Guidance and support for the use of AI in sport and PE
22 January 2026
This blog has been updated with new information since the first version was published in 2024.
Kate Thompson, Physical Education and Sport Subject Advisor
The rapid and ongoing advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools bring both benefits and challenges to education and assessment. In this blog, I’ll highlight the guidance available for managing AI use in sport and PE qualifications and how to deal with misuse in assessments.
What is AI?
AI tools generate text or images in response to user prompts and questions. The responses of AI tools are based on the data sets they have been trained on. Commonly available AI chatbots include ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot.
Use of AI for NEA work
Students have to produce written work in a number of NEA components:
- GCSE and A Level: the AEP and EAPI
- Cambridge National: the set assignments
- Cambridge Technical: the unit assignments.
Centres and students can use the internet to research these areas and interpret what they need for their NEA work. However, centres need to bear in mind that AI tools, including those mentioned above, could have been used to help complete the piece of work.
Appropriate use of AI
Whether the use of AI by students is appropriate for a given task will depend on the marking criteria and nature of the task.
Appropriate uses can include:
- Generating ideas for parts of the coursework aspects, including fitness testing.
- Using AI tools to provide ideas and develop concepts. For example, a student could use ChatGPT to provide ideas for designing fitness tests and to interpret the data produced.
- Speeding up the research process by using AI tools to identify similar ideas or types of projects. However, it’s important that this stage is not solely driven by using AI tools.
Inappropriate use of AI
Like plagiarism, AI can be used by students to create work which they then try to pass off as their own work. Where a student has used AI to complete all or some of their work, they are not demonstrating their own knowledge, understanding and application of skills. This may prevent the candidate from presenting their own authentic evidence.
Examples of AI misuse include:
- using or modifying AI responses without acknowledgement
- disguising the use of AI
- using AI for substantial sections of work.
You can support your students by teaching them about the appropriate use of AI in sport and PE, demonstrating how to reference AI correctly where its use is appropriate, and having clear policies for AI use within your department.
Students should avoid use of AI tools in production work, as it results in them not being able to show they have independently met the required criteria.
Submitting content generated by AI for assessment would not allow students to independently demonstrate they have met the requirements of the mark scheme.
What to do when candidates misuse AI in assessments
Teachers must not accept work that is not the student’s own. Ultimately the Head of Centre is responsible for ensuring that students’ work is authentic.
If you suspect AI misuse before the student has signed the declaration of authentication, your centre doesn’t need to report the malpractice to Cambridge OCR. You can resolve the matter before signing the declarations.
If you suspect AI misuse within candidate work after formal submission and signing of the authentication sheet, it must be reported. Report concerns with a JCQ M1 form: see the JCQ AI guidance, available on the Malpractice section of the JCQ website. Please email your completed forms to Cambridge OCR at malpractice@ocr.org.uk.
Further support
Please refer to JCQ AI use in assessments: Protecting the integrity of assessment for further information on managing the use of AI within your assessments.
See our AI support page for more support resources, included recorded webinars.
Stay connected
If you have any questions, you can email us at support@ocr.org.uk or call us on 01223 553998. You can also sign up to subject updates to receive information about resources and support.
About the author
Kate Thompson joined Cambridge OCR in November 2021 having taught for 18 years at primary and secondary school level. Within that time she held various positions including Head of Department and School Sports Coordinator. Kate took 3 years out of teaching to work in South Africa at a University in their sports department and to manage the set-up of a Non-Government sports development project, working in the local township schools.
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