Overall, the number of candidates docked marks for malpractice has risen by 16 per cent compared with 2017.
Taking unauthorised materials – including phones – into the exam room was the most common type of pupil malpractice reported in 2018, also rising by 22 per cent in 2018 compared with 2017.
Mobile phones were by far the most common unauthorised material, accounting for 75 per cent of such penalties.
In total, punishments for having mobile phones accounted for 47 per cent of all student penalties handed out in 2018.
Taking a mobile into an exam was usually punished by a loss of marks, which explains the 16 per cent increase in this type of penalty in 2018.
However, the overall number of malpractice penalties issued to students remained stable: 2,735 penalties were issued to students in 2018, compared with 2,740 in 2017.