Danish students struggle with written exams amid AI use

Students at 11 Danish upper secondary schools this year received significantly lower grades in written Danish exams, according to a spot-check by Danske Gymnasier reported by DR.

The first generation to have access to AI language models throughout their studies appears to face greater difficulty in written expression compared to previous cohorts. Average grades in written Danish, typically between 6.5 and 6.8 over the past decade, dropped to 6.1 across the 11 schools this year.

Maja Bødtcher-Hansen, chair of Danske Gymnasier and principal at Frederiksberg Gymnasium, said concerns had grown over how students accustomed to AI assistance would perform in exam conditions without aids. “We fear they may have lost the ability to write as well as before,” she told P1 Morgen.

Anders Frikke, a teacher and chair of Gymnasielærerne, said students were getting insufficient daily practice in writing without AI tools. “AI improves the immediate task but undermines the student’s long-term ability to solve problems and write,” he said.

Undervisningsminister Magnus Heunicke called the findings “deeply concerning” and announced a government “emergency package” to adjust exam formats, including more pen-and-paper tests and oral defenses of written work. Additional funding for schools may also be considered.

Freja Sinclair, chair of Danske Gymnasieelevers Sammenslutning, said students felt pressured to use AI to keep up with peers but warned against banning it outright. Instead, she argued for integrating AI into teaching to help students use it critically and constructively.