Since 1893, Princeton had upheld its Honor Code, allowing students to take exams without professors present based entirely on a pledge not to cheat.

That era ended on Monday when faculty voted to require proctors for all in-person exams starting this summer, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The change came after many undergraduate students and faculty raised concerns that cheating during in-class exams had become more common. In a proposal letter, Dean of the College Michael Gordin said the request reflected "their perception that cheating on in-class exams has become widespread."

Gordin said AI has made cheating both easier and harder to detect. He added that students are often reluctant to report classmates for fear of "doxxing or shaming among their peer groups" online. Many choose to report violations anonymously, which makes investigations more difficult.

Students at the Princeton's 2025 Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. Photo courtesy of Princeton

Princeton had been one of the few universities in the U.S. still allowing students to complete exams without instructors present. Despite the rule change, students will still be required to attest: "I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code during this examination."

Nadia Makuc, a senior student and president of Princeton’s Honor Committee, said most students support the new rule because it removes the pressure of monitoring classmates. Over the past year, the committee handled around 60 Honor Code violations, but she said she believed most cheating still goes undetected.

"If the exam is on a laptop, someone can just flip to another window. Or if the exam is in a blue book, it’s just people using their phone under their desk or going to the bathroom and using it," she said.

Jill Dolan, professor of English and Theater who served as dean of the college from 2015 to 2024, told The Daily Princetonian she considered the change unfortunate but "necessary."

"I think we need some different practices in this day and age, but it does mark a moment," she said.

Princeton’s move reflects a broader challenge facing universities as generative AI tools become more common.

Christian Moriarty, a professor of ethics and law at St. Petersburg College in Florida, said national studies show about one-third of students admit using AI to complete entire assignments.

To respond, professors across the U.S. are returning to more traditional methods such as oral exams, handwritten essays, and AI-detection software. At the same time, students are using those same tools to test whether their own essays can avoid detection before submitting them.

Moriarty said the belief that everyone is cheating makes students feel the behavior is acceptable, or even necessary, to stay competitive. This cycle, he said, weakens academic integrity and threatens the value of university degrees.

"At stake here is not just the soul of education, but also the genuine development of critical thinking among the population," he said. "Would you go to a doctor that used AI throughout all of medical school? Would you hire a lawyer to defend you who used AI to take the bar exam?" he said.

Princeton currently ranks first in the U.S. in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings and is part of the prestigious Ivy League. The university has about 5,800 undergraduate students and an acceptance rate of some 5%.