 2026 International e-Assessment Conference here.
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