Standardisation tests for SATs moderators will include questions written by artificial intelligence (AI) under a new government trial to cut costs and school workload. The (STA) is conducting the pilot amid a push to 鈥渉arness the power of AI technology across the sector鈥.聽 Key stage 2 moderators must pass a standardisation exercise to ensure they have the 鈥渞equired knowledge鈥 to examine English writing teacher assessments. Unlike maths and reading SATs, English writing is marked by teachers, with local authorities required to moderate 25 per cent of maintained school and academy papers. Trial 鈥榯o cut costs鈥 But moderators must pass one of three standardisation tests to get approval. This year, the third test will be produced using AI. The pilot aims to 鈥渆xplore whether large language models (LLMs) can help overcome ongoing challenges with standardisation exercise production, including sourcing sufficient scripts from schools and reducing associated costs,鈥 the government said. Since 2021-22, the Australian Council for Educational Research has created the exercises, using real samples of year 6 children鈥檚 work. But the Department for Education said 鈥渃ollecting suitable pupil writing samples is expensive and adds extra work for schools鈥. The trial follows 鈥18 months of research [into] how effectively LLMs can generate scripts that are representative of the work and ability of year 6 pupils鈥. To produce the AI tests, STA鈥檚 鈥渆xpert assessment researcher will design prompts鈥 based on the teacher assessment framework to 鈥済enerate draft pupil scripts鈥. The agency will then 鈥渆dit and carefully review鈥 them to 鈥渆nsure they meet our standards for accuracy, validity and reliability鈥 before they are used in the test. LAs can opt out Local authorities can 鈥渙pt out of participating 鈥 if they have concerns about the use of LLMs in the creation of the materials鈥. Their moderators will instead sit the other exercises. Schools Week approached the 15 biggest councils in England to find out if they were taking part. Four responded, with three saying they will be involved.聽 Kent, England鈥檚 largest local authority, which employs 鈥渁round 60 moderators鈥 who teach in primary schools or work as English subject leaders each year, said its reviews of the AI scripts found them 鈥渢o be reliable鈥. Dr Mick Walker, president of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, said offering the AI tests 鈥渁s an optional extension to normal procedures鈥 meant it 鈥渄oes not pose a risk to pupils鈥. Dr Mick Walker 鈥淭he inclusion of feedback presents an opportunity for moderators 鈥 to inform future developments.鈥 Any future decisions following the trial would be subject to the government鈥檚 response to the curriculum and assessment review panel鈥檚 final report. A frequently asked questions document produced by the agency ahead of the trial said the DfE鈥檚 鈥渙verarching strategy is to harness the power of AI technology across the sector鈥. However, the agency added it had 鈥渘o plans to use AI to develop statutory national curriculum tests or assessments for primary pupils鈥. AI鈥檚 鈥榠nevitable鈥 growth Duncan Baldwin, an education consultant, said it was inevitable that AI would be used increasingly to support time-consuming and expensive tasks in education. 鈥淎I can deliver huge benefits for teachers, school leaders and the government.鈥 Schools Week听谤别惫别补濒别诲 last month that Ofsted inspectors trialled AI to save them time while taking notes during visits.聽 But the watchdog decided against any wider rollout as it felt the tools created more work, rather than streamline inspections. The DfE also published AI toolkits for schools earlier this year. The guidance said leaders should plan for its 鈥渨ider use鈥 鈥 including to analyse budgets and help plan CPD. Ofsted also revealed that it used AI to process responses to its consultation on planned report cards 鈥渢o improve efficiency鈥. It noted this was becoming 鈥渕ore common across government鈥.