The number of pupils caught cheating in their GCSE and A-level exam hit a record high this summer - with many nabbed while using mobile phones.
Figures show that 4,895 cases of malpractice involving students were proven and penalised in 2023 - up from 4,105 in 2022.
Almost half (44.5 per cent) involved mobile phones and other communication devices, according to annual Ofqual statistics.
Chris McGovern, a former education policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said rising incidence of cases 'sound a warning'.
He said: 'This is only the tip of the iceberg. What's worrying about it is that youngsters will get grades they don't actually merit. In the long term that's dangerous for everybody.
'It sounds a warning that online exams are probably more susceptible to cheating than written exams. The fact there is cheating now is a warning about pushing the online assessment of children.'
The most common type of penalty issued in 2023 was a loss of marks, with the number of cases resulting in this type of penalty being issued increasing to 2,215 from 2,005 in 2022.
