Pupils taking their exams this summer have been urged to leave their phones at the door.

Lots of exams are being held this week, with GCSE and A Level pupils sitting their end-of-year tests. As they began, Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of exams office Ofqual, issued a last-minute warning.

“The rules are straightforward,” he said. “Being found with a smart device during an exam can have serious consequences… do not risk your qualification and your future prospects. Keep your phone out of the exam hall.”

Using smartphones and devices has been the most common form of exam cheating since 2018. Last summer, there were 2,225 cases of it. In 545 of those cases, pupils were disqualified from some or all of their exams, and in 1,240 cases, students lost marks.