Student finds AI cheating method in Finnish matriculation exams

Faru Yusupov, a final-year student at Otaniemi Upper Secondary School in Espoo, has found a way to use artificial intelligence to cheat in Finland’s matriculation exams, Yle reports. He notified the Matriculation Examination Board, which welcomes reports of vulnerabilities in its exam system.

Yusupov developed a simple program that monitors the clipboard behind the exam software. When it detects a question in a specific format, it sends the question to an AI model containing, for example, upper secondary school learning materials.

The program then places the completed answer on the clipboard, allowing it to be pasted into the exam response using the cut-and-paste functions.

“I am interested in how the latest exam application works in general and what can be found in it,” Yusupov said. “I got the idea, tried it on my school’s matriculation test network, and it worked really well.”

Yusupov, who has been coding since primary school, reported the finding to the Matriculation Examination Board with the help of his teacher. He said he does not intend to use it for cheating.

The board has received more than 50 vulnerability reports since it launched its Hackabi reward programme in the spring. Previously, it typically received a few reports each year.

Under the programme, people who find vulnerabilities may receive a small cash reward. Finding a vulnerability or cheating method does not automatically qualify for a reward if the cheating would still be detected by the exam system’s technical monitoring. The details of that monitoring are secret.

“We do not need to prevent all misuse. It is enough that we can prove it,” said Matti Lattu, a special adviser at the board.

The autumn 2026 matriculation exams will begin on Monday, September 14, with the reading comprehension test in mother tongue and literature.