Higher education is facing one of the most profound disruptions in its modern history. Artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have fundamentally altered how students approach coursework, assessments, and even learning itself. While these tools offer legitimate educational benefits, they have also exposed a critical vulnerability in traditional academic evaluation systems.
In response, a surprising countertrend is emerging across universities in the United States and beyond. Professors are turning not to new technology, but to one of the oldest assessment methods in human history: the oral examination.
Once considered impractical or outdated outside of doctoral defenses, oral exams are now experiencing a quiet renaissance. In an era dominated by AI-generated essays and automated problem-solving, spoken assessments are proving remarkably resilient to digital shortcuts.
The AI Assessment Crisis in Modern Universities
Since the public release of ChatGPT in late 2022, educators have been grappling with a rapidly evolving challenge. Assignments that once required hours of research, synthesis, and original thought can now be completed in minutes with startling fluency. Take-home exams, reflective essays, coding assignments, and even problem sets have all become vulnerable to what experts describe as “cognitive off-loading.”
This phenomenon, where students outsource thinking to machines, presents a deeper issue than simple cheating. It threatens the foundational purpose of education itself: developing reasoning, judgment, and intellectual endurance.
Attempts to combat AI misuse through detection software have largely failed. AI detectors often generate false positives, penalizing honest students while missing sophisticated misuse. Meanwhile, banning AI outright has proven unrealistic, given its accessibility and integration into everyday digital life.
Against this backdrop, oral exams are emerging as a rare assessment format that directly measures understanding rather than output.
An Ancient Method Reintroduced to a Digital Age
Oral examinations predate written tests by centuries. In ancient Greece, Rome, India, and China, scholars demonstrated mastery through dialogue, debate, and recitation. Until the 18th century, oral assessments were the primary mode of evaluation at elite European universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
The industrialization of education and the rise of mass enrollment pushed institutions toward standardized written exams. Oral testing, viewed as time-intensive and subjective, gradually receded into niche academic rituals like PhD defenses.
What few anticipated was that artificial intelligence would resurrect this method by exposing the weaknesses of scalable, written assessments.
Inside the Modern Oral Exam Experience
At the University of Wyoming, Professor Catherine Hartmann has redesigned her courses to culminate in individual oral examinations. Instead of submitting essays or completing take-home finals, students sit across from her in her office for half an hour. No screens. No notes. Just questions and answers.
Hartmann’s approach reflects a broader pedagogical philosophy. She likens learning to physical training, arguing that reliance on AI is equivalent to using machinery to bypass muscle development. In her classroom, intellectual effort is the exercise.
Students are given clear expectations well in advance. They receive lists of core concepts, guiding questions, and opportunities to practice verbal explanation throughout the semester. The final exam is not a surprise interrogation but a structured demonstration of accumulated understanding.
Student Reactions: Anxiety Gives Way to Confidence
Initial student reactions to oral exams often involve apprehension. Speaking one-on-one with a professor can feel more intimidating than typing responses into a document. However, many students report a dramatic shift in perception after completing the process.
Students describe oral exams as more engaging, more personal, and ultimately more satisfying. Without the pressure of crafting perfect prose or second-guessing AI policies, they can focus entirely on explaining what they know.
Several students have noted that oral exams feel more aligned with real-world skills. Explaining ideas clearly, responding to follow-up questions, and thinking on one’s feet are competencies valued far beyond academia.
Scaling Oral Exams in Large Courses
One of the most persistent criticisms of oral assessments is scalability. While feasible in small seminars, critics argue that oral exams are impractical for large lecture courses.
Yet universities are beginning to challenge this assumption. At institutions like the University of Western Ontario and the University of California, San Diego, oral assessments have been implemented in courses enrolling hundreds of students. These efforts rely on structured rubrics, trained teaching assistants, and time-managed interview formats.
Technology also plays a supporting role. While AI is excluded from answering, scheduling tools, recording systems, and standardized question banks help manage logistics without compromising integrity.
AI-Proof by Design, Not Detection
The most compelling advantage of oral exams is that they are inherently resistant to AI misuse. A student cannot convincingly explain a concept they do not understand, even if they used AI to study or prepare.
When cheating attempts do occur, they are often obvious. Professors describe cases where students attempt to reference screens during remote oral exams, only to be undone by follow-up questions requiring synthesis rather than recall.
This shift represents a philosophical change in academic integrity enforcement. Instead of acting as detectives hunting for AI-generated text, educators can return to their primary role as evaluators of learning.
Educational Benefits Beyond Cheating Prevention
While AI avoidance is the catalyst, oral exams offer benefits that extend far beyond integrity. Research shows that verbal articulation strengthens memory, deepens comprehension, and improves critical thinking.
Oral exams also democratize assessment in unexpected ways. Students who struggle with written expression due to language barriers or learning differences may excel when allowed to explain concepts verbally.
Additionally, these exams foster meaningful academic relationships. Professors gain insight into how students think, not just what they produce. Students feel seen, heard, and taken seriously as intellectual participants.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Despite their advantages, oral exams are not without challenges. Concerns about subjectivity, bias, and student anxiety must be addressed thoughtfully. Clear rubrics, standardized questions, and training in equitable assessment practices are essential.
Accessibility is another critical factor. Institutions must ensure accommodations for students with speech impairments, anxiety disorders, or neurodivergent conditions. Oral exams should expand opportunity, not restrict it.
When implemented responsibly, however, many educators argue that these challenges are manageable—and worth the tradeoff.
A Signal of Education’s Post-AI Future
The revival of oral exams signals a broader transformation in higher education. As AI becomes ubiquitous, institutions are being forced to redefine what learning outcomes truly matter.
Memorization and formulaic writing are increasingly automated. Understanding, reasoning, and communication are not.
By returning to dialogue-based assessment, universities are reaffirming education’s human core. The spoken word, shaped by thought and experience, remains something no algorithm can convincingly fake.
Conclusion: Progress Sometimes Means Going Back
The irony of AI-driven education reform is that its most promising solution may lie in methods thousands of years old. Oral exams are not a rejection of technology, but a recalibration of its role.
As artificial intelligence continues to advance, the future of education will depend less on what machines can produce and more on what humans can explain, defend, and understand.
In that future, the simple act of a student speaking face-to-face with a professor may once again become the gold standard of learning.
FAQs
1. Why are universities bringing back oral exams?
To counter AI-assisted cheating and assess genuine understanding.
2. Are oral exams new in education?
No, they date back to ancient academic traditions.
3. Can AI help students pass oral exams?
Only indirectly through studying; it cannot answer during the exam.
4. Are oral exams stressful for students?
Initially yes, but many report they become more comfortable and confident.
5. Can oral exams work in large classes?
Yes, with structured formats and trained evaluators.
6. Do oral exams reduce cheating effectively?
They are among the most AI-resistant assessment methods.
7. Are oral exams subjective?
Clear rubrics and standardized questions reduce bias.
8. Do students prefer oral exams?
Many do, especially compared to high-pressure written tests.
9. Are accommodations possible?
Yes, accessibility adjustments are essential and supported.
10. Will oral exams replace written exams entirely?
Unlikely, but they will become a key part of hybrid assessment models.