Responding by plans by AQA to begin to move to digital exams, starting with the reading and listening elements of GCSE Polish and Italian in 2026, James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “There is a sense of inevitability about the greater use of technology in exams and there are likely to be some benefits too.

“However, it is essential that we tread very carefully and think through all the challenges before diving in head-first. For example, we would need to ensure that all schools have the capacity and tools to access the exams and that no student is put at a disadvantage as a result of a new approach.

"Evolution, rather than revolution feels the right approach to take here.”