Does ChatGPT make the grade? - Issue 37 - Investigating student use in essay writing

Oct 23, 2026

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This study investigates how undergraduate students used ChatGPT while writing essay coursework for a Cambridge qualification. Three students completed two essays with access to ChatGPT, then took part in semi-structured interviews describing their experiences. Researchers compared chat logs and transcripts with the students’ submitted essays to assess how students engaged with AI outputs. Findings show varied reliance on ChatGPT while following a broadly similar engagement process. Students also expressed both misgivings and points of appreciation, informing considerations for assessment policy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study design and participants

Research approach and analysis

Key findings and implications

Research Matters / 37 A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication ISSN: 1755-6031 Journal homepage: [https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/our-research/all-published](https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/our-research/all-published)resources/research-matters/ Does ChatGPT make the grade? Jude Brady (International Education Research Hub), Martina Kuvalja (Digital Assessment and Evaluation), Alison Rodrigues (International Education Research Hub) and Sarah Hughes (Digital Assessment and Evaluation) To cite this article: Brady, J., Kuvalja, M., Rodrigues, A., & Hughes, S. (2024). Does ChatGPT make the grade? Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 37, 24–39. [https://](https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.106034)[doi.org/10.17863/CAM.106034](https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.106034) To link this article: [https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/research](https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/research)matters-37-does-chatgpt-make-the-grade.pdf Abstract: This study explores undergraduate students’ use of ChatGPT when writing essays. Three students were tasked with writing two essays each for a coursework component for a Cambridge qualification facilitated by access to ChatGPT. After writing the essays, they participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of using the technology. Researchers compared the transcript of the chatlog between the students and ChatGPT with the submitted essays. Analysis showed that the students relied on ChatGPT outputs to different extents, although they followed a similar process of engagement. The students shared their misgivings and points of appreciation for the technology. Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to making its documents accessible in accordance with the WCAG 2.1 Standard. We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems or you think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact our team: Research Division, [ResearchDivision@cambridge.org](ResearchDivision@cambridge.org) If you need this document in a different format contact us, telling us your name, email address and requirements and we will respond within 15 working days. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at T&C: Terms and Conditions | Cambridge University Press & Assessment © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Does ChatGPT make the grade? Jude Brady (International Education Research Hub), Martina Kuvalja (Digital Assessment and Evaluation), Alison Rodrigues (International Education Research Hub) and Sarah Hughes (Digital Assessment and Evaluation) This study took place in March 2023, just four months after OpenAI launched ChatGPT as a free service into the public domain. The generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform attracted over 100 million users in two months (Milmo, 2023). Its rapid growth and potential uses sparked a great deal of discussion about the implications for teaching, learning and assessment. Our research is an early attempt from within Cambridge University Press & Assessment to explore the ways in which ChatGPT might be used in an assessment context. For this research, we engaged three undergraduate students to complete coursework essays with the assistance of ChatGPT. We selected a coursework task from the Cambridge IGCSETM Global Perspectives syllabus because the syllabus encourages learners to think about and explore solutions to significant global issues. Students need to consider different perspectives and contexts. They also develop transferable skills to complement learning in other curricular areas. We chose Component 2, the Individual Report (IR), which is a coursework component requiring candidates to write an essay. The skills assessed are: • researching, analysing and evaluating information • developing and justifying a line of reasoning • refle

FAQs

How was ChatGPT used in this study for essay writing?

Three undergraduate students wrote two coursework essays each with assistance from ChatGPT. After writing, they joined semi-structured interviews to discuss their experiences.

What data sources were compared to evaluate student engagement?

Researchers compared chat log transcripts with the essays students submitted. This was complemented by interview responses about how students used and interpreted the technology.

What did the study find about students’ reliance on ChatGPT?

Students relied on ChatGPT outputs to different extents, even though they followed a broadly similar process of engagement. Students expressed both concerns and appreciation for the tool.

Oct 23, 2026

Upload by Connor